My new Cichlid setup!

[kyleafterdark]

My new fishtank!

Its a 42 gallon HEX with about 115 lbs of holey rock in it. Its currently being cycled with 10 long finned leopard danios, but will eventually turn into a Lake Tanganyika Cichlid tank. Opinions/ suggestions welcome.

Edited - Now with pretty clicky thumbs with links to full size image goodness

Pics -

[HFBfounder]

Re: My new Cichlid setup!

Awesome setup. In order to make those links work, edit your post and click on the little image button and fill that in with your links. click the button again for each link.

[armthehomeless]

Re: My new Cichlid setup!

tank looks great. I am working on setting up a Tang tank as well. I immediately think julies when I see the tank for some reason. Do you have a favorite Tanganyikan species?

[semper]

Re: My new Cichlid setup!

can you post pics in gallery

thanks

[eklikewhoa]

Re: My new Cichlid setup!

tank looks great. I am working on setting up a Tang tank as well. I immediately think julies when I see the tank for some reason. Do you have a favorite Tanganyikan species?

i picked up a pair of julidichromis from mike this past, got the smallest ones so that they can grow with my fronts. they are about an inch long as to where my leleupi's are about 2" long and after a little chasing/initiation they get along pretty well now. also ended up getting some calvus fry about the same size and so far its working out pretty well.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: My new Cichlid setup!

if you want to keep a species only tank then i would probably go with brichardi's or even the masked ones.

here's a link with pics of the masked brichardi http://www.cichlidlovers.com/c_brichardi.htm


with the small tank and the shape you are gonna be a bit limited on choices or quantity as the fish will become territorial along with water quality with lots of fish.

[kyleafterdark]

Re: My new Cichlid setup!

I had a 45 pentagon with various african cichlids in it. I had 14 fish in it (with near perfect water quality) for about 1.5 years. Then I moved to cleveland and had to sell it. My favorite fish in the tank were my pair of brichardi

So for this tank, I was thinking species only... probably brichardi.... starting with a group of 6 fish... I also like daphodil (the sister species of brichardi, with a yellower tone). I was thinking of having both of those species in this tank, but I read somewhere that they don't get along very well. Anyone have  experience with a situation like that?

[HFBfounder]

Re: My new Cichlid setup!

I don't know, but that will be really cool with either of them. I love the tall rock you have in there. I love to use the vertical space in my tank! Although I haven't really had a chance to yet because I can never seem to find the right rocks.

[ItsDubC]

Re: My new Cichlid setup!

Brichardis would be a good choice for a tall species tank cuz they school.  This may be unfounded but aside from daphs not gettin along w/ brichardis, I'd worry about hybridization as well.

[kyleafterdark]

Re: My new Cichlid setup!

I don't know, but that will be really cool with either of them. I love the tall rock you have in there. I love to use the vertical space in my tank! Although I haven't really had a chance to yet because I can never seem to find the right rocks.

Thanks! I got those rocks (all 115 lbs of them) for a little under $13 from a garden supply center on 249 and the beltway. They charge 10 cents a lb. After that, I just went to Walmart and got a pressure nozzle ($2) for my garden hose, and cleaned out all of the refuse. So all in all I have about 2 hours and 15 dollars invested in that rock.  

[kyleafterdark]

Re: My new Cichlid setup!

Brichardis would be a good choice for a tall species tank cuz they school.  This may be unfounded but aside from daphs not gettin along w/ brichardis, I'd worry about hybridization as well.

Hybridization might be facinating

[Tiapan]

Re: My new Cichlid setup!

from what i have seen in africans, hybridization often takes a lot out of the beauty ofthe fish, like if peacocks mix the colors are often not as bright or wierd splottchy patterns happen. i am not sure though what would happen with the Tangs. anyone else with mixed cichlids let me know. i do know that a lot of wierd fish such as blood parrots were created through hybridization so for those who like parrots hybrids are good.

[kyleafterdark]

Re: My new Cichlid setup!

After doing a bit more reading on these 2 species.. it seems that my tank setup is far more suited to Brichari than it would be to daffodils. Though, now I am looking at adding in a pair of julies as well. I'm thinking a group of 6 brichardi to start the tanks with (once it is cycled) and then find a mated pair of julies to put in at a later date. Good idea?

[ItsDubC]

Re: My new Cichlid setup!

Brichardi get VERY aggressive when they spawn, and a school collectively defends its young.  My only fear is that they'd all gang up on the julies, especially if u put the julies in at a later date when the brichardi have already claimed the tank.  U might be able to avoid this if u rearrange the rockwork as u add the julies, but I dunno.  I'm not so sure adding the julies is a good idea...

[kyleafterdark]

Re: My new Cichlid setup!

Thanks for the input! yeah.... not going to be rearanging that rockwork... its shoehorned in there in pretty much the only configuration that will fit (i  have about 1 cm of clearance in between some edges of the rock. I cut florescent light diffuser (plastic grid that they use in office lights) to the shape of my tank and set the rock straight on that. Then I filled in the substrate. I have a feeling if I didn't do this, the cichlids would dig out the substrate and very quickly see their demise, along with that of my tank and living room floor.