Malawi Cichlid Tank Setup Queries.

[dthoffsett]

One more question, haha, I`ve been told that the internal filter won`t be up to the job (due to the amount of fish). Would I need something as big as a Fluval 404 which I use on my other tank....or would the next size down suffice? Thanks peeps.

If you decided to go with mbuna you'll be overstocking to keep aggression down so you'll want a minimum turnover of 8 - 10 times per hour. If you decide to go with peacocks or other small haps you won't be stocking as heavily and can get away with 6 - 8 times per hour. Though you can always add more movement with powerheads if you like as long as none of the fish are getting blown around the tank.

 

[Steve69]

Just wondering, does anyone use black sand in their Malawi tanks and is it actually available?

 

[dthoffsett]

Just wondering, does anyone use black sand in their Malawi tanks and is it actually available?

I've not used it thought I've seen it in tanks, you can get Tahitian Moon sand which is just an inert colored (black) sand, or their is 3M color quartz (not certain you can get it in the UK). You can also get a substrate specifically for african cichlids that is black and white and has the added bonus of buffering your PH.

Tahitian Moon Sand
African Cichlid substrate

The links are to US sites, but you should be able to find them in the UK as well.

 

[Steve69]

Just wondering, does anyone use black sand in their Malawi tanks and is it actually available?

I've not used it thought I've seen it in tanks, you can get Tahitian Moon sand which is just an inert colored (black) sand, or their is 3M color quartz (not certain you can get it in the UK). You can also get a substrate specifically for african cichlids that is black and white and has the added bonus of buffering your PH.

Tahitian Moon Sand
African Cichlid substrate

The links are to US sites, but you should be able to find them in the UK as well.

That looks niiiiice I`ll have to do some searching, thanks

 

[Steve69]

Right, I just need some ideas / inspiration about what sort of rock / rock formations to use now. Anyone got any pics of their Malawi tanks to give me some ideas about setup?

 

[dthoffsett]

[URL="http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=169788"]http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=169788[/URL]

Great resource for tank ideas.

 

[Steve69]

<a href="http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=169788" target="_blank">http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=169788</a>

Great resource for tank ideas.

Awesome thread, loads of ideas there. Thanks pal

 

[Steve69]

Sorry for all the questions....but looking at some of the rock formations, I assume that most of them must be siliconed together rather than just stacked???

 

[dthoffsett]

Sorry for all the questions....but looking at some of the rock formations, I assume that most of them must be siliconed together rather than just stacked???

No need to apologize for asking questions, if no one asked there'd be no reason for a forum.

No, the majority are not siliconed together, it's much easier to move rockwork around to clean or rearrange if you don't. Just be sure to stack your rocks carefully (IMO flat ones are best) and test them to make sure they are steady before adding any water or fish. I like to use a large table or the floor and mark out the dimensions of my tank, then I experiment with layouts, once I'm happy I take pictures so I know how it all fits together in the tank.

 

[Steve69]

Sorry for all the questions....but looking at some of the rock formations, I assume that most of them must be siliconed together rather than just stacked???

No need to apologize for asking questions, if no one asked there'd be no reason for a forum.

No, the majority are not siliconed together, it's much easier to move rockwork around to clean or rearrange if you don't. Just be sure to stack your rocks carefully (IMO flat ones are best) and test them to make sure they are steady before adding any water or fish. I like to use a large table or the floor and mark out the dimensions of my tank, then I experiment with layouts, once I'm happy I take pictures so I know how it all fits together in the tank.

That makes sense I`ve just been given a mixture of ocean rock and laaaaaarge cobbles so I`m having a `play` to see what it looks like. Got some aquatic egg crate coming from ebay soon, so I`ve got some time to experiment I`ll have to post some pics up soon for you guys to see

 

[dthoffsett]

You better post pictures. You do know that one of the requirements of membership at TFF is that you regularly show off your tanks.

 

[Steve69]

You better post pictures. You do know that one of the requirements of membership at TFF is that you regularly show off your tanks.

Same requirement as the FTO forum I use then Here`s one of my other tank [URL="http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=303018"]http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=303018[/URL]

Here`s one....I`ve just had a quick go at arranging the decor I was given....not sure about it though! Does it need more hiding places...more seperation, more height etc? The problem I`ve got is that it`s quite a high tank, so chances are that the top is going to end up looking bare anyway. Maybe I`d be better off using some 3D backing as opposed to the bold blue backing?

 

[dthoffsett]

It's a good start, I think it could use some more rocks though. You'll want to leave some open swimming space, but you have plenty of room for more. I usually stacked mine about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way to the top, I found that way they utilized the upper levels more since they didnt' have to go far to dart back into the rocks.

 

[Steve69]

It's a good start, I think it could use some more rocks though. You'll want to leave some open swimming space, but you have plenty of room for more. I usually stacked mine about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way to the top, I found that way they utilized the upper levels more since they didnt' have to go far to dart back into the rocks.

1/2 to 2/3? I`d be scared of them toppling lol! Maybe I should use smaller rocks / cobbles?

 

[dthoffsett]

As long as you test them to be sure they are stable there's nothing wrong with stacking them high. If you can't easily knock them down then the fish won't be able to.