5Ft Seabray Dolphin Tank With Sa/ca Cichlids

[bullit]

this is the one i have http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=136

 

[kaivalagi]

this is the one i have

http/www.cichlid-f...cies.php?id=136

Maybe the same as a Cutter's / Cutteri cuichlid...although possibly has a slight variation? I am finding mixed results on the details...: www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=7775,

At least I know now I am on the look out for either a blue-eyed or jade-eyed or cutters or cutteri cichlid All of which for me fill the same niche for me

 

[kaivalagi]

The fish are in their new home now and have been since 9pm, no loses at all which is good. They are exploring around the new pad, it's so nice to see all that space for them to swim in. Their colours are on the pale side at present, being caught and re-homed twice in two days is not the nicest thing for them but they are doing well and seem to like the space. The Tapajos is enjoying sifting sand, although I don't expect he'll find anything tasty as yet until the substrate matures a little.

I made a couple of cave areas with rocks from the old tank, put in a piece of driftwood which looks so small now, and also planted a couple of the healthier less algae infected plants I had from before (vallis, java fern, moneywort). The lights are off at the moment and have been since the fish went in so no pic as yet, I'll post a new pic tomorrow with the lights on


I'll also be getting the test kit out tomorrow just to double check all is okay with the filtration, by all accounts it should be A okay.


The main job is done now, I am so relieved!

 

[PDSimon]

Sounds good

 

[kaivalagi]

Tank shot from this morning:

I can't believe how messy sand is...the fish have obviously stirred it up a bit today and it is now on all the wood, rocks and plants

I hope it's worth the extra hassle...

I am not happy with the layout I just wanted to get the fish in with some cover etc...still pondering on how to set it up longer term...I like the idea of some nice round boulders in a pile in one end...any suggestions on layout are welcome!

 

[bullit]

as you said there is prob diff variation and sub species etc, not that i know lol

heres 100 pages of ideas though http/www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=177546. happy looking

 

[kaivalagi]

as you said there is prob diff variation and sub species etc, not that i know lol

heres 100 pages of ideas though http/www.cichlid-f...c.php?t=177546. happy looking

Thanks for the link, should give me a few ideas

 

[PDSimon]

Theres some examples and tips under the information on the right side of this website

tgm aquascapes

I'm gunna try and 'design' my layout a bit just to get an idea

 

[kaivalagi]

Theres some examples and tips under the information on the right side of this website

tgm aquascapes

I'm gunna try and 'design' my layout a bit just to get an idea

Aquascaping is not where I'm heading, I don't want to be spending hours on the plants...I got the tank for fish and the amount of money on plants to fill my tank would be crazy, more than the fish I want for sure.

I think for me the amount of plants I have is okay, maybe a couple more, but the placement needs to get sorted out along with adding lots more rocks, boulders, slate etc...I have only what I had in my 125L in that much bigger tank...

My only main concern is scratching my nice new tank

Which I am sure will happen if I start building up rocky ends like this maybe: http/i235.photobuc...vy/DSC00296.jpg

Maybe I could create some sort of corner barrier (depron based maybe) which can sit in the corner and then have lots and lots of heavy, pointy, scratchy rocks bunged into it:

* ignore the bottom flap...
I'm sure I could do it without it being all that visible...but I wouldn't be able to silicon the rocks to it as I couldn't fit it through the top then

Or maybe I just need to scratch the thing and get over it

 

[PDSimon]

I don't want to 'aquascape' its much to serious for me! But I think its really useful looking through the pictures to get a rough layout for your own tank.

You could always put some transparent acrylic/perspec across that one corner, i doubt you'd really see it and it would stop the glass from being scratched? Just like in your drawing.

Or just build the rocks up on one layer, and then just put one central so it can't really fall? They wouldn't be right by the edge of the tank though. Not sure, just my novice input

 

[kaivalagi]

I don't want to 'aquascape' its much to serious for me! But I think its really useful looking through the pictures to get a rough layout for your own tank.

You could always put some transparent acrylic/perspec across that one corner, i doubt you'd really see it and it would stop the glass from being scratched? Just like in your drawing.

Or just build the rocks up on one layer, and then just put one central so it can't really fall? They wouldn't be right by the edge of the tank though. Not sure, just my novice input

Have a look at the link bullit gave here: http/www.cichlid-f...ic.php?t=177546 , there are some really nice scapes there which are obviously more suited to cichlids as it's a cichlids forum...

