Cichlid beginner

[Northerly]

Filtration for a deep tank like that with such a heavy bioload IMO should be an AC110, and the rena xp3 if you like that. Possibly backed up by another HOB if the budget permits. Would also recommend a 250 watt heater minimum. The list 850R suggests is, as stated, a start but the only way to really learn about the temperament of the fish is to research them individually. It's not as hard as it sounds, just a bit of reading. I chose to overstock my tank in the beginning when I first had mbuna and it resulted in losses, so be careful as escamosa has mentioned. In a newly cycled tank it can cause ammonia spikes to add a large number of fish. However, I currently have 18-20 or more fish(anywhere from a half inch to 4.5'+) in my 75 and it really spreads the aggression out, the affect is noticeable. Now, as has also been mentioned, the tank does not have the appropriate footprint which is the main factor in determining whether or not a fish is appropriate for your tank. I would again go with escamosas advice here, but I personally believe you could get away with adding UP TO 4 more fish, for a grand total of 12.



I also have syno cats, which I would suggest looking into if you like bottom dwellers.

http://www.scotcat.com/images/s_petricola10.jpg

http://www.g-hoener.de/images/07_Son...unctatus_a.jpg

The difference between petricola and multipunctatus is, essentially, price and availability. I payed 25 dollars a piece for my Synodontis Multipunctatus which adds up quickly with schooling fish. Also I am not 100% positive but I think the petricola cats stay a bit smaller.

Also, make sure you use some sort of aragonite sand or african cichlid sand just to aid in keeping the water hardness and such in check between water changes.

[unitednations161]

Filtration for a deep tank like that with such a heavy bioload IMO should be an AC110, and the rena xp3 if you like that. Possibly backed up by another HOB if the budget permits. Would also recommend a 250 watt heater minimum. The list 850R suggests is, as stated, a start but the only way to really learn about the temperament of the fish is to research them individually. It's not as hard as it sounds, just a bit of reading. I chose to overstock my tank in the beginning when I first had mbuna and it resulted in losses, so be careful as escamosa has mentioned. In a newly cycled tank it can cause ammonia spikes to add a large number of fish. However, I currently have 18-20 or more fish(anywhere from a half inch to 4.5'+) in my 75 and it really spreads the aggression out, the affect is noticeable. Now, as has also been mentioned, the tank does not have the appropriate footprint which is the main factor in determining whether or not a fish is appropriate for your tank. I would again go with escamosas advice here, but I personally believe you could get away with adding UP TO 4 more fish, for a grand total of 12.




I also have syno cats, which I would suggest looking into if you like bottom dwellers.

http://www.scotcat.com/images/s_petricola10.jpg

http://www.ghoener.de/images/07_Sons...unctatus_a.jpg

The difference between petricola and multipunctatus is, essentially, price and availability. I payed 25 dollars a piece for my Synodontis Multipunctatus which adds up quickly with schooling fish. Also I am not 100% positive but I think the petricola cats stay a bit smaller.

Also, make sure you use some sort of aragonite sand or african cichlid sand just to aid in keeping the water hardness and such in check between water changes.

How often and how much water for water changes? My situation is I have a water softener, So I have to turn that off, Then I get completely freezing water that I put in a rubbermaid for a day or so, heat it with an aquarium heater then pour it in the tank. so yeah its a pain for me. But i do NOT neglect!!!

[Northerly]

For my main mbuna tank and my breeding tank I have to use a pH buffer, which requires me to put the amount of water which I am changing into a tote, with a powerhead or an airstone in order to complete the gas exchange process and properly "mix in" the buffer. So I feel your pain there. I use a 45 gallon tote from wal-mart.

Anyways, I recommend 50% a week or around 30-35 gallons per week. If I were you my schedule would be to fill up the tote on friday night, add your heater, buffer(if necessary or you choose to do so), and airstone or powerhead and allow it to ciculate for approximately 24 hours. Maybe you could just set aside an hour or so on saturday night or sunday to do the waterchanges? I would also try to be as consistent as possible with your schedule, but it wont destroy your tank to skip a week if absolutely necessary.

[unitednations161]

For my main mbuna tank and my breeding tank I have to use a pH buffer, which requires me to put the amount of water which I am changing into a tote, with a powerhead or an airstone in order to complete the gas exchange process and properly "mix in" the buffer. So I feel your pain there. I use a 45 gallon tote from wal-mart.

Anyways, I recommend 50% a week or around 30-35 gallons per week. If I were you my schedule would be to fill up the tote on friday night, add your heater, buffer(if necessary or you choose to do so), and airstone or powerhead and allow it to ciculate for approximately 24 hours. Maybe you could just set aside an hour or so on saturday night or sunday to do the waterchanges? I would also try to be as consistent as possible with your schedule, but it wont destroy your tank to skip a week if absolutely necessary.

I most likely do not need buffer correct? since my water is 8.4 ph and a hardness of quite a bit lol Ok that sounds like a plan. Yeah I won't skip any unless of an emergency. I already do waterchanges in my 75 gallon turtle tank and my 20 gallon turtle tank and my 10 gallon (soon to be 20) betta tank, so im used to that

[jeffs99dime]

You should be fine. You're adding rock too, correct?

[unitednations161]

You should be fine. You're adding rock too, correct?

Yeah I am.

[aquaman2013]

The crowding method has worked well for me, although I have to change the water out of my 55 gallon tank every 3 days or so. The nitrate build up get a bit high, but the ammonia and nitrite levels remain low. If you decide to go with the crowding method, make sure you get a pump! Use a power head to pump the water out, and have a holding tank (big trash can) with treated water and pump it back in (takes me less than 40 minutes). It takes some work, but when the tank is crowded enough you can have just about any combination of cichlids (relative to tank size and how big the fish get of course). In my 55 gal. I have 4 OB Peacocks, 1 Anchor Island male and 1 female, 1 Red Zebra, 1 Ice Blue Zebra, 4 Maingano, 1 Yellow lab, 1 Acei, 3 Lethrinops Intermedius, 5 Taiwan Reef (1 male, 4 female), 1 Eureka Red Jake, 1 Venustus, 1 Cobalt Blue, and 1 Melanochromis auratus. They do show temperament, but it is short lived due to a lot of hiding places and a crowd. I have the tank going with all of them for 5 months now, and no problems!