Sumpin's Fishy

Tubby Rower · 14-03-2007, 16:49

Between Darkness's's's's purty fish and my daughter and son oogling at the fish tanks at my mom's house (20 gal goldfish) and at church (~80 gal saltwater), I have been wanting to get another tank. I had a 10 gal tank when I was a wee lad of 14, but then my mom took over and got a bigger tank. We've had the "easy" tropical fish like guppies and mollies and neon tetras. and then Mom got into the fancy goldfish with crazy tails, big bulging eyes and growths that look like they have a brain poking out of their skull.

So I've been wanting to get one, but our current house is space limited and there was no good place for one. Now that we have found a bigger house and will move at the beginning of next month, I started researching what I needed to do. So I emailed Darkness and sent on my pathetic attempt to play a PBEM and asked him if he could give me a primer of what I needed to do. He sent me back a 2 page response with some links for further readings.... I've read a lot and have decided to start a Lake Malawi tank. Right now I am only slightly overwhelmed.

My plan is to chronicle my tank start up and get pointers as I go instead of after all of my fish are dead. I'll be posting pictures as I go. I don't have a picture right now of the new tank location but I'll see if I can scrounge one up when I get home.

My plan:

55 gal (~ 200 liter) tank ~$175
stand for said tank ~$150
hood/lights for said tank $???
black sand on the bottom $20 / 20 lbs of black Tahitian Moon sand <- not sure how many bags I'll need
rocks for decoration (I'm attempting to get Texas Holey Rock) ~$40 x 3
filter $???
fish $???

So as you can see I'm not sure how much all of this is going to cost as I'm not completely sure how much black sand will cost, which type of filter I'll be getting, what type of cichlids I'll be getting. I'm expecting the initial investment to be around $750.

Robboo · 14-03-2007, 17:03

Good luck....

As a degreed "fish guy" I usually just throw fish in a tank. I have a South American cyclid tank (55 gal long) and I have a 55 gal tall which I use for fish that I catch with my job and culls from the other tank. I have some of rocks similar to the Texas holey rock, I picked out of one of my grad school research sites.

One bit of advice in relation to your kids....put the food out of their reach. Otherwise they will feed the fish quite frequently or use the entire bottle.

Tubby Rower · 14-03-2007, 17:09

Yeah I read about the cichlids always appearing hungry and if you feed them they will continue to eat like a red-neck at a Golden Coral buffet until they die. You wouldn't by chance have any spare THR that you don't need do ya... buddy?

Tubby Rower · 14-03-2007, 17:11

btw this is the appearance that I'm going for without the plants

Robboo · 14-03-2007, 18:35

Nope nothing to spare. Its all in the tank. That site is now eroded away due to Hurricane Rita so I cant even get back out to it.

Nice idea with the rock.

mauer · 14-03-2007, 20:32

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Tubby Rower

Yeah I read about the cichlids always appearing hungry and if you feed them they will continue to eat like a red-neck at a Golden Coral buffet until they die. You wouldn't by chance have any spare THR that you don't need do ya... buddy?

Other than the fact that I'm a red-neck who often eats at Golden Coral, I take offense at your comment

I am in fact, not dead. So there

Rob might know where in these parts that I might be able to find that rock. He's one of them edumukatud dopes.

Robboo · 14-03-2007, 20:48

I have no clue about the rock there...my stuff isnt really THR. Its just rocks with holes. My stuff was coastal...sandstone. That THR looks to be limestone from stream beds??? hence the holes from following water.

Darkness · 14-03-2007, 22:19

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Tubby Rower

Between Darkness's's's's purty fish and my daughter and son oogling at the fish tanks at my mom's house (20 gal goldfish) and at church (~80 gal saltwater), I have been wanting to get another tank. I had a 10 gal tank when I was a wee lad of 14, but then my mom took over and got a bigger tank. We've had the "easy" tropical fish like guppies and mollies and neon tetras. and then Mom got into the fancy goldfish with crazy tails, big bulging eyes and growths that look like they have a brain poking out of their skull.

So I've been wanting to get one, but our current house is space limited and there was no good place for one. Now that we have found a bigger house and will move at the beginning of next month, I started researching what I needed to do. So I emailed Darkness and sent on my pathetic attempt to play a PBEM and asked him if he could give me a primer of what I needed to do. He sent me back a 2 page response with some links for further readings.... I've read a lot and have decided to start a Lake Malawi tank. Right now I am only slightly overwhelmed.

