Jump to content

new tank , new theme


sean

Recommended Posts

Hi everyone well i got myself a 4x2x2 and i am currently welding up a stand for it !!!!

i am thinking of going with a lake victorian theme as i havent had or done one yet

i would also like to put a few of my plecos in there as well

this is what im thinking so far

4x2x2

fluval 305 external cnister filter

1 x 300w fluval heater

1x 150w fluval back up heater

1x otto 400 power head

black (FINE) marble chips

with slate & rock at both ends stacked up , with some hardy plants spread around (leaving main middle section open for free swimming

with rocky river bank stlye back ground

fish i wanna stock

1x pair of Astatotilapia latifasciata

1x pair of xystichromis phytophagus

1x pair of Astatotilapia burtoni

1x pair of Astatotilapia brownae

pleacos

2x 13-15cm Gold spots

1x 5cm gold spot

2x 4cm sailfin pleco's

MY QUESTIONS ARE =

Has ayone had any experinece with these fish (ie breeding keeping in mixed groups ) ?

will the 4x2x2 be big enough for my list of fish ?

will the fluval keep up with ammonia amount ? (pumps 800l p/hr)

is there any other lake victorian fish that are interesting and as colourful as the ones i want ?

ANY INFO ON LAKE VICTORIAN CICHLIDS , TANKS , SET UPS , would be great

thanks in advance

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i will remove the plecos into other tanks once it gets crowded

the stand im building will also house 2 x 2ft tanks under the 4ft which will be used as grow out tanks

cant wait to start setting it all up

yeah i will go the fluval 405 instead better to be over kill then under kill :)

plus the internal otto

thanks for advice justin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have kept some of the victorians that you want to keep and i found that they were happier in a colony rather than pairs. :)

Also you may find that some of these victorians may interbreed with each other

Just in case you didnt know :dntknw:

Put some hiding places in the tank so you can create caves so the females can hide away in case they are getting chased.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah I agree, they are poly. mouthbrooders like malawi cichlids so go groups not pairs. burtoni is agressive, may be difficult to have more than 1 male. P nyereri is another nice one that is available here.

I won't mind seeing pics when it is set up, especially of the christmas flu (xystichromis phytophagus).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

what about a trio of each type 1 male , 2 females

i think the plecos should be fine i have had them in with almost every fish i have owned including some big americans

(as long as you provide a heaps of little hiding places and crevaces the pleco's can seek refuge in .

i might not put the smaller plecs in for a few months yet

or maybe 1 in each 2ft grow out tank below the main 1

im so excited i really love the colours in these fish

i half finished the stand today so hopefully i can finish by 2morrow night

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Victorians are very aggressive, and the species you have chose have the ability to cross breed. Also, the 405 wont cut it for a 4x2x2. I run one on a std 4 footer and its performance is acceptable, not outstanding.

Things i would change:

Heaters: 2 x 200watts

Fish: Rethink species selection, and quantities should be 1m3f minimum. More females, less males the better.

Filtration: Go a 2ft - 3ft sump if you have the cash, otherwise get a Fluval FX5.

Catfish: Just keep a couple smaller ones, or 1 large one. the tank is too small for that many.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You could also go all males. They are similar enough in looks to encourage domination colouring to occur, so the tank should look nice and bright. The lack of females would probably mean no deaths (hopefully).

I'd personally go some synodontis and bristlenose rather than big plecos. Large plecos create waste, the others clean it up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You could also go all males. They are similar enough in looks to encourage domination colouring to occur, so the tank should look nice and bright. The lack of females would probably mean no deaths (hopefully).

I tried that with some A.Brownae with minimal success. I found that a minimum of 4 - 5 were needed before aggression was at a level where I didnt have any fatalities for a good 6 or more months. But the dominate male was a real weapon and ran a tight ship. However, what didnt work for me may work for you, its too hard to generalise fishes personalities.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...