Donny Brasco Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 Hello im fairly new to setting up a descent aquarium, i currently have a 4ft tank with a turtle, basic feeder fish for the turtle, some yabbies to clean the bottom and a couple of nice looking guppies which seem to become mates with the turtle and don't get eaten lol.Anyway im looking to set up a new tank for some nice Lake Malawi Cichlids and i have done a tone of research on my requirements and species i want to keep but i have a few questions regarding equipment first, i hope you guys can be of assistance.Q1. Is there any places around Melbourne (particularly south east) that make custom sized tanks? Im not after anything fancy im limiting myself to a 3ft length tank but would like around 2ft tall but most glass i seem to find in 3ft is only around 1.5ft tall.Q2. What are the ebay filter/pumps like these days? i have found a few around the 75-100 mark for a descent 1000/1400lph filter/pump which is about the rate im after but don't want to buy it if its junk. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/PROTEGE-A...item20f5e4ff6bQ3. I really love the Demasoni with its vibrant blue and dark black colors but from some research i found they tend to be a lot more aggressive compared to a lot of other Malawi Cichlids, is this the case in real life or more so just someones opinion on there website? http://www.liveaquaria.com/images/ca...40-cichlid.jpgI would like to hear from someone who has a Demasoni and can comment on its behavior with the other species.thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donny Brasco Posted February 11, 2015 Author Share Posted February 11, 2015 Sorry i have one more question to ask.I am quite keen on possibly buying a second hand all in one tank mainly due to the value and style of the tank (i love the curved glass look)I have found a Jebo R390 on ebay in my area for a good price but im wondering if the built in filter systems are up to the task of a 200lt cichlid tank or weather ill still need to purchase a descent external filter, because if thats the case i may as well just build a full cutom set up rather than an all in one kit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buccal Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 External cannisters are more superior to factory built in filters in general.The cannisters your looking at, I haven't had experience with,, but with all that gear for cheap is hit and miss,,, for $70 bucks you can't go wrong really,, no big deal if it breaks, it's only $70.The demasoni may get aggressive and damage each other in a 3ft,,, but you may get lucky,,,, if you try, have heaps of rock crevices.Your best bet is P.Saulosi (be aware that many hybrids are around of these),,, they are more peiceful.The male P.saulosi resembles slightly the demasoni and the bonus is the females are bright yellow.The tank being 2ft high is a benefit to ease aggression. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ged Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 I would agree with Buccal's advice on P. demasoni. Their aggression level means they are not a good candidate for a 3ft tank. P saulosi is a great alternative. The eBay filters are definitely hit and miss with no recourse or warranty in most cases if it packs it in in the first twelve months. I have always err on the side of caution when it comes to filters. I know you are only out of pocket $70 but I consider what the cost if you have to replace a whole tank of fish if the filter dies and your away for an extended period if time. You would have to add another filter to the Jebo tank. Curved tanks may show up more scratches than traditional tanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donny Brasco Posted February 12, 2015 Author Share Posted February 12, 2015 Hmm ok jebo tanks out of the question then looks like I'm back to my original idea.I'm watching a tank on ebay at the moment if it goes cheap enough I'll snap it up as it comes with a heater air pump and a nautilus 700 filter as well which I think should be just on the minimum requirements for the size of tank I want Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donny Brasco Posted February 12, 2015 Author Share Posted February 12, 2015 Oh and thanks for the advice on the demasoni as well ill look into Saulosi sounds like a better alternative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donny Brasco Posted February 12, 2015 Author Share Posted February 12, 2015 Ok ended up winning the auction on a nice 3 ft x 1.6 so descent size and it has a nautilus 800 which I think should just do the job.Next up do people buy plastic rocks from pet shops or go out hunting for a descent real rocks.My question is what sort of weight can the glass stand when your putting a few kg of rocks on them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vadnappa Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 Hi donny, it's not the weight of the rock thats the problem. Glass can handle a lot of weight, it's holding all that water weight. It's the pressure points that rocks put on glass or a little piece of sand under the rock that cracks the glass. If you are only putting smallish rocks in, should be fine. I usually but a thin piece of foam down on the inside of the glass then rocks on top then cover the foam with sand. As far as types of rock, personal preference. some people like plastic rocks and some of them are quite realistic especially with a bit of algae growing on them. Personally I like real rocks and I am always on the lookout for a good one, never know where you might find one. There are however some types of rock you need to avoid so generally going into a rift lake tank you can be safe with limestone or sandstone. Then you need to decide if you want to soak them first and for how long or bake them in an oven... All to kill of any possible nasties. If it worries you just grab some from a local aquarium they usually have a good selection. Personally I use sandstone in most of my tanks which I soak for a couple of weeks then leave out in the sun for a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donny Brasco Posted February 12, 2015 Author Share Posted February 12, 2015 Thanks Vadnappa I would prefer to use my own rocks as I'm after a specific look in my tank and frankly the prices pet shops charge for rocks and fake rocks is really expensive. Might have to go on a bit of a hunt on the weekend thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luis Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 You could fill half the tank with rocks and not have a problem, as evidenced by most marine tanks. Just make sure your formations are stable as you don't want them falling.If using sand the rocks go in first then the sand (rock sits on glass). This keeps the rocks from moving if the fish happen to dig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxib Posted February 25, 2015 Share Posted February 25, 2015 I returned a demasoni cause it was a mean bugger. When it wasnt eating it was on the attack. It was on a non stop mission to destroy. Fake rock and ornament doesnt look as natural but is lighter and displaces less water hence more water volume in aquarium. In smaller set ups it good cause you get the hiding spots etc. without sacraficing water volume. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verfnew Posted February 25, 2015 Share Posted February 25, 2015 I use what I think is Lava rock. Prices range from around $10 for a small one to about $30 for a large piece from my local pet shop. I just kept adding rock as I added fish and rearranged the rock so that the existing fish in the tank had to find a new cave to call there own and don't chase the new fish for going to there old cave.When you are setting up you tank try and purchase some egg crate, it is plastic grid (do a seach on ebay to see what it looks like) place it on the bottom of your tank then place your substrate in and the rocks on top of that. When your cichlids undermine the rocks which they do, the rocks won't sit on the glass. In Melbourne you might evan find a business who sells seconds.Vern Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Link2Hell Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 egg crate grid is a light diffuser so check electrical wholesalerscareful that you don't leave pockets in the rock work you can't see intoa hidden corpse can create an ammonia spike if the filtration can't cope Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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