My plan is to chronicle my tank start up and get pointers as I go instead of after all of my fish are dead. I'll be posting pictures as I go. I don't have a picture right now of the new tank location but I'll see if I can scrounge one up when I get home.

My plan:

55 gal (~ 200 liter) tank ~$175
stand for said tank ~$150
hood/lights for said tank $???
black sand on the bottom $20 / 20 lbs of black Tahitian Moon sand <- not sure how many bags I'll need
rocks for decoration (I'm attempting to get Texas Holey Rock) ~$40 x 3
filter $???
fish $???

So as you can see I'm not sure how much all of this is going to cost as I'm not completely sure how much black sand will cost, which type of filter I'll be getting, what type of cichlids I'll be getting. I'm expecting the initial investment to be around $750.

Lake Malawi... Nice choice.

Regarding the tank/stand: Here in the Netherlands they sell Juwel aquariums. These consist of a tank and a stand (and a hood with lighting in it) in one buy, which is often a bit cheaper then buying both seperate. Now I don't know if this brand is also sold in the US, but there should be something comparable in your part of the world... This brand sells 60 gallon tanks for about 200 euro's, stand included. Maybe you can find something comparable?

Regarding the Tahitan Moon sand: I see you're falling into the same trap that I once fell in...

First, Tahitan moon sand is NOT real sand. It's crushed quartz. Which has very shart edges, which will damage your fish if they like to dig. And trust me, almost all Malawi Cichlids dig... Second, a dark sand bottom means your fish will colour very dark, which will not show their best colours. White sand is exactly the opposite, which means the fish will be very bland. You've got to pick something in between...
Regarding the rock: Texas holey rock has a good side and a bad side. Good side: It has lots of big holes (hiding places for the fish, to escape the sight of the dominant male for a bit). Bad side: It has lots of small holes, which will accumulate dirt and will give your tank a dirty outlook.

Some small pointers regarding Lake Malawi cichlids:
- Try to get this book: "Guide to Malawi Cichlids" - by Ad Konings. This book basically contains all you need to know about Lake Malawi cichlids.
- Stick to Mbuna cichlids (Haplochromines will grow very large and Aulonocara's are weak fish)
- Feed green food (plant-based) mostly. I use an American Brand, OSI spirulina. Very good food.
- Like Robboo said, it's very easy to overfeed, so be moderate with the feeding can (skipping food for one day a week is a good way to prevent you from spoiling them rotten).

Furiey · 15-03-2007, 09:04

Ditto Darkness

Don't go for the black "sand" The sand on the bottom of Lake Malawi is much lighter (I've swam with the fish there) and shows up the fish better. And boy will they dig. Many species dig nests in the sandy bottom. Cichlids are very good at appearing constantly hungry and will scrounge food from you unmercifully!

I can see this is another tank I'm going to drool over....

Tubby Rower · 15-03-2007, 11:31

So what color sand, grey? I'm sure gravel is a

is that correct? I stopped by the local fish store (not PetSmart - national big box pet store) and they had a set up with an undergravel filter (that I won't use), heater, 2 hoods, pump, gravel, net I think even food all included with the tank for ~ $250. The stand was separate and mildly expensive. I asked how much just the tank was and he said $115 (might have mis-heard and it's really $150) which is a good price from what I've seen even @ 150. It's an All Glass brand.

They had a cichlid tank set up with big boulders but it was more cube shaped than rectangle. They had a corner overflow filtration on it. I don't remember much as far as floor material goes. It looked nice.

I'll check my local library for the book. no need in buying the book if I can get it for free.

