View Full Version : My tank build (900mmx450mmx325mm) v2.0
Hi all,
So as you know, I started my tank this weekend past and made this thread (http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/showthread.php?5869-My-tank-(900Lx45Hx32.5W)), but I after some thinking and much needed advice from you pros, I bought a stand and some more goodies, and started from scratch, so I made this new thread (hope that's okay with the mods!! :rolleyes: )
First of all, it was a huge mission getting all the old gravel and stuff out. :bigsmile: But this is what the tank looked like after a good ol' clean:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/SDC19350.jpg
Then after some heavy washing and rinsing (What a mission!!), my first batch of Silica sand was ready:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/SDC19354.jpg
Prepared the new background which I got for a major bargain, around 1.5m x 610mm for R10 a roll, I bought some dark blue also, but decided to use the black:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/SDC19351.jpg
After some debate with my girlfriend as to where the tank is going to stand in the living room, I found the perfect spot (needed to plan as our new 2.5m couch is coming in December :smile1: ) and placed the 21mm plywood on top.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/SDC19353.jpg
Then with the background in place and tank in place:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/SDC19355.jpg
Added the first batch of Silica Sand:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/SDC19356.jpg
Added another half bucket of Silica and began to fill:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/SDC19357.jpg
Tested if everything is level:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/SDC19359.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/SDC19360.jpg
Final product:
Decided not to add the old rocks as I'm starting fresh, so I'll buy some new rocks, large pieces of driftwood and then the plants and moss. :)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/SDC19364.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/SDC19365.jpg
Personally I think this time round it looks much better, and it's set up better for what I want to do. Added the correct amounts of ammonia and cholrine/chloramine remover as well as the Bio-Nitra clear (phosphate and nitrate remover).
Cheers guys!!
cool.. what r ur plans for this tank?
Monster air stone! Like it!
---------- Post added at 08:12 ---------- Previous post was at 08:12 ----------
I would take the air intake on the powehead filter out. already plenty airation. Remember to boil your driftwood a couple times. Yellow/brown and yout purple light might not make i good colour combo.
looks really nice.
sorry to be a little bit of a pain here, but please try to not spill water on the ply wood when doing things in the tank. it will absorb the water and with time warp causing the tank to be un-even i had a friend whos tank actually cracked when the wood warpped.
cool.. what r ur plans for this tank?
Well, big pieces of driftwood, some rocks, a few nice plants and moss (is moss difficult to maintain?), then LOTS of tetras. :D
Monster air stone! Like it!
I would take the air intake on the powehead filter out. already plenty airation. Remember to boil your driftwood a couple times. Yellow/brown and yout purple light might not make i good colour combo.
Thanks, saw the airstone at the LPS, and thought I'd give it a bash.
I didn't know I can take it out.. do I just remove the pipe from powerhead?
I'm also not too keen on the light they supplied me with, I'll buy a plain white one later. Wanted to get one yesterday, but I didn't have time. Can I just buy a normal light from a hardware store, or must I buy a aquarium specific light?
looks really nice.
sorry to be a little bit of a pain here, but please try to not spill water on the ply wood when doing things in the tank. it will absorb the water and with time warp causing the tank to be un-even i had a friend whos tank actually cracked when the wood warpped.
I'll try my best!! Thanks for the heads up!!
yep.. try to get some day light tubes.. they around 6500k which is just right for plant growth.. else i use cool white which is quite white but really bright.. my plants do well :) moss is easy to maintain. take some of that, slap it onto the wood and rocks and tie it down with cotton thread.. after a while the cotton will rot away and the java moss will atatch by itself..
oh also java moss does better in a cooler water condition.. else it becomes thin and stringy..
---------- Post added at 10:12 ---------- Previous post was at 10:12 ----------
oh and yes. just pull out the tube connected to the powerhead.. another thing is that when the plants are well established, you wont need the airstone anymore.. plants will provide O2 from photosynthesis (co2 from fish + lights+ waste/nutrients = waste product of O2)
yep.. try to get some day light tubes.. they around 6500k which is just right for plant growth.. else i use cool white which is quite white but really bright.. my plants do well :) moss is easy to maintain. take some of that, slap it onto the wood and rocks and tie it down with cotton thread.. after a while the cotton will rot away and the java moss will atatch by itself..
oh also java moss does better in a cooler water condition.. else it becomes thin and stringy..
