Omg What Did I Do!!!

[TehTANK]

Hello everyone. I have a story. As everyone might know I have been thinking about changing my tank. My large Oscar that I had for 2.5 years passed away on Easter Sunday. My other Oscar wasn't doing so well and was looking at the same fate. SO I uthenized(sp) him yesterday and took my cory catfish back to the pet store for some credit. My tank is fishless right now. So I come home from the LFS and I am like...."thats it, I am going to do what I want with this tank" So I emptied my 90 gallon tank completely. Took everything out of it including the gravel substrate. Filled a 1 and 1/2 5 gallon buckets with the gravel no less. Scrubbed the complete inside of the tank and outside. Took my background off and right now it is sitting empty with my filters and everything clean waiting for me to do something with it. Let me tell you...I am sore today. That was a job and a half breaking that whole tank down. Anyway, I am going Wednesday after work to Lows and getting play sand which I am going to clean that night and get in the tank...hopefully. I am going to go with a white sand. Then I am also going to get longer tubing for my Classic 2217 Eheim so that way I can put the intake and output where I want on the tank to help keep it clean. Then I am going to fill it up and let it cycle again completely letting it run for about 2 weeks and checking my levels. I am going to make a sweet rock formation with the 100 plus pounds of rock I got for when I had my oscars. Once everything is cycled I am going to have a community tank with a sweet sand substrate and it is going to be awesome. Now I have only raised oscars for a few years. What can anyone tell me about a community tank? I want cichlids for sure. Any suggestions anyone??? Anyway, thats my story. Tank is completely empty right now but soon......it will be back. I hope.....

[Chrona]

Cichlids as in african cichlids? Or like angelfish, etc.

[TehTANK]

As in African.

[Chrona]

Reptileguy is the one to ask about african cichlids :)

[Lady Hobbs]

WOW! Big job is right!

Lowe's will probably not have the sand you want but will only have beach sand as Home Depot does. It's tan just like when you go to the beach. If you want the pretty white, you'll probably have to go with Silica Sand.

I just rinsed mine off two to three times and put it in the tank. Filled the tank, let the sand settle, then turned the filters on a couple hours later. It was clear within hours. You need to make sure your uplift tubes are at least 3 inches above the gravel so it doesn't get sucked into the filter motor.

Sorry you had to put the other Oscar down. They may both have had a bacterial infection or maybe internal parasites.

PEACOCKS!

Hey, I like your User name change! :)

[TehTANK]

Thanks Hobbs! It was a job. Took me all afternoon and evening to do it. Well I am probably going to have to go with the play sand that is tan then because I can't afford what they sell the other stuff for. It is crazy what they charge for sand. I am going to clean the play sand in a bucket a little at a time. rinsing it with a hose outside till all the particles are out and then putting it in the tank. Should I add water first and then put the sand in or should I do it with it empty and then put water in? I am confused about that.

Thanks about Lucky. It was a sad day yesterday but I didn't want him to suffer anymore. They both had HITH that I couldn't get rid of and I don't know how it happend. My water was perfect, I fed them NLS I took care of them so well....:(

[Lady Hobbs]

Stuff happens to fish like it happens to people. People take care of themselves (well, some of them) don't smoke, don't drink and die of lung cancer so who's to say. Just the other day I was reading that fish can get gall bladder disease and thyroid disease. Who woulda thunk it.

Put the sand in then fill with water.

[TehTANK]

Who whoulda?!?

I am going to really need help with keeping these fish to start off. I am trying to read as much as possible about them but I live by my words. Trial and Error. It is going to happen.....

[Lady Hobbs]

Some cichlids tear up the bottom pretty well and keep sand stirred up. I doubt this is the case with peacocks, however. You also don't want sand very deep or will get air pockets. I've read to just now and then run something thru the sand to release them......even your fingers.

Cichlids are awesome. I want to turn my 29 gallon into a dwarf tank.

[TehTANK]

I have done my reading on sand substrates. I already have my prefilters for the intakes on my filters and I have read to not put more then 1 inch of sand substrate down and to run your fingers through the sand once a week(during cleanings) to make sure pockets don't become toxic. About them kicking up sand....I haven't herd to much of that. I have read that most cichlids prefer sand.

[Lady Hobbs]

That's probably more intended for Oscars, Severums and the large ones who cause a rukus in the tank. I don't see any problem at all with other cichlids.