aquascape for cichlids

[juicestain]

just wanted to know if sand would be okay for south/central american cichlids. i have 2 oscars, 1 gt, 1 texas, 1 pleco. i keep getting people who advise against it but i like the look. its a 180 with black gravel atm and it looks horrible. theres poop everywhere and im fighting algae. i dont gravel vac because i was told bacteria would take care of the gravel.

the new scape would be sand substrate with driftwood and a couple slabs of rock. as far as fish goes am i able to get anything else?

for those who have sand, what type of upkeep is required?

[stevenallenbarnard]

sand would def be okay for new world cichlids. although you could keep you gravel but vacuuming is a must, especially w/ cichlids cause they are such messy eaters. as far as new tank m,ates go you could easily add another 2 or 3 fish. I've always like jaguar cichlids, trimacs, or any of the amphilophus (red devils etc.) unless you really want to change substrates, just try cleaning your gravel really well. that should help a lot. BTW, what kind of filtration are you running? that could be a cause of some of your problems as well.

[lilmissruffcountry]

just wanted to know if sand would be okay for south/central american cichlids. i have 2 oscars, 1 gt, 1 texas, 1 pleco. i keep getting people who advise against it but i like the look. its a 180 with black gravel atm and it looks horrible. theres poop everywhere and im fighting algae. i dont gravel vac because i was told bacteria would take care of the gravel.

the new scape would be sand substrate with driftwood and a couple slabs of rock. as far as fish goes am i able to get anything else?

for those who have sand, what type of upkeep is required?

If you are looking for any rock, I have a bunch for sale. shipping is $13.95 per 40lb box....basically $50 for 40lbs...much cheaper then lfs rock. All came out of my old tank of cichlids...I went plecos an guppies, so no need for rock. pm me if you are interested.

[cichlidchic]

I use pool filter sand (pfs) and driftwood with terra cotta pots for mine. try a large sand sifter they help some. I have 3 lg geophagus and they are gorgeous and pretty hearty. and yea the gravel HAS to be vacced routinely for cichlids. no getting around that. sand u just stirr it up, or vac the top

[juicestain]

i got a t5ho fixture that runs the length of the tank. its only on for 8 hours but sits right on top. theres no cover which will change because i get evap like crazy and ive recently heard some things about cichlid carpet surfers. i have a normal power filter rated for 110g. floss is changed every 2 weeks along with carbon and glass is cleaned daily.

[MexicanFish]

Sand works good, but it can be just a bit tricky to vacuum it, beccause you don't do it like with gravel, you need to hold the vacuum above the sand at the right height so it will suck the poop and food, not the sand.

Also, every week it needs to be stirred to avoid the formation of some noxious gas (can't remember the name at this point) that's very poisonous to fish.

[Zulaab]

i got a t5ho fixture that runs the length of the tank. its only on for 8 hours but sits right on top. theres no cover which will change because i get evap like crazy and ive recently heard some things about cichlid carpet surfers. i have a normal power filter rated for 110g. floss is changed every 2 weeks along with carbon and glass is cleaned daily.

It all depends on what cichlids you keep.
To ensure mine dont jump out and since its a custom open tank, I am using egg crate to ensure I dont have any "carpet surfers" among my fish

[juicestain]

theres a couple cichlids who are getting picked on and i want to grow them out in a separate tank. what would be the fastest way to do this? i heard beefheart was good but is unhealthy to feed regularly? this is for south/central american cichlids

[FrontosaurusRex]

I use PFS in all my tanks and i've never had a problem. It looks cleaner and if you're doing SA Cichlids, get a couple Cory Cats and an Eartheater or two and you're sand will stay clean....as a matter of fact i have both for sale right now. )

[juicestain]

forgive me for my noobness. i just started keeping cichlids so idk what an earth eater is. my first tank was salt but i have downsized it to a 12g aio cube so i can try my hand at fresh in this 180g.

still looking for advice on a good grow out food. beefheart?

[Zulaab]

Do you know what cichlids you have ? If you have fish that are being harassed you are correct you might need to remove them. If you dont have a second tank this makes it hard. Eartheaters belong to the family Geophagus. They sift thought the substrate looking for food :).

[Zulaab]

Beefheart... I would stick to stable fish foods.. what size are your fish ? What kind you have ?

[juicestain]

2 oscars, not sure if they are m&f but they swim together. 1 gt, 1 texas, 1 common pleco. the texas is getting chased by the gt which is 4in. the texas is 2in, pleco is 6in, and oscars are 3in

[Zulaab]

Are there bite marks on the Texas or is he just chased here and there ?
What do you have in the tank to break it up ? Plants / roots / Rock Formations ?

[juicestain]

just nipped fins. theres a single 3ftx1ft ornament in the middle and four small pieces of driftwood.