---------- Post added at 10:12 ---------- Previous post was at 10:12 ----------
oh and yes. just pull out the tube connected to the powerhead.. another thing is that when the plants are well established, you wont need the airstone anymore.. plants will provide O2 from photosynthesis (co2 from fish + lights+ waste/nutrients = waste product of O2)
Thanks man.. I'll see what I can get from the hardware stores.
Regarding the airstone.. MUST or CAN I remove the airstone as I like the effect it gives?! Will it do any harm leaving it in the tank.. i.e. is it better to remove it rather?
well, if u want the look its fine.. if u want ur plants to do well then its better to remove it.. but saying that, i have seen tanks with airstones like yours but still with great plant growth! depends on the plant i thnk.. but ya, if u like it, leave it and see what happens..you can always take it out later if u want.. thats the greatest thing abt this hobby.. most things are trial and error.. you have to find what is best suitable for you.. obviously taking precaution to fish health etc :)
well, if u want the look its fine.. if u want ur plants to do well then its better to remove it.. but saying that, i have seen tanks with airstones like yours but still with great plant growth! depends on the plant i thnk.. but ya, if u like it, leave it and see what happens..you can always take it out later if u want.. thats the greatest thing abt this hobby.. most things are trial and error.. you have to find what is best suitable for you.. obviously taking precaution to fish health etc :)
Thanks!! Will see how things go!! :bigsmile:
shihr, you said it now. 'you have to find what is best suitable for you.. '.
ya cos theres lots of ways to achieve the same thing and theres no rule book! so u can be as creative as u want :) only no no is if ur method kills fish..
Bought a 600mm "Cool White" fluorescent tube now. Will that be okay? Coz the one I've currently got in my tank is like 735mm or something, but the place here close to my work didn't have any other tubes that will fit. :(
If it doesn't work, it's fine, tho as the fluorescent tubes thankfully don't cost too much, I'll see how it looks tonight, if it's too dim or doesn't supply sufficient/prefect white light.. I'll go look for another tube somewhere else.
Are there any specific types/brands/names I should look for, as well as any rule of thumb regarding wattage and size, etc?
Thanks guys.
i dont think it'll fit? if it does fit, check the wattage..the 735mm balast could be outputting more wattage than the 600mm balasts.. but even if it is a higher wattage it not a train smash.. lots of ppl do this.. it gives a brighter light but diminishes the lifespan of the tube..
i dont think it'll fit? if it does fit, check the wattage..the 735mm balast could be outputting more wattage than the 600mm balasts.. but even if it is a higher wattage it not a train smash.. lots of ppl do this.. it gives a brighter light but diminishes the lifespan of the tube..
I've got one of those balasts with the caps attached to the wires, so it can take anything up to 24" and has a max output of 25W I think, so this will fit. I just checked on Sera's site, they've got a "plants" light which is basically the same as mine, T8, 18W. So hopefully this works.. I'm just curious to see if the 135mm less affects the tank at all.
If it makes the tank nice and bright, I'll keep it and see how things grow. If not, I'll search for a longer tube with maybe a few extra watts. lol
So installed and tested the new "Cool White" light last night.. I think it looks GREAT!! :D
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/IMG00165-20101202-2305.jpg
What do you guys think??
I'm going to go to shops tomorrow to look for some plants, driftwood and rocks!!
looks good, have u tried both bulbs the pink and white, combining them might give you even better colour, on my reef tank i have white 10,000 k/ white 14,000 k / blue / and actinic which is like a purple and when they are all combined the light spectrum is awesome.
MUCH better lighting!!
Glad to see the airtube removed from the filter.
Next tip of the day... whilst you at the LPS, get some small suckers that can clip onto the airtube. Then get the airtube stuck into the far corners of each side of the tank. Try get the suckers as low as possible, (even in the substrate is fine) and as high as possible so they are least visible. You will then find that the airtubing disappears from sight because it blends in with the silicon of the tank.
