New To Cichlids...

[ICEEGRL]

Will this work? I am planning a cichlid tank. 55g.
My water leans to the soft side. I found this stuff, and have heard that some use it in marine tanks. Will it work for a cichlid tank?

I also have some rocks that I was told was coral rock?... I will post pics later to see what they really are. For now I need to know if limestone is ok to use and if I would need to mix it with anything.

Thanks for helping.

 

[ICEEGRL]

No response yet... so... I have been doing some research. Everything I have found so far says it should be ok. I am going to get it washed today and put some in with water to see what it does to the water stats. I guess that will be the first step. Maybe someone that has used it will see this and give me some more info soon.

When I get it washed and all I am going to put my rocks in the tank so I can start to play around with the scape. I will take pics so maybe I can find out what they are for sure.

I need info on planting plants in this stuff too. What will be ok in this tank? Will val work planted in this stuff?

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

 

[dthoffsett]

Just about any marine substrate with the exception of live rock will work well with Africans, I have aragonite sand in my tank and I love it. So, the answer is yes, the limestone will work fine.

I found an easy way (for me anyways) to rock scape for my tank is to mark off the interior dimensions of my tank on the floor or a strong table with string or tape or something. Then just arrange and rearrange the rocks until you like them. Then take a few pics so you have a reference, and with some help move the rocks to your tank. I like doing it this way because I'm short, the tank is tall, and it sucks having to use a step stool just to reach the bottom of my tank.

For plants your going to want to use "herbivore safe" plants like java fern and anubias, you might check with the planted section. However, any plants you use will need to be either attached to rocks/wood, or anchored very well as mbuna LOVE to dig and will happily landscape to their liking.

The way I understand it, planting with mbuna is best done either will plants they won't eat (very few) or having so many plants that it won't hurt for a few to get nibbled on.

 

[ICEEGRL]

ok. I will check into what my plant choices are. I have seen val in a few tanks. That is why I mentioned it. I don't want a lot. I just wanted something to soften the look a little. A touch of green here and there... and val sways in the water. I like that. I don't know how well it would like being planted in limestone though... I like the idea of grassy looking plants in there though... grass... rocks... pretty

Now I need to know how to get this stuff cleaned... I rinsed some today, but it still lookes horrible. It wasn't as easy as the sand in my other tank. (tahitian moon)

I have the egg crate fitted in the bottom now too. I am finally getting somewhere with this tank. It is taking so long!
I still have to pick a filter though and get it.

What about bubbles... good or bad?

Thanks for looking and helping!

 

[funkyhoney]

ok. I will check into what my plant choices are. I have seen val in a few tanks. That is why I mentioned it. I don't want a lot. I just wanted something to soften the look a little. A touch of green here and there... and val sways in the water. I like that. I don't know how well it would like being planted in limestone though... I like the idea of grassy looking plants in there though... grass... rocks... pretty

Now I need to know how to get this stuff cleaned... I rinsed some today, but it still lookes horrible. It wasn't as easy as the sand in my other tank. (tahitian moon)

I have the egg crate fitted in the bottom now too. I am finally getting somewhere with this tank. It is taking so long!
I still have to pick a filter though and get it.

What about bubbles... good or bad?

Thanks for looking and helping!

A small amount of oxygen bubbles wouldn't hurt, but you'd get the same effect with some mild surface agitation from your filter. Ideally you wouldn't want any as it would create an excess of oxygen and lead to increased algae growth.

Have you got a picture of the substrate? I have a feeling it is essentially what I have in my tank (crushed limestone/calcium carbonate), it is a bit of a pain to work with and discolours easily

 

[ICEEGRL]

What do you mean... stains or just changes? If it changes... what does it change to? Can you add a pic?

I can take a pic, but I can't add it in this section because of no browse button. I don't use other pic sites. I just get them from my pc with browse button.

I would like to get my rocks pics on here for ID too, but again... same problem. I have a thread in board section. William said he would like to know if others are bothered by not having browse in some sections. If you are... please let him know so maybe he will add it. It sure would make things much easier.

It is just crushed limestone. It looks like almost white sand.

How did you do yours?

Thanks for looking and helping!

 

[WaterBender1995]

crush it too fine and you'll get milky water, good luck getting rid of that!
as far as I know plants dont do so well in high ph. could be wrong though.

 

[funkyhoney]

What do you mean... stains or just changes? If it changes... what does it change to? Can you add a pic?

I can take a pic, but I can't add it in this section because of no browse button. I don't use other pic sites. I just get them from my pc with browse button.

I would like to get my rocks pics on here for ID too, but again... same problem. I have a thread in board section. William said he would like to know if others are bothered by not having browse in some sections. If you are... please let him know so maybe he will add it. It sure would make things much easier.

It is just crushed limestone. It looks like almost white sand.

How did you do yours?

Thanks for looking and helping!

