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Cichlid Show Tank


mjoconr

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Hi All
So I've just started my journey into the world of Cichlids and in particual Malawi Cichlids.
The tank below is only Seven days old and still needs time to settle.

Seven days and the tank has cycled

I'm hoping that I'll get a lot of help from SA (and any one else who wants to chipin) on how I should stock this tank.

I'm hoping to use the gallery and the forum to track my progress.

Cheers

Mike

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welcome. do you have a favorite fish already? maybe we can work around those 1 or 2 types of fish.

interested on hearing how you managed a full cycle in 7 days?

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welcome. do you have a favorite fish already? maybe we can work around those 1 or 2 types of fish.

Not as yet all the names are a little confusing and so I see a fish but can never remember them. I'm going to actually sit down to night and look at a list with photos and try to rank them.

interested on hearing how you managed a full cycle in 7 days?

I actaul doubt its 100% ready yet, but its has been thought a full a NH3, NO2 spike and reduction. NO3 is running at about 10ppm after a 200L water change 48 hours ago.

Our water is mains mixed with rain (very little rain) its zero on NH3, NO3, NO3 and has very very low KH, pH is around 7.

I dosed with Prime when I put the water in and a half dose each day, along with Stability full and half again each day.

I also think the four Goldfish helped but not sure how much, did lose a couple of them. (Did not like that never like loosing fish for any reason)

NH3 and NO2 are now very close to zero, my expearance with cold water and Goldfish tells me that there will not be enough bacteria to handle many fish yet.

So I assume I need to put in a smallish number each time, say every week ?

Mike

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Hi Mj, firstly welcome. you will find cichlids quite alot of fun and certainly more interesting than goldfish.

With regards to your cycling, personally I would have put in a few more goldfish for the cycle (6-10). 2 fish will give you a very light cycle load so you will need to be vary careful of the amount of fish AND food load you put in. A good way to help with a cycle is if you know anyone with an aquarium.. pinch some of their old filter material and pop it into your sump. It basically seeds your tank quicker. Be very careful if you do this method that your friends tank does not have malasian trumpet snails as they are a nuisance if introduced.

With losing your fish, you really need to be on top of things when cycling tanks. If your readings are through the roof then you need to change some water to bring the readings down to a more acceptable level.

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Hi Chuck

Yes as I mentioned above I think the tank is only lightly cycled, I changed close to 800L of water in the 7 days but still lost them. I did have 4 fish at the start, but I take your point that maybe more was needed. That was not recommended to me, if fact a lot of the shops recommened no fish.

I've added some brisle nose now and they have been busily cleaning up the large drift wood which had dead algi on it. I'm sure there work will cause another spike which I'll have to watch very carefully.

Mike

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Talking with a number of shop reps, its seems I should be able to stock around 30 Cichlids. Thats with a 6000L/hour pump and a 160L sump. Any other recommendations. (little hard with out actually seeing the sump I suppose)

So I've been looking at a few sites and I like these three. To keep the issues to a minium should I try to get only males (This seem hard from what I read)
Labidochromis caeruleus (Electric Yellow)
Iodotropheus sprengerae (Rusty Cichlid)
Melanochromis johannii (Electric Blue)

Mike

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Yellows and blues are among the most popular fish for a display aquarium. There is a reason though and that is they are probably 2 examples of the prettiest fish you can get. You have to watch quality on them. Buying from a shop can be hit and miss but getting them off a quality breeder here will usually result in quality fish for a fraction of the retail price. Buying off a breeder has multiple benefits too...you get to look at other peoples tanks and meet a few people in the hobby while your at it...a much better propersition imo.

I'm not familiar with the SA market though but some people will ship fish here or place an advert up for them and maybe you might get some local response to where you are.

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I'm not familiar with the SA market though but some people will ship fish here or place an advert up for them and maybe you might get some local response to where you are.

Hi Chuck

I was checking out gumtree, this person has a number of adds, but it seems like he does not want any one inside his home or breeding area. Seems suspicious.

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/salisbury-area/fish/electric-yellow-cichlids-3-4cm-pure-bred-/1062383966

I'll keep looking.

Mike

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They look like nice yellows. I'd probably get a couple of him if he were close.

Also this forum has a classifieds section. There is some sort of application to go through. its been that long that I cant remember but once you have access you can put up a wanted to buy (WTB) advert up and see if anyone from SA frequents and may help.

Also posting in these state forums dont get alot of traffic. I think you would be better off posting this in another forum like photography or cichlid discussion. Alot more people will see it.

