New African Cichlid Setup - April 2007

[ElCoGuI83]

Love the setup!! Great job

[smichail1]

AMAZING TANK PLEASE WATCH MY VIDEO Lake Malawi African Cichlids Aquarium

[xxMiltonpowerxx]

crazy i love this set up

[graceofannarbor]

nice tank but if I were you i would add a few more fish to crowd the tank...looks like you have ten in there, 14 or 15 is best for a 55 gallon.

[clifan8r]

hey what rocks are they?

[jturney87]

hey what kind of lighting are you using here?

[MrSTarcea]

Fantastic rock setup! I'm building up a Cichlid tank now its a 72Gallon Euro Bow Front. Future video will be posted soon. Thank you for sharing your art work!

[provancha70]

Finally uploaded my tank, please take a look.

[REZLBC]

NICE TANK CHECK MINE OUT

[TheOkpin]

nice setup!

go check out my new cichlid tank

[jkdjedi]

Stunning and beautiful. How do you control the algae? My fish love it but the tank doesn't look as sharp as yours.

[oneilwiz]

can those chicilids raise with oscars

[afreload]

pretty cool stuff.. nice acquarium

[reardon699]

what fish can you mix Cichlids with? plz help

[funny0484]

plecos and i think feather fin catfish

[mastakow1]

catfish that they cant swallow, tin foil barbs and anything they cant swallow but that they also wont bully to death

[insectsfairandmoreSA]

tiger barbs or bala sharks it depends what kind of cichlid u got if its african they might be more agresive with the tiger barb or bala shark for teretory

[thatdude199]

depends what cichlids you have , africans should stick with africans and so on and so forth.. u can put plecos and clown loaches prob.. all depends sometimes it will work for ya and sometimes it wont , depnds on the fish

[gamecock0987654321]

They cant mix with anything, really. Only algae eaters. I have pictus catfish with my cichlids.

[swagbucks22]

@reardon699 with my africans i have rope fish silver dollars and a clown loach

[swagbucks22]

@reardon699 with my africans i have rope fish silver dollars and a clown loach

[lolustupid]

what kind of rocks are those and where did you get them?

[Diedfromlag19]

What do you feed them???IVe had mine for a couple of days and i think hes dying!!He wont east much please help!

[insectsfairandmoreSA]

u could feed it cichlid flakes thats what i feed mine and they sure like it its that for african and south american cichlids

[midasfan8888]

Wow, it looks really nice.

[bestlupinski]

hey do you have any support on the bottom piece of a glass so it doesn't break or what

[vinnydeciutiis]

lol I just went to the beach and found rocks and bilt a little cave thing for um they love

[carrotfarmer1552]

Lol, i cant believe that you have those kind of rocks in your yard? I only have bricks in my yard, so i have to pay 3 dollars per KILO rock!...

[1985deville]

very nice. I dont do plastic either.

[Adventurestud]

Nice job. I especially liked it in HQ - was like being there. All your fish look like they're in good health.

A couple of observations(obviously just my opinion, take it or leave it):

1. while I applaud your use of so many rocks, it was monotonous. Maybe more different shapes?

2. I like the bubbles in the back. How about extending that curtain all the way across the back of the tank.

3. Tanganyikans instead of Malawis. Just my preference.

Now tell me to take my opinions and shove them wtsds.

[cichlid62]

I agree with you in 2 things Adventurestud, the one about the more colors and shapes on the rocks, and the one about the bubble curtain across the back. But for me Malawi's are the best.

[mulvaney81]

Nice job.

[peterpd99]

remove some rocks and put some green plants in there(plastics)?

it'll create a more natural environment and definitely look better!!

[cichlid62]

Hey peterpd99, these are Malawi cichlids, meaning rock fish. This is natural to them. If they were Tanganyikan cichlids that would be different cause they thrive better around plants and sandy bottom. But for these cichlids he's got it on the money, if it were me i'd have more rocks up the back.

[pattrow1992]

very nice set up. You got to be careful though because some fish try to move rocks and other ornaments so it is a risk.

[cichlid62]

Yeah pattrow1992, cause these fish look like they work out right? It's not the rocks they move but the sand under them, and they can fall on them.

[franknitty696]

nice rock setup where did u get your rock from

[xxbluezxx]

Found them in my yard.

