African Set-Up

[dss2004]

Well I think I have finally infected my entire family with the fish bug. During Christmas I set-up a tank for my older sister. It is a 55 gallon community tank and her family has really enjoyed the entertainment of the fish thus far.

Now my little sister wants to have a 55 gallon tank set-up. If it was planted tank, community tank, or even a South American cichlid tank I think I could get it going pretty well but she wants an African tank.

I have been reading most of the stuff I think I need to know but I would like some extra pointers if anyone feels so inclined. I haven't really decided which lake yet and I was hoping some of you cichlid folks could help me here along with some other questions or info I will need to know to be successful.


Which lake has the best, most diverse color ( I know this will be an opinion? I am thinking fish in deep purples, blues, maybe oranges.
Do they need strong currents?
What is the best substrate to use?
Rock formations?
How many fish can I plant on stocking in the tank? I have heard 12-15.

I would love to hear everyone's opinions around here.

Oh and does anyone have some links for additional reading for setting up an African tank? And maybe some pictures of successful set-ups? The tank is going to be in a focal part of the house so I really want it to look good!!!

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Check out some of the rate my tank photos for some good african tanks. We have some really nice ones posted there to give you a good idea. A lot of members also have links to their website in their signatures, with nice pictures of their tanks.

 

[Managuense]

lake malawi mbuna and peacocks probably have the most dazzling colors to choose from and are collectively probably the most "hardy"....though species from all 3 lakes are pretty tough for the most part.

lake tanganyika, according to the hobbyists, is more of a "hobbyist" tank with more diversity in body structure and behavior....though some beautiful species are here also.

lake victoria also has some beautiful species,but you may find them to be more difficult to get at your LFS.

www.cichlid-forum.com

the only advice i would offer is to do an entire tank based upon only 2-3 species, rather than "1 of everything under the sun" like many people do.

you get a more interesting display this way IMO.

M

 

[Managuense]

the best substrate to use is probably a fine-to-medium grade sand, either silica (my choice) or Ca2+ based.

since sand is more similar to their natural substrate throughout "most" of the lake, you will see more natural behavior this way....though gravel will work just fine if you prefer it.

as far as stocking goes...you can use "overstocking" with many african cichlid species as a way to reduce aggression, but excellent filtration and regular water changes are obviously required.

 

[Cichlid-Man]

Lol well Mana really covered it all.

For color and activity i'd look into Lake Malawi. For behavior and fun to watch, usually lacking the bright colors look at Tanganyika. The only reason i don't usually suggest Victorians to anyone is because they arn't your everyday LFS fish, you don't usually see them everywhere. Malawi is by far the most common.

As for substrate sand IMO will give you the most enjoyable option. With the cichlids always digging, spittin & kickin you will find it cool to watch them. They can do this with a crushed coral substrate or gravel...but not as well. So i personally prefer sand over everything.

Rock formations, most definently. More rocks less plants (although i've seen some really nice tanks with grey rocks and anubias wedged inbetween). Rocks rocks rocks lots of holes, caves, hiding places....just stuff they can dart around and feel safe. Its their reef.

I stock 12-15 in a 55gal, others don't. I just use 12-15 because it seems to be an average of stocking plans from cichlid-forum.com and generally works well. That is however 12-15 Mbuna, not peacocks or haps which usually like a 1m to 2-3f ratio.

I'll agree with Mana on the link, www.cichlid-forum.com is the best out there. They have a huge user tank section to look at as well as many many articles.

 

[dss2004]

Thanks guys I really appreciate the help. Lots of great info. I will check out all of those places and look around, maybe steal a few ideas. I will post some pictures after we get the tank all set-up and running!!!!

Thanks again

 

[dss2004]

Man that site has some great pictures!

Hey what do you guys think about mixing rock types? Like maybe a nice big piece of holey rock and then some more petrified wood or quartez, slate looking rocks. Would this ruin the aquascape? Is it better to use only one type of rock?

Found this picture on another site!

Man that is a lot of fish!!!

http://www.malawicichlidhomepage.com/aquainfo/hobbyist_gallery/hobbyist_gallery_toronto.html

 

[Desi]

Great link DSS2004; I've been to Toronto a billion times and I can't believe I didn't know the Toronto zoo had such a terrific mbuna tank. WOW

Then again; I wasn't into mbuna or the hobby for that matter; back then.

I went malawi; I feel they have a large variety of colors; especially love teh colors of the electric blue johanni, p. demasoni and the yellow labidochromis. Beware of the demasoni; BEWARE hehe

 

[Cichlid-Man]

WOW. I have never seen that pic before.....i'm amazed lol. Speechless.

As for mixing rocks, ehh its a toss up. I've seen it done and look good, and other times and look crappy. Might just have to try it. And remember, its whats YOU like and makes your fish happy at the same time

 

[dss2004]

I know that picture is insane!!

Desi I think the malawi's are beautiful but I also think all the Africans are beautiful. I think I am going to go to the lfs and look at the fish without seeing the names. I certainly can't identify them without looking at the names yet so I will just find the ones that I think are the prettiest and make my decision that way. I am so excited about this set-up I think it is going to look awesome.

