does anyone else get that"kid in a candy store feeling&

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Discuss all topics related to freshwater and planted tanks.


plebe_iz_da_name
 
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Dec 29, 2010 8:13 am

does anyone else get that"kid in a candy store feeling&

by plebe_iz_da_name

does anyone else get that "kid in a candy store feeling" when you walk into the lfs ? I know i do.. i wish i could just take a pair of everything that they got and bring it back home with me.(my wife thinks im remedial)-shes a lizard lover so she'll never understand;
i always get drawn to the huge cichlid tank at my lfs..i think they look pretty cool :) swimming majesticly in their aquascaped tanks..from what i've ben looking at while checking out all your guys' tanks out is that everyone started small and worked their way on up to bigger tanks ...and my pops always told me go big or go home.. and from the feed back that i got from my last post you guys were really helpful..

that being said i think i hear my calling to upgrade! the 10 gallon was a great intro to the hobby and to pull it off im going to need all the help i can get.. i want to start a cichlid tank with a bunch of other fish but i dont know what yet.. all suggestions comments and info is welcome..
i know cichlids like rocks and hiding places ..im a construction worker and i work with alot of diffrent types of rock and slate, i build waterfalls,fountains and basicly anything hardscape and i wanna incorporate that into the tank..and was wondering what kind of silicone should i use to glue the rocks together?
what about used tanks from craigslist? yay? nay?
good filtration system?
heater?
any suggestions on fish?
all tips would be appreciated..thakns a buch
sinc. PLEBE


yasherkoach
 
Posts: 1306
Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2008 1:24 pm

by yasherkoach

minimum tank size for the a beginner should always be 55 gallons

then you cycle it...then you add the fish (must decide if the fish will be community, semi-aggressive or aggressive)

as for rocks, sandstone, slate, river rock will all do...you can pick this stuff up at Home Depot or at a landscape store


yasherkoach
 
Posts: 1306
Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2008 1:24 pm

by yasherkoach

also, you should have live plants (fish enjoy the "wilderness")...anubias is a good starter


Alasse
 
Posts: 993
Joined: Sun May 09, 2010 5:35 am
Location: QLD Australia

by Alasse

You need aquarium safe silicon, it will say on the tube if it is suitable or not.

Used tanks are a cheaper option, but be aware you could be buying trouble, it may leak, it may be carrying a pathogen/bug, it could have been cleaned with a chemical...lots of variables. Most of the time though the above isnt usually an issue.

Canisters or Sump filters are one of the best IMHO

Any heater will do, i have both cheapies and a few expensive, no issues. Size will depend on size tank

A tip. When you are setting up the rockwork, start it on the glass base, not after you put substrate in. Cichlids are diggers and if the dig the substrate out from under rocks they may fall, result broken tank :)

When you say cichlids and a bunch of other fish, what do you mean? African cichlids generally only get along with african (same water params too). American cichlids with Americans. Any other type of tropical fish, other than some plecos, added in to a cichlid tank will soon get the snot beaten out of it and die


tekneb
 
Posts: 211
Joined: Fri Apr 16, 2010 3:45 am

by tekneb

I found both my 65 gallon tank and my marineland magnum 350 filter on craigslist, and I have had zero problems with either. Marineland is my favorite brand for heaters and filters, but their are plenty of other solid brands out there as well. Yasher is right about the 55 gallon, that would be an ideal minimum size to start with. He is also right about making a decision concerning whether you want community, semi-aggressive, or aggressive fish. There are a few fish that can adapt between community-semi aggressive or semi aggressive-aggressive, but even with those fish it can be risky. If your gonna go Cichlid, I would suggest going with Africans, since they are generally smaller so you can have more of them in a 55 gallon, but South American Cichlids are pretty badass. If your gonna build waterfalls and caves, they sell fish safe silicone stuff at most pet stores and online. That just about covers my two cents, hope it helps :)


plebe_iz_da_name
 
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Dec 29, 2010 8:13 am

by plebe_iz_da_name

90 gallon bowfront
60" left to right
19" front to back
marineland stealth pro heater
glass tops
2 standard flurecent bulbs
eheim filter with media
thermometer
and a 13' pleco *freebie if i buy all together
thats what comes in the package for only 200$ and the guy lives a couple minutes from downtown chicago..thats like 5 min away from my house! :)


ive made my decision and want just african cichlids

im sorry i didnt specify.. i want a pleco that would go good with the cichlids and wont get the crap beat out of it after i put it into the tank.. do you guys think thats a good deal? also whats a good test kit ?