I'm surprized to see your water so clear. usually new silica sand (even when washed very well) still makes the water milky for a few days. You must have washed it very well... and if you did that in a bath in your flat, then I'm impressed. I did a 40kg bag in my bath, and vowed NEVER again.... too much back ache. A garden wil be such a welcoming thing when I next need to clean sand!
looks good, have u tried both bulbs the pink and white, combining them might give you even better colour, on my reef tank i have white 10,000 k/ white 14,000 k / blue / and actinic which is like a purple and when they are all combined the light spectrum is awesome.
Thanks for the tip, I'll need to attach another balaster to the lid then, but I'll have a look.. I'll maybe buy a blue tube as well, just to see what combos work and what don't. :)
MUCH better lighting!!
Glad to see the airtube removed from the filter.
Next tip of the day... whilst you at the LPS, get some small suckers that can clip onto the airtube. Then get the airtube stuck into the far corners of each side of the tank. Try get the suckers as low as possible, (even in the substrate is fine) and as high as possible so they are least visible. You will then find that the airtubing disappears from sight because it blends in with the silicon of the tank.
I'm surprized to see your water so clear. usually new silica sand (even when washed very well) still makes the water milky for a few days. You must have washed it very well... and if you did that in a bath in your flat, then I'm impressed. I did a 40kg bag in my bath, and vowed NEVER again.... too much back ache. A garden wil be such a welcoming thing when I next need to clean sand!
:D :D
Awesome dude!! I was really wondering about what to do with the airline as I want to get a nice "clean" look going. I need new suckers for my heater as well.. the old ones went missing. :(
I was also quite surprised to see the water so clear, but then again.. I really did wash them hectically.. hahahahahaha.. What a mission it was tho!! :D
NICE MAN.. now u ready for action :)
Just an idea
to keep the sucker from falling off. you can put a drop of aquarium silicone in the sucker and stick it on the glass.
Keshen Singh
03-12-2010, 12:54
looking good
looks very good. be carefull of the pinkish light, when i had that color light in one of my older tanks my water went green very fast. but it shouldnt be a problem for you. i think if you put in the pink light and the cool white it would be sufficient lighting. When going for a planted tank, i would not recommend using an airstone or airpump, due to the loss of CO2 caused by the surface agitation. but i must say everything looks really neat and clean. well done.
looks very good. be carefull of the pinkish light, when i had that color light in one of my older tanks my water went green very fast. but it shouldnt be a problem for you. i think if you put in the pink light and the cool white it would be sufficient lighting. When going for a planted tank, i would not recommend using an airstone or airpump, due to the loss of CO2 caused by the surface agitation. but i must say everything looks really neat and clean. well done.
Thanks. Will get a blue bulb as well and see what the effect is then. :)
Pity about the airstone tho, I really like the effect it's giving to my tank. But it's not a trainsmash, I'll keep it and use it in a new tank one day. Hehe.
Cheers,
Monre
Okay, so some pics:
Took some shots of the different effects of the lights:
Only pink:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/IMG00174-20101204-2353.jpg
Only "Cool White":
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/white.jpg
Both (Nice bright white):
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/IMG00176-20101204-2353.jpg
The pictures don't really do the effect both have justice.. it really makes a big difference!! :D
Also, a quick question.. I disconnected the airpump and will be removing the airstone after work today, so I reconnected the airline to the power head of the one filter. Is this okay or must I leave it disconnected?
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/IMG00181-20101205-2222.jpg
Hi all.. bought some nice pieces of Driftwood yesterday, but I don't have any steel container to boil them in, so I improvised. lol
I firstly filled the bath with water and gave them a rough scrubbing with a scrubbing brush I bought for this, and rinsed them some more, then drained the water, and did this another 2 times, then I filled the batch with hot water only, and placed my huge airstone and smaller airstone under then and left it running overnight.
Changed the water again this morning before work, again only hot water and placed over the airstones.
Will keep this going the whole week and hopefully I'll have a nice big drum by the weekend to boil it properly as well.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/IMG00187-20101206-2209.jpg
Lastly, I need some advice on the airtube going to the power head, must I leave it in or out? I already removed the airstone.
Thanks all.
The oher
I would leave it off the Pump. Not necessary. (It has no benefit to the actual pump, so you won't be doing any damage to the pump.)
WaRn00b - I can see my bath turning into my aquarium washing machine as well :) Where did you pick up the driftwood? Looking forward to seeing the wood in the tank!
I would leave it off the Pump. Not necessary. (It has no benefit to the actual pump, so you won't be doing any damage to the pump.)