14-03-2007, 16:49	#1
Tubby Rower Moderator Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Middle of VA. Posts: 3,896	Sumpin's Fishy Between Darkness's's's's purty fish and my daughter and son oogling at the fish tanks at my mom's house (20 gal goldfish) and at church (~80 gal saltwater), I have been wanting to get another tank. I had a 10 gal tank when I was a wee lad of 14, but then my mom took over and got a bigger tank. We've had the "easy" tropical fish like guppies and mollies and neon tetras. and then Mom got into the fancy goldfish with crazy tails, big bulging eyes and growths that look like they have a brain poking out of their skull. So I've been wanting to get one, but our current house is space limited and there was no good place for one. Now that we have found a bigger house and will move at the beginning of next month, I started researching what I needed to do. So I emailed Darkness and sent on my pathetic attempt to play a PBEM and asked him if he could give me a primer of what I needed to do. He sent me back a 2 page response with some links for further readings.... I've read a lot and have decided to start a Lake Malawi tank. Right now I am only slightly overwhelmed. My plan is to chronicle my tank start up and get pointers as I go instead of after all of my fish are dead. I'll be posting pictures as I go. I don't have a picture right now of the new tank location but I'll see if I can scrounge one up when I get home. My plan: 55 gal (~ 200 liter) tank ~$175 stand for said tank ~$150 hood/lights for said tank $??? black sand on the bottom $20 / 20 lbs of black Tahitian Moon sand <- not sure how many bags I'll need rocks for decoration (I'm attempting to get Texas Holey Rock) ~$40 x 3 filter $??? fish $??? So as you can see I'm not sure how much all of this is going to cost as I'm not completely sure how much black sand will cost, which type of filter I'll be getting, what type of cichlids I'll be getting. I'm expecting the initial investment to be around $750. __________________ 3/2006 : Now, surely that must be because some fists might have caused internal damage to certain delicate parts?

14-03-2007, 17:09	#3
Tubby Rower Moderator Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Middle of VA. Posts: 3,896	Yeah I read about the cichlids always appearing hungry and if you feed them they will continue to eat like a red-neck at a Golden Coral buffet until they die. You wouldn't by chance have any spare THR that you don't need do ya... buddy? __________________ 3/2006 : Now, surely that must be because some fists might have caused internal damage to certain delicate parts?

14-03-2007, 17:11	#4
Tubby Rower Moderator Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Middle of VA. Posts: 3,896	btw this is the appearance that I'm going for without the plants __________________ 3/2006 : Now, surely that must be because some fists might have caused internal damage to certain delicate parts?

15-03-2007, 11:31	#10
Tubby Rower Moderator Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Middle of VA. Posts: 3,896	So what color sand, grey? I'm sure gravel is a is that correct? I stopped by the local fish store (not PetSmart - national big box pet store) and they had a set up with an undergravel filter (that I won't use), heater, 2 hoods, pump, gravel, net I think even food all included with the tank for ~ $250. The stand was separate and mildly expensive. I asked how much just the tank was and he said $115 (might have mis-heard and it's really $150) which is a good price from what I've seen even @ 150. It's an All Glass brand. They had a cichlid tank set up with big boulders but it was more cube shaped than rectangle. They had a corner overflow filtration on it. I don't remember much as far as floor material goes. It looked nice. I'll check my local library for the book. no need in buying the book if I can get it for free. __________________ 3/2006 : Now, surely that must be because some fists might have caused internal damage to certain delicate parts?

14-03-2007, 17:03	#2
Robboo King Join Date: May 2006 Location: Cajun Country. Posts: 2,002	Good luck.... As a degreed "fish guy" I usually just throw fish in a tank. I have a South American cyclid tank (55 gal long) and I have a 55 gal tall which I use for fish that I catch with my job and culls from the other tank. I have some of rocks similar to the Texas holey rock, I picked out of one of my grad school research sites. One bit of advice in relation to your kids....put the food out of their reach. Otherwise they will feed the fish quite frequently or use the entire bottle.

14-03-2007, 18:35	#5
Robboo King Join Date: May 2006 Location: Cajun Country. Posts: 2,002	Nope nothing to spare. Its all in the tank. That site is now eroded away due to Hurricane Rita so I cant even get back out to it. Nice idea with the rock.

14-03-2007, 20:48	#7
Robboo King Join Date: May 2006 Location: Cajun Country. Posts: 2,002	I have no clue about the rock there...my stuff isnt really THR. Its just rocks with holes. My stuff was coastal...sandstone. That THR looks to be limestone from stream beds??? hence the holes from following water.

15-03-2007, 09:04	#9
Furiey King Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Bedfordshire UK. Posts: 1,031	Ditto Darkness Don't go for the black "sand" The sand on the bottom of Lake Malawi is much lighter (I've swam with the fish there) and shows up the fish better. And boy will they dig. Many species dig nests in the sandy bottom. Cichlids are very good at appearing constantly hungry and will scrounge food from you unmercifully! I can see this is another tank I'm going to drool over....