doing my research
- Thread starter forrestcook
- Start date
yeah, thee guy there said they were mbunu or something. It just stink because all my research has been going towards angels (and all your help/efforts on this thread as well). I've been visiting the lfs a lot lately checking out the fish and the tank setups and some of the books/magazines, but this was the first time my wife came along.
Now - I realize that all your help is going on tree pages long here, and I really do appreciate it. I have no intention of continuing it for another three pages related to cichlids as I'm sure - at some point - even the most tolerant forum dweller tires of the basic questions.
Thee LFS guy said that there are two basic strategies for cichlids.... really underpopulate (only have a few) or really overpopulate. which the LFS has a show tank doing. He suggested 10-15 small cichlids, but I'm leery about intentionally overpopulating.
At this point I think I'm more excited about putting the tank together and cycling it. I'm planning out my decorations and my geologist brother is going to get me some cool rocks that wont change my PH or hardness significantly. At least this is one portion of the tank I can do without having to decide on fish yet.
I'm just at a loss now... i might just push the issue and get the angels since I know that will work.
Now - I realize that all your help is going on tree pages long here, and I really do appreciate it. I have no intention of continuing it for another three pages related to cichlids as I'm sure - at some point - even the most tolerant forum dweller tires of the basic questions.
Thee LFS guy said that there are two basic strategies for cichlids.... really underpopulate (only have a few) or really overpopulate. which the LFS has a show tank doing. He suggested 10-15 small cichlids, but I'm leery about intentionally overpopulating.
At this point I think I'm more excited about putting the tank together and cycling it. I'm planning out my decorations and my geologist brother is going to get me some cool rocks that wont change my PH or hardness significantly. At least this is one portion of the tank I can do without having to decide on fish yet.
I'm just at a loss now... i might just push the issue and get the angels since I know that will work.
Overcrowding is a valid tactic for spreading aggression around, but I wouldn't recommend it for a newer hobbyist.
Mbuna are cichlids from lake Malawi. Most Malawian cichlids are going to be too big/aggressive for a 29. I would recommend looking into some Tanganyikan (from lake Tanganyika), specifically from the genus Julidochromis.
If you do go with African Cichlids, you're not going to want to do much in the way of plants (fake or otherwise). The African Rift Lakes are very rocky, with very little vegetation in most areas.
Don't worry about another 3 pages... I have my options set to display 40 posts per page, so you're just barely halfway over page 1.
~JW
Mbuna are cichlids from lake Malawi. Most Malawian cichlids are going to be too big/aggressive for a 29. I would recommend looking into some Tanganyikan (from lake Tanganyika), specifically from the genus Julidochromis.
If you do go with African Cichlids, you're not going to want to do much in the way of plants (fake or otherwise). The African Rift Lakes are very rocky, with very little vegetation in most areas.
Don't worry about another 3 pages... I have my options set to display 40 posts per page, so you're just barely halfway over page 1.
~JW
part off the reason my wife was so attracted to the cichlids over the angels was the level of activity. So she's put a requirement out for me to figure out... cichlids or angels. So looking at the sizes and temperments of cichlids, south american seems to be the best, bvut i'd have to mail order them as my LFS only carries mbuntu. Here's my more active hopeful list...
1 bushy nose pleco
1 red tail shark
2 marbled angelfish
1 opaline or gold gourami
6-8 silver tip tetras
full growth sizes taken into consideration, it adds up to about the 1 inch of fish per gallon rule of thumb... and using a compatibility chart i've only got a few cautions (which mostly deal with the shark), but ive also read that in the presence of larger fish (gourami and angels) the sharks calm down quite a bit. the pleco should be no problem and the tetras shold mind their own business.
So I'm thinking this setup or going with south american cichlids, but those cost more and I'd have to mail order them... so I want to test this idea out first as i can get all of these at my LFS.
water compatibility is all there, with the least compatible being the water hardness for the angels... but there's a local guy who breeds them in tucson water so they've been adapting (so he says)
1 bushy nose pleco
1 red tail shark
2 marbled angelfish
1 opaline or gold gourami
6-8 silver tip tetras
full growth sizes taken into consideration, it adds up to about the 1 inch of fish per gallon rule of thumb... and using a compatibility chart i've only got a few cautions (which mostly deal with the shark), but ive also read that in the presence of larger fish (gourami and angels) the sharks calm down quite a bit. the pleco should be no problem and the tetras shold mind their own business.
So I'm thinking this setup or going with south american cichlids, but those cost more and I'd have to mail order them... so I want to test this idea out first as i can get all of these at my LFS.
water compatibility is all there, with the least compatible being the water hardness for the angels... but there's a local guy who breeds them in tucson water so they've been adapting (so he says)
I would loose either the red tail shark or the gourami. That tank is a little full (especially for a newer fish keeper). You can pretty much throw the inch per gallon rule in the trash. It falls apart very quickly once you start actually stocking.
pH and hardness are almost certainly a non-issue. If you can drink it, your fish can probably survive in it just fine.
And it "mbuna" not "mbuntu." You wouldn't happen to be a linux user, would you?
~JW
pH and hardness are almost certainly a non-issue. If you can drink it, your fish can probably survive in it just fine.
And it "mbuna" not "mbuntu." You wouldn't happen to be a linux user, would you?
~JW
Done and done. that red tailed shark is off the list and the opaline gourami is firmly in place there.
On to the next line of questioning... texas holey rock is super cool, and I'd love to have some, but I know it'll raise the hardness and PH of my water... any idea of how much? or does that all depend on surface area of the rock? Forgiive me if I missed a thread on this somewhere else in the forum...
