Decided On Fish For 120, And Would Like To Use Rocks. But

[chrismr]

Ok, so after much consideration I will be going with firemouths for my 120.

Would the tank bottom take the load of rocks? I am just worried about applying too much pressure and the bottom cracks!

Also, there are 6 firemouths in my LFS at the mo. I am pretty sure it is 3 males and 3 females. They are about 2.5 to 3 inches. But working out if some are currently pairs might be a problem.

Do I get 4 and let them decide? If I get just a male and female, would they be likely to pair up? I have read that the best way is to get a few and let them choose, but I am just wondering from peoples experience, if getting any male and female will end up with a spawning couple. If this is likely then I would rather go that way than pay for an extra pair... £11 feels like a lot of money right now.

If I get four and somehow land up with two pairs I am sure one pair will have to be returned, but has anybody ever kept two pairs in a tank this size? Again, I aonly ask based on what I read - that they don't actually define a very big territory for themselves, and also that they like to be in groups.

Any info welcome.

 

[modernhamlet]

I have more than 250 lbs of rock in my 75g tank. Fear not.

One good precaution I did take was to put electrical eggcrate on the bottom of the tank before placing the rocks. This distributes the weight evenly over the glass and prevents the pin-point contacts between rocks and glass that are the cause of most breaks.

 

[freddyk]

I've had several African setups over the Years, and many were just piled with rocks. I can assure you that these tanks are built to withstand the weight whether you take precautions or not. The only thing is to make sure you put rocks on the bottom of the tank and not on top of the substrate, that way the cichlids can't dig under them and cause a collapse.

The problem with simply trying a male and a female is that while the two have the potential of pairing, one of them very well might not survive the aggression involved in establishing a pair. Adding multiple fish is not only to improve the odds of getting a pair, but to distribute the aggression as they work it out.

Technically you might be able to squeeze two pairs into the tank, but you end up with two pairs with nowehere to go because as soon as they stray from their corner they encounter hostility, and considering a pairs territory in the wild would be larger then this tank, it seems nice to let one pair have it all to enjoy.

 

[chrismr]

Thanks for the input. Have used a bit of slate as the base, which gives a nice flooring to a cave, and spreads the weight.

Still need to get more rocks though.