[Nanovirus5995]

@xxbluezxx How are the fish doing now? Becuase if you just take any kind of rock from somewhere (especially your garden) they can slowly leach dangerous chemicals into the tank. Lime scale, Higher pH, High calcium and higher metallic substances can harm fish. Are the fish still fine as in this video?

[beaner7771]

how can you tell if a fish is happy or not

[manhenk]

they smile..... have you never seen a smiling fish?

[lliizzaarrdd]

i know gawd, whats wrong with you! everybody knows they smile! gawsh

[jaks4321]

I don't know if this is a serious question or not but I'll answer anyway :P.

Actually it's easy to say how to tell if it's unhappy -

Dull colours, hiding alot, not eating, not swimming around. If it's dead that's a good sign.

If your fish are breeding that's a sure sign they are very very happy!

[32jview]

those are some happy fish

[rajanchana86]

nice tank man. how do you keep it soo clean, how do you clean the rocks. any1 got good tips?

[bofahab1111]

NICE TANK

THANHS

[wog33]

Wow nice tank!!! i see some fry, are those like demasoni or something?

[medforladies]

wow man nice tank.. was thinking to convert my tank to an african cichlid tank and i have 1 question. i noticed you have alot of rocks and i know it is necesary for the cichlids to be happy but how the f*** do you clean the tank?? doyou remove all of the rocks and then clean or wat??? thanx

P.S. awesome tank

[TheOneAndOnlyProdigy]

I hear ya. All of those rocks must weigh a ton. I don't think you have to put that many rock in for the cichlids to be happy lol He probably has a fluval or two running. How big is your tank? Have you already started you African Cichlid tank?

[saintsaga05]

my cichlids are to agressive what can i do?

have a red zebra,cobalt blue zebra, four peacocks, electric blue, venustus and like 4 or 5 more fish, its a 72 gal

PS: nice tank

[TheOneAndOnlyProdigy]

I'd advise you to rearrange your tank decor, in turn, they have to start all over establishing territories. Mak e sure your feeding them enough, but not to much because an ammonia spike will result if there is any left over food. In order to break up the monotony you should consider adding a couple larger fish(maybe 2-3 tiger barbs approx. full grown) that will calm down the aggression because of the size diff. Once the cichlids notice a larger fish is in the tank they will inevitably calm down

[TheOneAndOnlyProdigy]

Actually, tin barbs are supposedly the best at calming down cichlid aggression. Hope it works. Good luck.

[Livewirex]

actually more cichlids are the best at calming down cichlid aggression.

[ghostweed123]

hey this is a great vid one of my favrites i have a 55 g tank also but to tell u the truth urs looks way bigger than mine i wanna start a african chiclid tank do u have any sugestions on what i could do to my tank

[xxbluezxx]

Thanks.. do you know which African cichlids you want to keep?

[cichlidkeeper89]

how many ADULT malawi cichlids can i fit in a 55 gallon?

[xxbluezxx]

I have around 8 adult cichlids and a synodontis catfish.

[mentalRCburnouts]

@xxbluezxx will a synodontis catfish be able to live with a jack dempesy

[macorine987]

Very nice tank they look happy and healthy, I just purchased a 55g tank and I was wondering if I should buy Central American Cichlids or African Cichlids.

[xxbluezxx]

Thanks. I love all the different colors and species african cichlids have to offer.

[yuriogy1]

go with africans cichlids.

[downhillshotkills]

ok thanks

[EVV123456]

wats that big orange fish in the tank.by the way cool tank

[xxbluezxx]

Red Zebra. He is a little over 5" at the moment.

[downhillshotkills]

nice tank! what's the name of that black fish with yellow tail you see at 1:46?

[xxbluezxx]

Pseudotropheus acei.

[downhillshotkills]

Nice tank man!Can you tell me please, what's the name of that black fish with yellow tail you see at 1:46 ?

[AK47NYG]

That is a beautiful tank man! Well done!

[rchana86]

nice tank mate. wot rocks have u used in there and how do keep it soo clean? and also wot kind lighting u got?

[xxbluezxx]

I used to scrub the limestone each time I did a water change. The tanks been through many changes since this video. The lighting I am using are called GE AquaRays for salt and fresh water fish. Thanks for the comment.

[Bangelo95]

Woah thats a lot of limestone. ph level and how many liters or gallons? Nice fish!