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Many folks don't let people into their fish room or even to their house these days mate. A number of break ins have occurred in various states in the past so people became a little gun shy of having strangers in their house. I can attest to this as I am one of them (break in victim though I AM a little strange too). I also had two previous break in attempts at the last place after being a little too trusting.

So don't be too suss on someone who does not want you at their private residence, just meet up and have a GOOD look at the fish being offered and if they are not quality just so no thank you and leave.

Welcome to the addiction too.

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Cool, thanks Yal05T, Chuck. I think I'll call him and arrange for say 6 of them for later this week.

I wonder if its possible to move this conversation to the correct place ?

Mike

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Hi Mike :raisehand:

for a shop try Aggies

Unit 4-6/ 10 Research Rd, Pooraka SA 5095

ask for Mark and tell him your on ACE

nice quality yellows and a reasonable price at 4cm

try to steer away from trade names start learning

to talk Genus and species

Melanochromis johannii (Electric Blue)

Electric Blue is a different fish over here to a M. johanni

and even then what is called M. johanni is usually M. interruptus

over here Sciaenochromis fryeri is an Electric Blue

If you want just an Mbuna tank consider the Electric Yellows and

Maingano = Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos same Genus as Johanni

but male and female are both blue this way your fish are different colours

so no confusion unlike Johanni yellow/orange females

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Thanks Chris, I was trying to do that in my post about the fish and numbers. But as you say the common names are all over the place.

My dyslexia is going to make the learning of these names slow. I wonder if there is an APP which allows for the searching then taging the names of fish you have and want.

Mike

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I'm not familiar with the SA market though but some people will ship fish here or place an advert up for them and maybe you might get some local response to where you are.

Hi Chuck

I was checking out gumtree, this person has a number of adds, but it seems like he does not want any one inside his home or breeding area. Seems suspicious.

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/salisbury-area/fish/electric-yellow-cichlids-3-4cm-pure-bred-/1062383966

I'll keep looking.

Mike

bought some of him a few months ago he gives them to you at the door you get to look at them in a bucket then bags them there and then also a guy at angle vale sells blues and he has a few yellows he is more friendly and you can check out the parents before your purchase.

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http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/port-noarlunga/fish/african-cichlid-sale/1062896442 never been there

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/pennington/fish/malawi-cichlid-groups-electric-yellow-kenyi-red-zebra-acei-/1062745896 she has her fish in quiet a few tanks in her back room hard to understand but friendly.

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/st-agnes/fish/hongi-cichlid-fry-/1062799956 I like my hongis

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/underdale/fish/ob-marble-peacocks/1062645995 this bloke seems switched on been meaning to go check out what he has but haven't made it yet.

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/semaphore-park/fish/aquarium-fish-cichlids-lwanda/1062906731 checking this one out myself tomorrow any one have any thoughts on it greatly appreciated.

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/angle-vale/fish/electric-blue-fry-bristlenose-common-catfish-fry-3-50ea/1063018344 angle vale bloke very helpful. but blue males don't colour up till later unlike yellows.

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I added six Electric Yellows (Labidochromis caeruleus) today to the tank, here is a photo of just one.

One of Six New Electric Yellow (Labidochromis caeruleus)

There all about 4cm and look very health, at this stage I can recommend this breeder found on grumtree (http://www.gumtree.c...red-/1062383966)

I also added a photo of the whole tank with a new cheap LED from ebay installed. Detail are in the description on the photo.

Cheers

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So I went off script a little and put six Labidochromis chisumulae in the tank over the weekend.

Now I know there an issue with cross breeding so I'll have to be very carefull if I ever want to sell anything. But as I've said at this stage I have no intention of breeding.

I'll get a few photos uploaded tonight.

I plan to pickup from a breeder six Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos this week.

I've not been able to find a breeder who has the Iodotropheus sprengerae (Rusty Cichlid) so I may need to put in a order with aggie's and wait for him to get them in. He said he normally gets German breed for these.

After this I'll have 6 spots left (out of 30) for larger fish which need to be in groups of or 2, any suggestions ?

Cheers

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I found a breeder west of the city yesterday who has number of difference African Cichlids, so I again went off script and got a few.

6 x Labidochromis sp. Hongi 'red top Kimpuma'

6 x Pseudotropheus demasoni

I also got a couple of cross breed Peacocks, with most likely an electric blue bend. (that was for fun to see what I get)

I also have six Iodotropheus sprengerae on order for pickup Tuesday.

Once I have these I'll be settling down for a while.

Does any one have questions ? want extra pictures of the setup ?

Cheers

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which breeder is that went to underdale place yesterday michelle has a heap of tanks show tanks and tanks in the shed but mainly small stuff for sale bought 3small $6 each aurutus mpanga and a benga see how the grow out.

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