Thanks, that's actually a relief, coz I don't really like the air bubbles thing so much.. even after I removed the big airstone, I noticed the tank looks much more natural and peaceful this way.
So next step.. to find a place that sells suitable plants!! I still don't really have a clue what I must/wanna get. lol :D
And then buying and adding my fishes!! :D Tested the water on Sunday and everything seems okay.. 0 Nitrite, 0 Nitrate, GH was fine KH was fine.. only thing that bothered me was the pH was a bit high, but remedied that with some pH down. :)
WaRn00b - I can see my bath turning into my aquarium washing machine as well :) Where did you pick up the driftwood? Looking forward to seeing the wood in the tank!
Yeah.. the bath works well, just gonna have to clean it properly once I'm done.. the tannins from the wood made dark lines in the bottom where the silica sand lightly scratched the bath when I was washing it. :(
Thankfully we've got an on-suite bathroom which we use, coz my girlfriend would kill me if we only had the one and my aquarium parts are laying all over the place. hahaha. :D
Thanks for the heads up!!!
Hmmm.. so after some thinking and a whole huge discussion in the other thread about my "high" pH tap water, I decided to go for a Rocky Malawi setup rather.
I went to Elite Aquatics' new Bellville branch and bought around 9kg of Bio Rock, and the bag they gave the rocks in had quite a bit of coral pieces in it, so I added that to buffer the pH a bit as well. :bigsmile:
It looks quite bland at the moment, but once some algae sets in, it'll look much better I think. :)
I also noticed that I bought a extra light balast for nothing, as these white/gray rocks are too light to use all 3 of my bulbs (white, pink and blue), and personally I think it looks perfect with the blue and pink only (Also, if I'm not mistaken, the mbuna species is found deeper in more rocky areas where sunlight isn't really too bright).
I can't wait to acquire my first batch of Malawis this weekend!! :D Also want to add some covers to the stand so that it looks like a wooden stand with cupboards, as the plain stand with all the wires visible is quite annoying at the moment. LoL. :D
Here's some pics (excuse the quality, taken with my phone):
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/IMG00200-20101213-2217.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/IMG00194-20101213-2053.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/IMG00196-20101213-2216.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/IMG00205-20101213-2228.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/IMG00204-20101213-2227.jpg
Any thoughts? :)
Hey Warnoob, looking great man! I hope you put those rocks directly on your base. If not the malawi's will dig under and around your rocks causing it to collapse which could crack your glass or injure the fish.
Hey Warnoob, looking great man! I hope you put those rocks directly on your base. If not the malawi's will dig under and around your rocks causing it to collapse which could crack your glass or injure the fish.
Hmmm.. they are tucked into the Substrate, but they aren't directly on the base. I'll see what I can do about this. :)
Thanks for the heads up!!
Hmmm.. they are tucked into the Substrate, but they aren't directly on the base. I'll see what I can do about this. :)
Thanks for the heads up!!
Pleasure dude. A wall of Vallis will look awesome in there, just a thought.
Pleasure dude. A wall of Vallis will look awesome in there, just a thought.
Will it grow in water with a pH over 8? I've been pondering about Java Fern or Vallisneria actually.. but don't know where in the tank tho as I've got a big airstone behind the rocks.. but if I take it out, it'll look nice I think as well. :)
Vallisnera actually prefer neutral to alkaline conditions so it would work with your setup.
Vallisnera actually prefer neutral to alkaline conditions so it would work with your setup.
Cool thanks!! Will see where I can get some!! :D But I first want to get my fish in the tank and make sure they're happy, then I'll see if I still need plants to break the colour, as Malawi's are also nice and colourful. :D But I am keen on the thought of getting some plants. :D
thats looking really nice
thats looking really nice
Thanks a million riyadh. Can't wait to add my fish!! :D
cool man, so what malawis are you gonna put in there?
cool man, so what malawis are you gonna put in there?
Haven't got a clue yet. :D
Will do some research today and on Friday as I was studying Monday and Yesterday as I wrote my Windows 7 MCP exam. Thankfully that's done and dusted now. :bigsmile:
Hi all,
So yesterday I couldn't resist the temptation, so I went and bought my Malawis from my LPS, and I must say I'm loving them all ready.