Cichlid man I had the same feelings. The more I think about it the more I don't think holey rock will really look good with another type of rock. I think I might go out to my lake and check and see if they have any nice looking rocks to use. It would be a lot cheaper, LOL.

Thanks again guys. I will keep checking in as I know I will have an abundance of questions as the project progresses.

 

[Orion]

Wow, to say thats a lot of fish is a serious understatment.

I agree with Matt on the rocks. It can look good, it can look bad. Bottom line is what you like. Your the one who is going to have to look at it.

Personaly I tend to like to stay close to the same type of rock. And when I say type I meen similar shapes. I have a 29 with a large slate stack, and if I were to add round rocks it just wouldnt look as good IMO. I went to a landscaper yesterday and bought some round rocks for my 45 gallon. The round is more like what you would find in the lakes, so it kinda gives a more habitat look. (Im not going for habitat in my tank, to many plants in mine. I just wanted a change from the slate look). Different shape rocks offen take make a tank look clutered and take away from the real purpose of the tank, the fish.

On cichlid-forum there are hundreds of user tanks that you can look at. Those could really give you a better feel of what you might like in your tank. In a Malawian tank, I personaly would rather have fewer large rocks than many smaller ones. With the length of a 55, that would give you plenty of eye candy. But then again I've never had a mbuna or any other fish from Malawi, but just my 2cents.

 

[Desi]

DSS; I went the same way as you when I set up my african tank; just tried to buy the prettiest looking fish; just one word of advice; don't buy P. Demasoni if you don't plan oin making them the main element in your tank (in which case I doubt many of your other fish would survive). It has powder blue on dark blue vertical stripes along most of its body;

 

[Managuense]

i personally think that texas holey rock, while useful, looks ridiculously unrealistic in almost every tank i have seen it in.

poorly guarded drainage ditches are a gold mine for good rocks bro.

 

[Desi]

lol mana; that sounds soo sketchy the way you put it.. hehe poorly guarded...

 

[dss2004]

Mana I agree. The more tanks I have looked at the more I don't like the holey rocks. I can see why they would be very useful with all there caves and crannies but I think personally it will detract from the colors of the fish. I think I am going to go with a darker color rock.

I have already decided to paint the background black. I saw this done on a few tanks in the cichlid-forum and it had a great effect. I have a black background in my tank but you can see the glossy gleam of the background plastic. I think the flat black paint will really help the colors stand out.

I have a new question. I really like the look of the peacock, sorry I don't know the scientific name right now but I will find out (always hate only knowing the common name can't ever find as much information.) Could yellow labs and orange scofli (spelling) and the Zebra cichlids be kept with these guys. Just wondering. My sister loves the zebras and the yellow labs and I love the peacocks. Sorry again for sounding so ingnorant about this stuff. I am trying to learn this stuff as fast as I can. Thanks again!!!

 

[Cichlid-Man]

LOL mana, yeah that Olive Garden they are building down the street is looking mightttttty fine. They are covering the building in all sorts of rocks and looks like they have some to spare...might ride up there one night

Peacocks, hmm. Well the peacock genus is Aulonocara. So all peacocks will be "Aulonocara something". I wouldn't keep Mbuna and Peacocks together. Mbuna are said to get to aggressive for the peacococks, but i've seen some nasty males before. And really, with peacocks you would only be able to keep 1-2 males in a tank, they only ones that show color....females are silver and drab and not that great looking.

But incase you just wanted to read up on Aulonocara i'd take a look here. http://cichlid-forum.com/articles/peacock_corner.php

 

[dss2004]

Thanks Matt I appreciate it. That's too bad I really liked those guys, oh well its here tank so I will let her pick them out, lol. So with the mbunas there dosen't have to be the 1:2 ratio? We could essentially pick the best looking fish and go from there? Will a tank full of male mbunas be a problem?

 

[Cichlid-Man]

Well sometimes its hard to sex Mbuna IMO at least. Yes with Mbuna it would be good to get a 1m 2-3f ratio but a few breeding groups of Mbuna can be kept together where as peacocks usually do better in seperate breeding groups. You can pack more Mbuna in basically. A tank full of males could be a a problem yes lol. They will all go hyperdominant and start killing to own the tank. So at least try to get some females i'd say.

What size are you thinking about buying them at? Generally if you can't sex them right there on the spot by looking at them, or if they don't come from a breeder who has already sexed them then i would get the healthest, best looking fish and then sort it out.

 

[dss2004]

I was actually thinking of buying them fairly small, maybe 1-2 inch range. Would this be okay? I thought I read somewhere that if you buy them small they tend to be more tolerant of one another as they grow together. Also I wanted them to grow with the tank. I always love buying the small guys and then watching them mature over time. I am sure it is probably much easier to sex them when they are older and mature. I think I am going to go the route of getting the healthiest looking fish and as they grow into maturity I can, as you said, sort it from there and put in females or take out males as needed.

 

[Desi]

i agree about buying small and developing tolerance as they grow. Buy juveniles. They will be cheaper; definetely next to impossible to sex and you might lose a few as they grow; but I gotta agree with your sentiment about the pleasure of watching them grow with your tank.