Starting A New Tank

[Vancar]

Hi,

I'm re-starting my tank which is a 90cm(L) x 40cm(H) x 30cm(D), not a very big tank, which is my problem.

I am looking and doing a sand subtrate with rocks in, no plants at all. I have soft water in my area and I think about 8.5 PH (this needs to be checked). I wish to keep 5 - 6 Kuhli loaches and some main fish, this is where the forums advice is required. I am not sure what fish to get. I am happy with say 4 or 5 other fish in there that like swimming in and around rocks and living there.

I have been told shell-dwellers would be good for my tank, but where do you get these shells they live in from? or are they happy living in the rocks?

I have also been told coral sand would harden my water, will this type of sand be ok for Kuhli loaches?

The previous topic in the main forum Lufbramatt adviced on some shell dwellers: (thought I would come here for a little more advise as this is the specific forum)

Shell dwellers include:
Neolamprologus Brevis

Neolamprologus multifasciatus

lamprologus ocellatus

lamprologus ornatipinnis

lamprologus calliurus

I would like something with some colour or black so they will stand out if possible.

Thank you in advance for any extra information.

 

[KittyKat]

I'm re-starting my tank which is a 90cm(L) x 40cm(H) x 30cm(D), not a very big tank, which is my problem.

It's much bigger than my first, second, third, fourth, etc., tanks were! There's quite a lot that you can do with a tank that size

I am looking and doing a sand subtrate with rocks in, no plants at all. I have soft water in my area and I think about 8.5 PH (this needs to be checked).

Great, sand will give you more fish options!

Soft water and such a high pH is very uncommon, please do check. Khuli loaches do best in soft to neutral water, so I would not keep them in pHs much over 7… maybe 7.5, but not higher, and only in neutral hardness water. Remember that pH is on a logarithmic scale, so pH 8.5 is about 13-14 * pH 7.0 (I know that might not make *that* much sense, but basically the difference between 7.0 and 8.5 is a lot).

I wish to keep 5 - 6 Kuhli loaches and some main fish

I very strongly recommend that you go for 10 khuli loaches as a minimum. I also recommend that you go planted if you want to keep these fish and see them on a regular basis.

[…] this is where the forums advice is required. I am not sure what fish to get. I am happy with say 4 or 5 other fish in there that like swimming in and around rocks and living there.

Rift Lake cichlids (like shell dwellers) are not compatible with much else, so it should be shellies on their own, or khulis and something else. Going by your water parameters, shell dwellers are your best option.

I have been told shell-dwellers would be good for my tank, but where do you get these shells they live in from? or are they happy living in the rocks?

eBay? Your LFS? A local restaurant which serves escargot? Yes, ideally, they should have rocks and shells.

I have also been told coral sand would harden my water, will this type of sand be ok for Kuhli loaches?

Yes, it will harden the water. No, it wouldn't be suitable for the khulis.

 

[Vancar]

Many thanks for the reply KittyKat, you've been more than helpful.

I've just purchased 12 snail shells from ebay. I'll get a kit for testing the hardness of my water and double check my PH levels. I will forget about the Kuhli loaches then. I'll just have to look at the fish I am going to keep.

 

[Vancar]

I live in birmingham england, and wondered if anyone knew a good place to go for Shell dwellers?

 

[Vancar]

I've checked my water PH level, which is 7.6 on the low range scale and 7.4 on the high range scale, work that out hehe. I've done a GH test on my tap water which I think is about 3. I was a little confused using the test at first. So I'll need to buffer my tap water each time, which I've read can be done best with epsom salt, baking soda and marine salt. I'll be using ocean rock with cruched coral subtrate. Also have 12 escargo (spelling) snail shells.

I've decided on my starting fish of:

8 X Neolamprologus multifasciatus

Does anyone know if crushed coral is ok for these fish as I read they put the sand in there mouth when moving it.

Tank size is 90x40x30cm.

Have I spotted or missed anything, that I really need to take into account with these fish. Also has anyone got any good rock dwelling tank mates that wpuld go well with these. Brighter colour the better.

 

[KittyKat]

I've checked my water PH level, which is 7.6 on the low range scale and 7.4 on the high range scale, work that out hehe. I've done a GH test on my tap water which I think is about 3. I was a little confused using the test at first. So I'll need to buffer my tap water each time, which I've read can be done best with epsom salt, baking soda and marine salt. I'll be using ocean rock with cruched coral subtrate.

In short, that's what I'd class as "neutral" water because your GH is not particularly high (3 degrees is around 54 ppm, and I used to have GH around 9-10 degrees). Any idea on the KH?

I very, very strongly recommend that you do *not* add salt to freshwater aquaria unless it is being used as a treatment for a disease. The best way to buffer up new water is very likely to filter it through crushed coral prior to the water change or to use something along the lines of "Cichlid Lake Salt" by Seachem. The reason for this is that different salts are made up of different things and these things might not be what the fish actually *need*. For example, magnesium sulphate (epsom salt) contains only a sulphuric acid salt and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) is a carbonate buffer (not a salt in the same way as salt is salt), while Cichlid Lake Salt contains magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, potassium sulfate, sodium chloride, aluminum sulfate, iron sulfate and potassium iodide. Marine salt is probably closest to what the cichlids need, but it still is likely to be quite different from what the fish should have, so it is also not suitable.

Also have 12 escargo (spelling) snail shells.

Escargot, you'll be wanting at least twice as many as there are fish, and preferably more. Basically, you want most of the bottom covered in shells. Did you know that escargot means "snail"?

Does anyone know if crushed coral is ok for these fish as I read they put the sand in there mouth when moving it.

Not sure, you might want to ask this as a new topic, as people don't always read every reply to old ones…

 

[KCD1]

I have four active Neolamprologus multifasciatus in my 29g with a fine sand substrate, and they are constantly excavating and moving the sand around. I think crushed coral, if not too coarse (size of large grains of salt) would be fine. I've seen "crushed coral" sold in many different sizes.... the smaller the better.

Trust your shell dweller tank is working well!