I don't have any close up pictures at the moment, but if it's bright white like mine is any algae growing on it is very visible and is a pain to remove. Eventually it just goes more of a dull colour, still white though.

I bought mine from my work, 5kg in a bag; you have to wash it out heaps as the water does go milky if you don't. A decent filter will take care of most excess though. I find it to be really 'sticky' when it's wet as well, it gets on everything so be sure to get it all out when you've cleaned it.

Good thing about it is because it's such a fine grit gravel it can compact pretty well so you can stick nice big vertical rocks in it

EDIT: In terms of how well it will keep your PH up, it should work pretty well, if your water is already acidic I'd say it wouldn't get it much past 7.4 but it will stop it from getting any more acidic

 

[ICEEGRL]

Ok... I will be cleaning this stuff for a month! My son washed this stuff all day, and it still goes milky every time it gets just a little disturbed! I am thinking that I will never see my fish. If they dig... All I will ever see is milky water!

Does that stop after a while?
Is it possible to get it clean? What is the best way to do this?
We put about 1/4 of 5g bucket of it and ran a hose in it while lifting and moving it around. It took all day, and it still needs help. I don't know if I can afford the water bill to keep doing it like that. If anyone knows a better way... Please let me know!

It isn't really white. It is more of an egg shell color. After all of the cleaning... it has taken on a sort of light gray tone. I would say it is grayish white with beige undertones. (It has specs of beige in it.)
I do have pics, but I can't load them in this section without browse. I wouldn't know where else to post them. So I guess I will just have to stick with trying to describe everything.

I have also taken pics of my rocks. I found some shells/critters in one! I think they are dead though. I didn't know they were there... They have been in water in a bucket, but they have had no air or food. They are the things that you find the shells at the lakes all the time. (The little almost flat tear drop shaped ones.) I can't think of what they are called right now. The next issue is that I can't get them out of my rock. They are in there pretty tight. If it is still alive I don't want to break it and kill it. How do you know if they are alive or not? They don't move or do anything... So how do you know for sure?

Thanks for helping!

 

[funkyhoney]

Ok... I will be cleaning this stuff for a month! My son washed this stuff all day, and it still goes milky every time it gets just a little disturbed! I am thinking that I will never see my fish. If they dig... All I will ever see is milky water!

Does that stop after a while?
Is it possible to get it clean? What is the best way to do this?
We put about 1/4 of 5g bucket of it and ran a hose in it while lifting and moving it around. It took all day, and it still needs help. I don't know if I can afford the water bill to keep doing it like that. If anyone knows a better way... Please let me know!

It isn't really white. It is more of an egg shell color. After all of the cleaning... it has taken on a sort of light gray tone. I would say it is grayish white with beige undertones. (It has specs of beige in it.)
I do have pics, but I can't load them in this section without browse. I wouldn't know where else to post them. So I guess I will just have to stick with trying to describe everything.

I have also taken pics of my rocks. I found some shells/critters in one! I think they are dead though. I didn't know they were there... They have been in water in a bucket, but they have had no air or food. They are the things that you find the shells at the lakes all the time. (The little almost flat tear drop shaped ones.) I can't think of what they are called right now. The next issue is that I can't get them out of my rock. They are in there pretty tight. If it is still alive I don't want to break it and kill it. How do you know if they are alive or not? They don't move or do anything... So how do you know for sure?

Thanks for helping!

Yeah, if you put it in your tank right now and just ran the filter for 6-8 hours it would be fine, but washing it out first will keep your filter cleaner
I don't know any other way, that's basically what I did about half a dozen times, then got fed up and just let my filter deal with it.

Yeah, it's probably not the same as mine, mine is pure Calcium Carbonate, not necessarily limestone which is more of a beige colour. I imagine it would have the same response to algae growth though, all substrate does in mainly non-planted tanks. To 'clean' mine I just gravel siphone and then give it a good mix up with my hands, brushes most algae off it, good enough for me anyway

Don't know about the critters, I guess they're just little invertabrates that hitched a ride No idea how to tell if they're alive... just stick them in the tank and if they don't move in 24 hours, remove them

 

[pauly]

I can take a pic, but I can't add it in this section because of no browse button. I don't use other pic sites. I just get them from my pc with browse button.

Upload your image to Imageshack (browse button) then copy the link they give you into a message on here, hey presto!

 

[ICEEGRL]

We will be doing some more washing on it today. Maybe it will get clean eventually.

 

[ICEEGRL]

I am still washing. I may not have anything left by the time I finally get it clean.
Does it ever get to a point where it stops going milky so easily?

Thaks for helping.

 

[funkyhoney]

I am still washing. I may not have anything left by the time I finally get it clean.
Does it ever get to a point where it stops going milky so easily?

Thaks for helping.

Yeah it does, but I'd just throw it in the tank and let the filter deal, it will settle anyway.

 

[WaterBender1995]

crush it too fine and you'll get milky water, good luck getting rid of that!

LIKE I SAID BEFORE...