I think I'll need more like 3 layers in a triangle shape from the front, to allow for the height needed, but it will mean the rocks are leaning against the side and back of the tank a little...perspex might be the thing like you say, if it's the clear stuff it would hardly be noticeable and I would only need two sheets for the side and the back cause the rocks would hold it against the glass

mmmmm, now where to get perspex locally

 

[PDSimon]

I don't want to 'aquascape' its much to serious for me! But I think its really useful looking through the pictures to get a rough layout for your own tank.

You could always put some transparent acrylic/perspec across that one corner, i doubt you'd really see it and it would stop the glass from being scratched? Just like in your drawing.

Or just build the rocks up on one layer, and then just put one central so it can't really fall? They wouldn't be right by the edge of the tank though. Not sure, just my novice input

Have a look at the link bullit gave here: http/www.cichlid-f...ic.php?t=177546 , there are some really nice scapes there which are obviously more suited to cichlids as it's a cichlids forum...

I think I'll need more like 3 layers in a triangle shape from the front, to allow for the height needed, but it will mean the rocks are leaning against the side and back of the tank a little...perspex might be the thing like you say, if it's the clear stuff it would hardly be noticeable and I would only need two sheets for the side and the back cause the rocks would hold it against the glass

mmmmm, now where to get perspex locally

There are companies on ebay if theres no where local i recently bought some tubing from "clearplasticsupplies" on ebay. not sure if they do sheet though.

edit: cheers for the link.

edit again: The guy at the green machine was saying his experience of bogwood hasn't really had an effect on the pH. He said for him using the right substrate would be the appropriate way of having a reliable pH. Obviously he would say this because he wants you to buy the substrate and its his subject but just thinking about it really, i like to know all options

point being, if the bogwood doesn't affect the pH, what do you think you'll do?

 

[kaivalagi]

There are companies on ebay if theres no where local i recently bought some tubing from "clearplasticsupplies" on ebay. not sure if they do sheet though.

I was thinking a friend of mine was getting involved in a project using it....I could pinch some of him, atleast to use it at one end to see if it's worth buying more...

edit again: The guy at the green machine was saying his experience of bogwood hasn't really had an effect on the pH. He said for him using the right substrate would be the appropriate way of having a reliable pH. Obviously he would say this because he wants you to buy the substrate and its his subject but just thinking about it really, i like to know all options

point being, if the bogwood doesn't affect the pH, what do you think you'll do?

If the pH doesn't shift down a little due to the bogwood (which I am starting to doubt now myself anyway) I shall not do anything...the pH is quite high right now at 7.75 probably due to the new sand and 95% new water...so I'll be waiting a while anyway. The thing is all my current fish are used to 7.5-7.75 now so changing it to suit others would impact on them...

If I really wanted to bring down the pH I guess I would try adding peat slugs into one of my filters, little by little though, so to avoid a quick drop - whether that would happen I have no idea though but adding a little at a time would not hurt

 

[bullit]

what sand did you use?

Ive also realised ive gone a similar route as you, with stocking etc. Ill hopefully get a new tank in the summer though.

 

[kaivalagi]

what sand did you use?

Ive also realised ive gone a similar route as you, with stocking etc. Ill hopefully get a new tank in the summer though.

I ended up buying some sand from the LFS, nice natural colour (not as white as some of the play sand available), a middle shade of beige in the bag and as in the pics when wet and the lights are on.. I think it's your average silver sand to be honest though, it took some effort to clean and still needed the tank emptying and refilling to sort it out proper...It wasn't expensive and looks good just took some effort to sort out.

I've heard that kiln sand from B&Q is good, typically I found out AFTER I bought the sand I have but you live and learn The main thing is cleaning it lots...especially if it's dirty. It took me probably 2 whole days (seperate days) to get it as clean as I wanted...but ther was 3 x 20Kg bags of the stuff, I think I have about 10Kg left over.

I am still in two minds about the stocking, although great to have the variety it is asking for trouble when compared to a 2 species tank etc...I currently have a HRP that bullies the Firemouth and a Tapajos that was bullied by a Port Acara but now has turned the tables on him. Maybe once I add a couple of chilled fish that get bigger than the current ones (sevs come to mind) things might calm down a bit...time will tell. More boulders and slate will help too...

If you want a nice custom tank you wont go wrong with a Seabray, but since I bought it I did find ND Aquatics have better prices...check them both out. 10mm glass all around and decent quality cabinets and glass tops etc