They're quite active little fish, swimming up and down, in and out the caves, against the current of the powerhead, digging through the sand here and there, and they definitely know where their food comes from.. whenever my girlfriend and I walk past, they all swim to the surface and follow our hands along the canopy. :bigsmile:
They also were quite "dull" colour-wise yesterday, but I'm sure that was due to being caught, transported and added to their new home, as they're looking AMAZING this morning!! :D Unfortunately, I couldn't just sit and watch them the whole day, as I'm one of the unlucky people to work today. :P
Only thing is, I don't really know what exact species I have, as they were all in the same tank which was labled as "mixed red zebras", but not all of them look the same, so if any of you can identify them from the pics, please feel free to add what you know! :D
Here are the pics:
First "floated" them for about an hour:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/IMG00209-20101216-1247.jpg
Here they are in the tank, happily going about their business!! :D
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/IMG00211-20101216-1434.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/IMG00213-20101216-1434.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/IMG00217-20101216-1437.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/IMG00221-20101216-1959.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/IMG00228-20101217-0658.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/IMG00223-20101216-2054.jpg
Cheers!! :bigsmile:
azurekoi
17-12-2010, 08:34
Hey warnoob - you got some Pseudotropheus lombardoi,zebra "super reds" and crabro(looks like - pics a bit blurry)
Also count in excess of 20 fish - start saving for the bigger tank so long mate - at least an oversized four foot... These mbuna gonna get big and agro dude....
Hey warnoob - you got some Pseudotropheus lombardoi,zebra "super reds" and crabro(looks like - pics a bit blurry)
Also count in excess of 20 fish - start saving for the bigger tank so long mate - at least an oversized four foot... These mbuna gonna get big and agro dude....
Awesome.. thanks for the species update.
I'll start saving for a tank so long. :P I really don't have a problem if I have an excuse to buy a bigger tank!! :bigsmile:
What size tank should I opt for tho? 1.5L x 65H x 60W?
I'll actually have to do some measuring as my new couch is 2.5m and the remaining space is only around 1.2m. But I'll see what I can work out.
Damn you azurekoi.. now I'm itching again, and I've got some cash I can use. :bigsmile:
Then this tank will be set up in my spare bedroom as a tropical setup.
Damn this hobby is more addictive than I imagined.. LoL.. My girlfriend is going to kill me. Hahaha.
azurekoi
17-12-2010, 10:52
Yeah Warnoob - nice dimensions you thinking of for the new tank...he,he --> Would make a good permanent home for the little guys when bigger...
Maybe try your hand at planting up the 3 footer and making it a "pretty" community tank for the girlfiend... Find that getting a partner to join you in fishkeeping is easier than a constant war....lol
Yeah Warnoob - nice dimensions you thinking of for the new tank...he,he --> Would make a good permanent home for the little guys when bigger...
Maybe try your hand at planting up the 3 footer and making it a "pretty" community tank for the girlfiend... Find that getting a partner to join you in fishkeeping is easier than a constant war....lol
Hmmm.. did some thinking, and I won't have space for more than a 1.3L x 45W x 60H (+/- 350Liter, more than double the volume of the current tank) at the moment, but I'll make some proper measurements and then decide. :)
What I'll ask my girlfriend then is, if she wants to make the 2nd tank her own and I'll help her.. OR, I'll tell her, I'm keeping the current tank, and getting a new one, and she can get a kitten. Sure if I tell her she can get a cat, I'll be able to get a million fishtanks if I want. She's been nagging for a kitten for quite some time now. LoL :D *EVIL LAUGH*
Damn.. I'm getting excited just thinking about getting a bigger new tank!! :bigsmile:
Gonna phone around now to get some prices on a stand and the tank so long.. what thickness glass should I ask for on a 1.3x45x60?? 10mm or 12mm??
Cheers!!
WaRn00b Dude, I been off the forums for a few days and then I come back and see this, WOW! Loving the rocks you got from AE (exactly the ones I saw) and they do look awesome in the blue light. The fish selection looks great too, quite a few dudes you got there man - I dig!
Good game, sheesh, I'm falling behind, struggling with time at this time of the year!
WaRn00b Dude, I been off the forums for a few days and then I come back and see this, WOW! Loving the rocks you got from AE (exactly the ones I saw) and they do look awesome in the blue light. The fish selection looks great too, quite a few dudes you got there man - I dig!
