Re-arranged the tank for cichlids. Pic

[bentz69]

After my first attempt of setting up my very first tank I wasnt too happy with the layout. I think I jumped the gun a little and pieced together a tank too quickly and choose a fish I wasnt fully happy with (barbs and sharks). The tank seemed too crowded with decor. After much thought I decided I wanted to change the fish I had to african cichlids and this would require a different setup.

This was the old setup



This is the new setup. I still have 1 tiger barb, 2 mollys, and 3 sharks in there. They are all going back to store very soon....even though they seem to enjoy the hiding spots in the new tank. I used a glossy black background, 75lbs of smooth river stone and 2 potted live plants (cant remember the name).





I really wish I used black sand...maybe in the future.

3 questions.

1) How does the rock layout look as far as housing african cichlids?
2) Should I add more rock to the rear of the tank to bring the height up?
3) Since about 85% of my gravel is now covered with rock, how am I supposed to use a gravel vacuum in those areas covered by rock? Do I even have to bother? Or does the rock have to be removed?

[genocidex]

what type of cichlids are you wanting to keep? mbunas will get too big.

the height seems nice

no you dont have to worry too much of those areas, since the fishies wont be above those areas to poo

[bentz69]

I was planning on mbunas. I can already see myself upgrading to a larger a tank since Id like to have around 10-12 fish.

Im not sure how many of each type of mbuna to get though. When buying them now I want to get small fish (an inch or less) and have them grow.

I hear 1m to 3f ratio is good but I dont want 4 of each fish. Maybe 2 or 3 at most

[genocidex]

mbunas need to be over stocked, and you really need at least 1:4 ratio 5 of each is the best. 55 is generaly the standard min for mbunas.

if you are interested in shellies then youd still need a clear bottom with lots of shells.

just because you dont want more than 3 of each fish doesnt mean it can be done. you need to think of the fish's health over your preference. though that doesnt mean you cant have some nice color. rusties are blue and "rust" orange. yellow labs are great yellow, and Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos are a great black and blue. thats what im stocking in my 55g tank. 5 of each. well once its up and going.

also you might want to consider some sort of agronite sand bottom, or at least some other sand. have you done any research on them besides knowing they like caves?

if you can ask a mod to move this to the mbuna section you will get loads more advice tho

[Lady Hobbs]

Tank looks much better IMO. But I too believe not large enough for mbuna. Have you looked into the dwarf cichlids, such as the Apisto's? Check the left menu in this link and you'll see many of them.

http://www.dwarfcichlid.com/Apistogramma.php

I have a 55 gallon and nixed the mbuna species because I didn't feel I could stock as they should be stocked. I was surprised at the size they could become.

[Sandz]

What about Demosoni? I dont remember how to spell it but do remember a thread hear that had a similar tank with a great rock layout like that and had tiny mbuna that dont get big...

[kaybee]

What size tank is this?

[ESMC2009]

This looks like a 30-45 gallon tank.
They recommend using sand for mbunas.
They love to dig up the sand. They sell buffer sand that help maintain a high ph for mbunas. The sand will also help waste stay at the surface which will help you catch it when you vacuum your gravel.

The more rocks you have the more territory the cichlids will have. I normally move my rock work when I vacuum my sand. If you decide to go with sand you should avoid adding to much sand to your tank, because over time any waste or food that was not picked up can build up gasses under the sand. You can keep it at about an inch in the back and 2 inches in the front. Your tank seems tall, I would recommend a power head this will help with water movement in the tank, and sometimes your filter is not enough.

As far as the amount of cichlids, keep in mind your surface area and how much caves you can provide. Also you should have enough filtration to handle the waste they will produce if you overstock your tank and enough hide out spot for the fish this will mean keeping up with water changes. That tank looks like it will hold 9 cichlids. Try to add 2 or 3 fish at a time. If you can upgrade to a 55 or higher that would be best.
An example I have 21 fish in a 75 gal tank over filtered.
2 red zebras,3 yellow labs,2f 1M Aceis,3 black aceis,2 kenyia,1f 1m johanni, 2 feather fin catfish. etc
Let us know how many gallon your tank is. Do you have a list of the cichlid you plan on keeping?
Sorry for the long reply..

[190MPH]

That tank looks like a bowfront to me, either a 36 or 46g. Both are too small for mbuna IMO. I like Lady Hobbs advice for something smaller in that tank. But for mbuna, if that's what you really want, 55 would be my minimum suggestion, with 3 species, 5 of each. Mbuna are harem breeders, so I would not add in pairs or trios, especially the more aggressive types. You will be asking for trouble in the long run once they start to mature. Boy if I had a dime for every time I read "but they are fine" for stocking that is obviously bad! Usually, they seem "fine" because they have only been in the tank for a short time together, haven't matured enough yet, and are not defending territories and females. Once they hit that point(anywhere from 1-2 years), that is where the trouble may start . The best scenario is to buy 7-8 1" juveniles and remove extra males as they mature. The odds of buying only 5 and getting the exact right ratio are slim to none, unless you buy mature, sexable adults(more $ and may be set in their ways). Buying and stocking them as juvies gives them a better chance to cohabitate and grow together, IMO. Good luck with whatever you decide!