[xxbluezxx]

I've been using larger pieces since this video. The tank is about 208 liters (55 US gallons).

[jrdaking21]

where did u get those rock???

your tank is the best on youtube!!!

[xxbluezxx]

Thank you! All of the rock you see is limestone and I got it all from outside in the yard. I just cleaned and boiled it many times to make it safe. Thanks again! =)

[aquarium6987]

do you think it would be ok to put rock into a tank without eggcrate? where can you buy eggcrate i have searched all over...

[xxbluezxx]

It depends on the weight of the rocks and if the glass is thick or tempered. Home Depot and Lowes sell eggcrate. Should be able to find it in the lighting isle.

[steeloscarman]

if anyone has any ?s about cichlids ask them on my channel comments i no nothing about pikes or sevrums and no ?s about sick fish. tell everyone

[aquarium6987]

hey thanks alot. i found some . thanks alot. i love your tank by the way.

[ctenochaetus]

Greate Aquarium Bravo !

[cichldiesam]

very nice

[SeanF1979]

Egg crates? How did you get those under the tank? Where did you get all that limestone at? I believe I've seen some limestone at the store but it was way too much for me. I'd like a nice rock setup in my tank but not if it's going to cost me an arm and a leg. Good looking fish there. I see they followed you around in hopes of food.

[SeanF1979]

What kind of rocks are those? I hope those aren't normal heavy rocks. I tried to put those in my tank but I was afraid they would break the bottom glass from the weight of the water and rocks on top. Good looking cichlids you have there. What is the name of the one with dark blue strips?

[xxbluezxx]

The rocks I'm using are limestone pieces. I'm using larger pieces now. The bottom of my tank is tempered glass and I also use egg crate. The larger fish with the blue strips was my dominant red top zebra. The smaller ones are demasoni.

[nipxd]

I want your afra my LFS never got 1 of those =(

What kinda camera do you have? Mine is awful

[xxbluezxx]

That fish was actually my dominant red top zebra.

[xxbluezxx]

The camera used is a Cannon A85.

[chiefdudebroguypal]

nice tank

[JUNAID187]

after a while when you take that sand out the tanks going to get what you call a pressure strees and the tank will start cracking or even shatter. the least that will happen is the tank will become super fragile and will probably smash when you refil it. just looking out for ya i would probably use a deep eggcrate or a heavy duty undergravel filter tray

[xxbluezxx]

The bottom of the tank is tempered glass. I am also using eggcrate since I am using larger rocks.

[JUNAID187]

orite cool

[fishbreeder87]

55g?

[xxbluezxx]

Yeah.

[awak001]

and how do you catch a sick fish with all those stones ??

[xxbluezxx]

Usually I tear the tank apart if I need to catch a fish. The tanks been redone a few times since this video. Check out out the new vids.

[rrcoolj354]

this is definatly one of the best african cichlid tanks I have seen! Nice setup and fish!

[Fshlver]

how can i reduce their aggresion?i have 11 fish on my tank.a bicir,african brown knifefish,neddlenose gar and8 cichlids.

[xxbluezxx]

Wow - you are pushing quite a bit there for a 38 gallon. The bichir, knifefish and gar are going to be very large. The gar is extremely agressive and will definitely eat your fish. I don't know what type of cichlids you have either and some of those could also be pretty aggressive. My honest opinion would be to get rid of the bichir, knifefish and gar first unless you plan on giving them MUCH more room in a larger tank. What kind of cichlids do you have?

[Fshlver]

i have a silver needlefish gar.very peaceful.and my knifefish is only 1inch long.bichir is 1inch.i am only going to put yellow tailed acei on my 38 gallon.and when my aceis grow 4inch ill put an electric blue ahli.

[Cirux321]

Electric blue ahli are highly aggressive just so you know. They can and will beat the shit out of other mbunas. The one I had killed quite a few of my malawi mbuna till I got tired of it and dropped him in my 125gal and watched try to aggress my Jaguar and get itself killed.

[Fshlver]

is it natural for cichlids to finnip?

[xxbluezxx]

It's common if you have aggressive cichlids.

[Fshlver]

did you put something to soften up the gravel for the stones not to puty too much stress on the glass?

[xxbluezxx]

I dont have anything on the bottom glass. I am probably going to use egg crate for added support later on.

[Fshlver]

And i have a 38 gallon tank after i set it up and stuff how many days or weeks does it take until i can put cichlids in them?