Good game, sheesh, I'm falling behind, struggling with time at this time of the year!
Haha.. yeah.. noticed you were off the forums for a while buddy!!
You need to get your tank sorted.. these guys really are awesome!! :D
Also, I saw the the place I bought my stuff from sells black sand tipe substrate, but it's quite expensive.. like R49,99 a bag (Roughly 5kg or less).
Anyhow, thanks for the compliments!! Can't wait to see your tank as well!! :)
Cheers!!
Hmmm.. so I just spoke to my girlfriend.. she said I can do whatever I want, as long as the entire flat isn't full of fish tanks. LMAO!! :D
I phoned and got a price on a 130 x 45 x 60 tank (10mm Glass). Not bad at all!! :D
Will do some more research and then decide what I want to do. :D
When keeping Malawis, one of the rules is to "overstock" to prevent them from picking on a single individual.(Also over-filtrate)
Another rule is to move the decorations/rocks every so often to break up their territories.
WaRn00b - Ya bro, I get caught up running the companies and my websites sometimes :) Arag-alive, I think that's the name of the black substrate? It's more for marine tanks though, although I've read it can work with tropical. Silica sand seems to be the route I'm going to go, more people to chat about it with, etc. I'm away for 2 weeks, a week from now, so once I'm back I'm going to pull finger and make things happen :)
@ slojo.. This I know. :) I did some extensive reading up on Malawis before I made up my mind. That's why I bought as many as I did, common sense would've made me buy half, but I read heavily populating minimizes the chances of over domination by some of the bigger males, etc, also know about the rescaping, as well as redoing the aquascape when adding new fish as there aren't any marked territories for the new fish and the old ones to fight over.
@ Chris M.. Yeah buddy, work doesn't stop during this time of year for me either. But u must go and enjoy your holiday and then come back refreshed and full of ideas and finish your tank!!
My girlfriend told me she wants to get rid of our dining room table as we don't ever use it, so she gave me permission to get a tank of up to 1.9m, but I will most likely settle for a 1.5 x 500 x 600 then. Will get some prices tomorrow.
Just a quick question. In a tank of that size, is a sump a must or can I get away with a big or a few big canister filters? Only thing I don't like about a sump setup is the fact that you have overflow boxes which aren't very attractive imho.
Anyhow, will check how my finances look and what I can or can't afford!!
Cheers all!!
Hi guys,
We were at my girlfriend's grandfather's place for Christmas weekend, and during some expeditions and messing around in and around the ocean, I found some amazing rocks that I thought would be more "natural" to where my Mbuna originate from.
So after a longish trip home yesterday evening, I got home, did a water change (about 25%), removed all my biorock, and painstakingly removed all the small pieces of coral from my substrate (as I wanted a cleaner look), then, with the help of my girlfriend, washed and scrubbed all the new rocks, then started a new aquascape for my little guys, and I must say, I'm VERY happy with the result, and my Mbuna LOVE all the extra caves as well!! These new rocks are also quite a bit heavier, so I double checked each rock's stability once I placed it to make sure there was minimal movement.
I have about double what I've put in my current tank, as I wanted to have enough for when I get my new tank some time this new year.
Anyhow, here's some pics, water was a bit cloudy from all the moving around of substrate and rocks and what not, but it's all cleared up this morning:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/SDC19566.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/SDC19567.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/SDC19568.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/SDC19569.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/SDC19570.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/SDC19572.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/CrossFire64/SDC19575.jpg
What do you guys think?! :D
i like it! :) fish look healthy too! do u have any agression problems? sorry, dono much abt mbunas..
i like it! :) fish look healthy too! do u have any agression problems? sorry, dono much abt mbunas..
Thanks man!! :)
Must say, not really no.. a little chasing here and there, but nothing major.. but I see now, after getting these rocks that they had too few caves with the previous setup. They seem much happier all ready, they do grow DAMN quick tho. :D
Must say, I really like my little fellas. :D
Now just to save up for a new tank!! :bigsmile:
Rayza2k6
15-01-2011, 19:08
Nice tank. I have some similar rock in mine but more black in colour (which has grown some red algae on them which looks really cool). What species are those Orange mbunas?
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