yasherkoach
 
Posts: 1306
Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2008 1:24 pm

by yasherkoach

Aquarium Pharmaceuticals are fairly cheap liquid test kits, here's a great link:


http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/p ... catid=4454

This kit contains all the essential chemicals...please do not purchase test strips, they may be easier but less accurate

1. Rio-Negro Pleco will get to be about 4 inches and is peaceful
2. Bushy Nose Pleco, about 4 inches, peaceful
3. Tiger Pleco, about 5 inches, peaceful (but a little more expensive)
4. Starry Night Pleco. about 4 inches, peaceful
5. Thomasi Pleco, about 6 inches, peaceful
6. Gypsy King Tiger Pleco, about 5 inches, peaceful (very expensive)
7. Yellow Prince Tiger Pleco, about 4 inches, peaceful (expensive)
8. Net Pleco, about 4 inches, peaceful (expensive)
9. Angelicus Pleco, about 4 inches, peaceful (expensive)
10. Snowball Pleco, about 6 inches, peaceful (very expensive)

(expnsive: around $50.00/very expensive: around $100.00...all others around $20.00...and the first one listed will run around $15.00)

Gave you the best Top Ten List (((smiles)))

the tank package looks like a great deal...though I'd be careful about the 13 inch pleco (I assume your 13' is a typo, for no pleco gets to be 13 feet long lol)...if you stick with the 4 to 6 inch range, in a 90 gallon tank, you can put about 2-4 into the tank along with the african cichlids, and have a very nice tank

hope the above helps


yasherkoach
 
Posts: 1306
Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2008 1:24 pm

by yasherkoach

one other thing, as for the African Cichlids, there are peaceful ones that will get along with the plecos:

1. Acei Cichlid, about 6 inches, peaceful, runs around $10.00
2. Albino Kribensis Cichlid, about 4 inches, peaceful, runs around $10.00
3. Brichardi Cichlid, Albino, about 4 inches, peaceful, runs around $20.00
4. Kribensis Cichlid, about 4 inches, peaceful, runs around $20.00

The rest are semi-aggressive or aggressive, so you risk the lives of the plecos. My best advice is to start with all peaceful or community tank, then if you decide you to move up the ladder, you can get another tank for more semi-aggressive or even aggressive ones in the future....of course, this is your choice, and I am sure you will make the right one for you do not want to lose all your peaceful plecos to a few or even one semi-aggressive fish

if you have any questions and/or comments, we are here to help you with no reservation...some members on this site have great experience with Cichlids, I am sure they can give you as much advice as I have (and probably even better via experience beings I do not own any fish of this type)

let us know how it goes


Alasse
 
Posts: 993
Joined: Sun May 09, 2010 5:35 am
Location: QLD Australia

by Alasse

I've had Peppermint Bristlenose in with my Africans (maingano & E.yellows) with no issues.

I'm thinking of putting dome commons in with them shortly, though they do need to have some size on them or the cichlids would attack nad eat. The pleco has to be big enough to stand up for itself :)


tekneb
 
Posts: 211
Joined: Fri Apr 16, 2010 3:45 am

by tekneb

Truthfully I've never heard of anything ever messing with a pleco. My pet store has a 300+ gallon tank with fully grown aggressive and semi aggressive fish (arowanas, bloods parrots, convicts, oscars, etc) and I still see the same fully grown pleco sitting at the bottom every time I'm there. That being said, when dealing with Cichlids its always worth being careful. Even cichlids that are considered peaceful can occasionally have aggressive tendencies. I just had to return a Kribensis (which as yasher said, is usually a peaceful fish) because it was tearing apart one of my rainbows.

does anyone else get that"kid in a candy store feeling&

24 posts • Page 1 of 3

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