low tech malawie set up

@Chongkie but how do i add the pool sand? do i need to remove fish from tank 1st? also i do not have a sump or canister filter i norm vacume clean the gravel??? how do i clean the exces of fish poop?

 

Wash the PFS until you have relatively clean water, then you can add it directly into the tank. But tank out the old substrate first. Cleaning wise, there is a technique that you swirl the pipe above the substrate and it creates like a "whirlpool" effect, lifting the crap up and not the sand. The crap will settle on the surface of the sand so you need to do this relatively often.

 

Create a slope and direct your powerheads down the slope that way all th poop collects in one spot

 

Good idea, but if you are doing that with sand , it won't be long until your cichlids change the slope. Hehe.

 

@Chongkie do you kno any one thas breeding pecock ????

 

um, unfortunately nope. I only have mbunas, and not the biggest fan of peacocks due to them being super hybridized in SA. Very difficult to find some pure bloods.

 

does anyone know which Is the best reference guide to identify mbunas?

 

Hmmm, not 100% about this but it is on how they look and colour. Ofcourse there are exceptions, but generally, I feel that peacocks have a sharper face. Their colours are mostly that metallic blue, and are much more docile than the mbunas.

I know that they are still changing the classification on certain cichlids, and especially with the mbunas. They are so diverse that a metraclima can be incorrectly classified to a pseudotrophues etc. Just for example.

Go check out cichlid-forum.com. and you can see almost all the types of African cichlids.

 

Ok thanks will do, its very confusing when u think you have 1 thing and it turns out to be something else!

 

Love ur Tank.I use PFS in my oscar tanks i used some that i bought at pool shop.The sand was remarkebly clean compared to the last gravel i gt at petshop.After rinsing well added with fish in tank allready.Didnt have a problem.Cant help on layout as i dnt keep malwis yet (soon hopefully) only doing american cichlids rite now.Have a look at pics then draw ur ouw idea roughly and see what it looks like u could have the best of many tanks combined

 

Thank u

 

guys / girls

new rescape, leme kno what you guys think?

 

Much better I think than previously.

1. Move the heater to the side of the tank
2. Hide the wires/backing on the tank?
3. Create a deeper rock pile so that you do not see through all the rocks...

My R0.02...

 

Maybe get a finer substrate, my malawis like to sift through the sand. Also try and get all your rocks to be the same type and do not build a "wall" with them. Stack them so that it looks natural, the same type of rocks will also help with the natural look.

 

thanks guys , @Francosive ur right need to neatn up the wireng at the back off tank also was thinking of placing heater mayb behid the internal filter! @nemo hard to find rocks taht are the same with out costing an arm and leg! wish i could get alot of the same kind but i just go along looking very hard ! prices like start @ r99 a kg so ya thanks guys

 

guys new back ground hid the excess cabels

 

Looking tops!!

 

Like the background dude. It's coming together nicely.