[xxbluezxx]

Are you cycling the tank with new filters or established filters?

[Fshlver]

new filter

[xxbluezxx]

Since the filters are new you'll need to wait until the nitrogen cycle completes before adding fish. Usually takes 3-4 weeks.

[zacharygod]

needs some colour like some bright greens and dark purples from behind

looks good though

[rrcoolj354]

I love this setup. Nice Job!

[Fshlver]

will african cichlids go with african brown knifefish or dinosaur bichirs of african leaf fish?

[xxbluezxx]

I am not certain since Ive not kept any of the other species.

[jerreed23]

the guy said they were just regular african chiclids and i got 5 of em.. i have a 50 gallon tank

[xxbluezxx]

Do you know what species you have?

[jerreed23]

im gonne buy some cichlids for the first time. do you have any helpful hints or anything? thanks

[xxbluezxx]

Depends on how large your tank is and how much filtration you have. What species will you be getting and how many?

[amourkellie]

they must love the rock formation (:

[buckmark7]

if tanks were tits....this would be a double D

[Dawnofwicca]

5 stars!!!Please check out my cichlid videos when you get time thanks!

[gedesoft]

when you clean ur aquarium, do you have to clean each stone individually? because i have to do it almost every 20 days, even my plants get dirty, I have a freshwater aquarium, 50g, 8 goldfish and 4 angelfish.

[lxldutchifiedlxl]

it gets that dirty because you have 8 goldfish, they are an extremely dirty fish, I worked for a mom and pop petstore for 3 years and we constantly had to keep up with the goldfish tanks regardless of the species.

[tomjuniper]

love your demasoni! i've just set a 210 litre tank up.

just got my 1st fish in there this weekend just gone, put 6 yellow labs in on sunday. can't wait to get a pair of frontosa and an electric blue hap.

[gigaworks750]

very very nice.

[aquarium6987]

is the sand hard to maintain?

[xxbluezxx]

I'm using coarse silica sand so it is harder for the filters to pick it up. IMO sand is easier to maintain.

[theone0702]

Awesome Aquarium, I am going to be making a set up kind of like this & I was Wondering are the rocks leaning up against the back or sides of the aquarium or are they in the center? & what brand of substrate are you using.

Thanks.

[xxbluezxx]

They start in the center and some are carefully stacked against the back glass.

[aquarium6987]

how many gallons is it?

[xxbluezxx]

55g.

[slitnajeans]

Nice stone formation!

[Mmadyoung]

cok güzel yha umarım bu emeklerinizin karsılıgını alırsınız ;)

[alkmaar11]

i have normal tropical fish now but i gonna have cichlids, but i have a question whats the name of that orange one.

[xxbluezxx]

The orange cichlid is a Red Zebra. Scientific name is Pseudotropheus estherae.

[roushstg1]

i thought that you couldnt use limestone? where could i get rocks like these? they are way to expensive at my local fish store!

[xxbluezxx]

Limestone, aragonite, and crushed coral is used to help buffer the water. Limestone is found locally where I live.

[RC786]

Hey great tank! I am planning to buy one. Now i gota question. Do you clean this tank every month every week? or how do you manage it regarding cleaning. Thanks, sorry i am a nooby and have no information about the tanks and fishes but fish is my favorite pet and i love them. So i don't wanna do something wrong before I buy something or setup something. So I gonna be asking few questions. Thanks. lovely fishes you got :)

[s15240drifter]

i do 30% water changes a week. and if your setting up a new tank you need to cycle it before you add any nice fish.

[khaki91]

always start with the biggest tank and filters you can afford. i suggest that you at least have two filters in your tank and a header. the question about cleaning the tank...it depends on how many fish you are going to have. i clean my tank at least once a week

[chrisneaky]

excellent set up... love your fish !!!

what do you think of mine ???

[toneetones]

Hi i love the tank its what im planning to do aswell with same fish.

inregards to your limestone rocks was there any thing you had to do first b4 putting them in the water with the fish?

[xxbluezxx]

I soak the limestone pieces in hot water and then scrub them down thoroughly. Thanks for the comment!

[toneetones]

OH i see how long did you soak the limestone for? is it any specail type of limestone or i could go to my local garden store and ask for limestone?

And what type of subtrate are you using? i forgot to ask?

