My Upgrade Tank build (420L)

Looking good!

 

looking awesome mate, i have always wanted to do a malawi chiclid setup. but i have always had 3 other tanks so i cant overdo the MTS

 

you GO dude! The perspex is very smart indeed! I hafta laugh at someone else's house being taken over (like mine!!!) by tanks! I'd be posting pics if I had a camera! I agree, you need to find something to house that light, and I'm hoping there's another clever plan to shield that sump? You haven't said... but those plastic pot scourers ain't pretty! Congrats on all the hard work you're putting in, I'm certain we'll all be green by the time you're done! O, yes... whats going to happen to the "old" tank?

 

Beautiful tank. Stick a black piece of cardboard against the front of the sump to hide the scrubbies, etc... Or put some doors on the stand to hide everything.

 

hi there mornre you bought that tank from me and i am glad that you are happy with it.enjoy your new tank and that bargain was meant for you.

 

hi there that used to be my tank mornre,i am glad you like it and oh yes that bargain was meant for you,i do miss the tank in the sense of the open space in my living room.

 

hehehe looked familiar...its recyled and new...

 

Thanks for the comments guys!! I'm going to be building a cabinet around the stand which is going to hide all the bits inside, also going to be building a top of the same wood as the bottom to house/hide the lights and everything. Just need to get prices on wood, etc, etc.

@ Duran>>Thanks once again!! Tank is really looking nice!!

Here's some pics with everything up and running, fish are looking VERY happy, they're loving all the new caves and open space to swim!!



Still want to buy some Vallisneria to plant as well, but don't know where to get in CPT.

Also bought a little Breeding/Hospital tank where I'm housing the small fish now, and once they're big enough, I'll put them in the main tank, and use the small tank as a breeding tank or if need be hospital/quarantine tank.

 

nice man! looks really cool!

 

Thanks!!

 

A quick update pic:

Fish are all doing very well, very happy in their new home, and their growing quite quickly.

Going to be building the wood lid and cabinet around the stand. Will update as I go along.

Still going to be planting some Valisneria as well, when I find a place that sells it.

Will be adding some rarer species Mbuna as well when I find some that I really like.

Here's a quick pic I took tonight:

 

Well, started rescaping today.. removed ALL my rocks and removed some fish from the tank that I didn't like. Added the 3 largest Copadichromis Insularis to my large tank and took all the remaining fry to my LFS. In return I got 2 nice rare fish and quite a bit of Vallisneria and some plant food at a great price, so got home, started placing the rocks and planted the plants. Hopefully everything works out.. guy at the LFS also said Malawi Cichlids do destroy plants, but I told him that's why I'm not taking too many, I'm going to see if they destroy these plants.. if they do, I'm just going to get some of the expensive plastic plants that look realistic.

Anyhow, this is what it looks like thus far.. hopefully the plants grow and the fish leave them alone! Also hope my 6400k T5 lamp is okay for the plants, I'll be getting another one soon though (depending if the plants grow or not).

Saw a nice piece of driftwood at another LPS.. will go and buy it tomorrow and hopefully that'll make it even nicer!!

Also, water is still a bit cloudy from all the movement and cleaning, etc, etc, but should be cleared up by tomorrow!









Advice and comments/criticism welcome!!

 

Looks hot! Will look even better with cabinet

 

I like the open tank look Warnoonb - what about some java fern as plants .. they should survive - and placing them on the rock could work a treat. BTW if I recall correctly adding drifwood might alter your water parameters over time - are you sure you want to do this in the malawi tank?

Later Ferdie

 

In theory it should, but my tank has has maintained it's ph of 8 after I introduced driftwood. Probably depends on how much driftwood relative to water/ substrate that buffers the change. Plus if and how long that driftwood has been submerged.

 

@ Catfishblues. Cabinet is on the cards, just need to find a place that sells boards that I can build around the stand that will match the rest of my furniture in my living room.

@ f-fish. I looked for some Java Fern, no luck though, also looked for some Anubias. Got the Vallisneria as my LFS had it in Malawi tanks and seemed to last, also gave it to me at a bargain of a price, so as I thought I'd give live plants a bash and see if they survive, if the Vallis doesn't survive, I'll see if I can source some Java fern and Anubias and if that also fails, I'll go for some expensive, but life like plastic plants I saw at another LFS in Strand.

Also on the Driftwood, I did some research on the web, and it seems that a few people use driftwood with no ill-effect in Malawi setups. I also won't be adding huge pieces, only a medium size piece in the middle to see how it looks.

Thanks for the comments, tank is looking MUCH clearer now than when I took the initial pics, green from the plants give the tank an amazing atmosphere, feeling happy with the tank now.

Cheers.

 

Update: Malawi's are busy destroying the plants, so I'll be going for the expensive plastic plant route rather as my guys will demolish any plants it seems.

I'll be planting over some of the Vallisneria into my small tank and see how that goes, if that doesn't turn out like I want, I'll keep them in my hospital tank and give to people of what it.

Cheers.

 

If I may give my honest opinion it looks fine without plants. You have to do well from an aethestic and practical point to pull off plants in a Malawi tank.