On to the next line of questioning... texas holey rock is super cool, and I'd love to have some, but I know it'll raise the hardness and PH of my water... any idea of how much? or does that all depend on surface area of the rock? Forgiive me if I missed a thread on this somewhere else in the forum...
I don't think you should throw the "rule of thumb" in the trash, especially as a beginner. It's a great guideline as to how many fish you can safely put into a tank without worrying about overstocking right off the bat. Obviously, as you learn more and become a more advanced hobbiest, you will be able to handle the stocking levels much better, at which point you can put the "rule" aside. But at this point, I think it's good to keep that in mind.
I do second the opinion on the gourami or shark. I would drop the gourami. Reason being that the shark will usually find a small "territory" near the bottom of the tank to call his own. A gourami and shark will probably squabble over territory area in that small of a tank.
I do second the opinion on the gourami or shark. I would drop the gourami. Reason being that the shark will usually find a small "territory" near the bottom of the tank to call his own. A gourami and shark will probably squabble over territory area in that small of a tank.
Okay - so now that I've got my fish list pretty much in order and my tank/stand has been purchased... all that's left to do is get the necessary gear and decorations.
I'm planning on doing a lightly planted tank. Nothing that will require CO2 injection or massive amounts of light. so my substrate will be eco-complete.
My local petsmart has some very nice fake driftwood that actually looks like driftwood so that takes care of decorations.
Plants will be purchased from here: Aquarium Plants, Pond Plants, Freshwater Aquarium Plant & Aquarium Accessories – Arizona Aquatic Gardens.
now th Filter and heater are the two big questions. Also, powerheads. Are they necessary in all tanks? or will my filter provide enough current in a 30G?
The two filters I'm leaning towards are:
Aquaclear power filter (rated 70 gallon): Link
Penguin 350 BIO wheel power filter (rated 75 gallon): Link
As far as powerheads, im clueless. And are all heaters created equal? both seem like they're very simple products, so it seems as though any one would be as good as another. Also, when looking at filters more gallons is better, but i imagine with a powerhead, get what is rated for your tank right? to avoid a spinning whirlpool of fishy death?
I'm planning on doing a lightly planted tank. Nothing that will require CO2 injection or massive amounts of light. so my substrate will be eco-complete.
My local petsmart has some very nice fake driftwood that actually looks like driftwood so that takes care of decorations.
Plants will be purchased from here: Aquarium Plants, Pond Plants, Freshwater Aquarium Plant & Aquarium Accessories – Arizona Aquatic Gardens.
now th Filter and heater are the two big questions. Also, powerheads. Are they necessary in all tanks? or will my filter provide enough current in a 30G?
The two filters I'm leaning towards are:
Aquaclear power filter (rated 70 gallon): Link
Penguin 350 BIO wheel power filter (rated 75 gallon): Link
As far as powerheads, im clueless. And are all heaters created equal? both seem like they're very simple products, so it seems as though any one would be as good as another. Also, when looking at filters more gallons is better, but i imagine with a powerhead, get what is rated for your tank right? to avoid a spinning whirlpool of fishy death?
I would think that a 350 in a 30 gallon should be plenty of filtration without the need to stir up the water more with a powerhead, but it all comes down to personal preference, I suppose.
Whatever you get for powerheads, if you get one, I would make sure you see how large it is physically before you buy it. Also, try to find one with adjustable flow. I bought a Penguin 550 and while it seems to be a good model, it seems large and the flow is enough that my fish didn't like it, so I stopped using it and bought a canister filter instead.
Whatever you get for powerheads, if you get one, I would make sure you see how large it is physically before you buy it. Also, try to find one with adjustable flow. I bought a Penguin 550 and while it seems to be a good model, it seems large and the flow is enough that my fish didn't like it, so I stopped using it and bought a canister filter instead.
so as far as aquaclear vs biowheel...
Ive heard bio wheel is a great thing. I know I've heard the name tossed around a lot. I've also heard that if the wheel gets stuck on a piece of crud, it won't work anymore.
In regards to the aquaclear, ive been told it's better because it forces water up through the filter media and has no moving parts to jam. but Ive also been told that the unfiltered water can back out of the tube somehow.
I'm sure the negative comments all come from supporters of the other team, but in regards to those two filters, which would you put your trust in? Or should I go a different route completely with two smaller filters for redundancy?
Ive heard bio wheel is a great thing. I know I've heard the name tossed around a lot. I've also heard that if the wheel gets stuck on a piece of crud, it won't work anymore.
In regards to the aquaclear, ive been told it's better because it forces water up through the filter media and has no moving parts to jam. but Ive also been told that the unfiltered water can back out of the tube somehow.
I'm sure the negative comments all come from supporters of the other team, but in regards to those two filters, which would you put your trust in? Or should I go a different route completely with two smaller filters for redundancy?
I've always run AC's and I've liked them. Of course, I've always heard good things out Penguins/Emperors too...
As long as you avoid filters like Whisper, you'll be all set. Just make sure you keep them clean (but that holds true for any filter)
In a 30 gallon, I wouldn't worry too much about redundancy. Once you start getting up into the 55+ range, I start running two slightly undersized versions of everything, but with smaller tanks, I don't bother.
~JW
As long as you avoid filters like Whisper, you'll be all set. Just make sure you keep them clean (but that holds true for any filter)
In a 30 gallon, I wouldn't worry too much about redundancy. Once you start getting up into the 55+ range, I start running two slightly undersized versions of everything, but with smaller tanks, I don't bother.
~JW