Thanks i really appreciate the replys most ppl dont even bother

[doriftosan4ag]

Very nice!

[Gobbang]

very nice

[KablesP]

what kind of rock is used?

[xxbluezxx]

The rocks are limestone. Thanks :)

[trio628]

Whoa! Awesome design!! Beautiful tank.

[fxdwings]

Yea wicked sweet tank. Bout a background with some plastic plants. Looks awsome...

[JayRdL08]

looks good

but i think it would look better if you add some plants

[xxbluezxx]

Thanks! I would love to have some real plants in this tank but these fish destroy them. I have a planted 29 gallon with south americans so I get my plant 'fix' with them. :)

[ZR3FR1K]

i think some cichlids uproot plants

[sandman101]

they do

my jack dempesey and convicts uproot plants

[castrole]

nice tank but look like unnatural

[jabman549]

good job.

[giontathug]

beatiful tank, great work

[ShoushuRein]

Gorgeous tank! love the rock setup, its easy to see you too a greal deal of care to do all this =D

oh j.w could you tell me alittle about mbunas?

[xxbluezxx]

Thanks. There are so many different mbunas you can keep. They come in an array of colors which make them very attractive. I love them because they are active and exciting to keep.

[Storminofthegoats]

Did you have to do anything special, to the bottom of the tank, to support the weight of the limestone?

[xxbluezxx]

The tank is tempered glass so it can support a good amount of weight. I'm not using any other support other than 50 lbs. of sand substrate on the bottom of the tank.

[spvone]

nice looking tank. does the limestone affect the pH?

[xxbluezxx]

It helps buffer the pH a little. My tap water pH is around 7.4-7.6. I also use Seachem cichlid salt to replicate their environment.

[almoagain]

Is that a Metriaclima red top there? I have a trio in my 55 and they are spawning!

Great looking setup. I too use rocks found in nature, and have never had a problem. And to all you who think gathering your own rocks is risky, where do you think your fancy store bought rocks came from in the first place?

[maynardwix]

where did you get all your rocks from? I'd like to start up a african cichlid tank and love the way yours looks. I'm afraid to put rocks in there that i find outside cuz i don't want them to bring bad stuff into the tank, and i can't seem to find any like you have at any of the local pet shops. Very nice tank though.

[xxbluezxx]

These rocks are limestone and I got them all locally from nature. I was a bit leery of using rocks found outside at first. I scrubbed, boiled and soaked them several times before being used. Some people suggest bleaching but I wouldn't even think about it. As long as you clean the rocks very well it should be fine. Good luck and thank you! :)

[maynardwix]

thanks for the info, i heard if washing stuff from nature like that to use someaquarium salt to help to clean and sterilize the item, When i get the tank going i will have to start looking around for some good rocks. thanks again for the advise.

[courcarre]

It is a great tank. BUt i have one question. How to clean the sand bed if there are so many rocks?

[xxbluezxx]

To clean the sand the rocks are usually moved. Yes it is a huge task but it has to be done. Thanks!

[jburick]

Looks great. I'm setting up a similar tank right now. Did you glue the rocks together or just stack them? Did you cycle the tank with all of those fish?  How did you pick those fish out?

[xxbluezxx]

The rocks are just stacked together - very very carefully. The tank was cycled for almost 2 weeks prior to adding the fish. I had a 30 gallon setup during this time that was established and I used the filter media and water from the established tank to speed up the cycle process. The main reason we chose these fish was to have a variety of mbunas. They are really awesome fish. Good luck on your tank setup! Thanks for the comment. :)

[rokstarz666]

Nice rock set up. How big is your tank?

[xxbluezxx]

Thanks!  This is a 55 gallon.

[mcgrady7761]

tank looks incredible!!!!!!! did you put all of the fish in at once? because my Jack Dempsey and Firemouth have been eating all of my other fish ($75 worth).

[xxbluezxx]

Thank you! The original fish were added at the same time b/c they were just transferred from one to the other. We added the others at different times. I usually turn off the lights in the tank and introduce the fish that way - it has helped the new guy not get picked on so soon. Now they all get along really well.

[mcgrady7761]

nice tank, did you put all those cichlids in at once? I'm having problems putting other fish in with my JD and Firemouth!

[christopcb]

Something tells me your filters are pretty funky units??

[xxbluezxx]

Nah.. it's not bad as long as you keep up with frequent water changes.

O_O y