evan9381 Posted September 8, 2007 Report Share Posted September 8, 2007 post your set ups for me. i came across a 55g tank, black wood stand w/ double doors, and a hood, comes with "Filter,pumps,heater,gravel,decor" as well, for 100$...after a trip to the pet store today for crickets and a rat (for the other pets), im going to be getting cichlids, or oscars. im leaning more towards cichlids right now i did a little reading and found out the most important things are keeping the pH at the correct levels, water temp, and a lot of hiding spots. i saw some things about having to keep a certain substrate at the bottom, which looked like sand, but the girl at the store said she has cichlids with gravel bottom and theyre just fine what all should i look into getting for this tank? what i REALLY want to do with this one, and i think its the reason i somewhat dislike my current tank, is to keep it very tidy. by that i mean i dont want to see the bubbles from the waterfall/filter, or some stacks coming up for the undergravel filter, or the water heater and thermometer stuck to the walls of the tank, or cords going down the back of the tank (i know this final part can be solved with a background sheet)...all i want to see is fish, water, and rock/plants. i dont know exactly what kind of parts comes with the new tank, but i have a feeling im going to need to buy some more. all the tanks at the stores look so good without a bunch of junk in them, id like to get my new one set up like that recommend any parts you think would help me achieve what im looking for, or if you have anything on the cheap, let me know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmrmnhrm Posted September 8, 2007 Report Share Posted September 8, 2007 You don't say whether it's a bow or a rectangular tank (and if it's bow, I'm gonna be fsckin' jealous), but either way, I'd suggest going over to Aquarium Adventure at Sawmill/161 and looking at the large tank they've got along the back wall. Your biggest "friend" in hiding both bubbles and lift tubes are plants, which also do a good job of eating up nitrates and giving the fish the hiding spots they want. Driftwood is also cool, but you've got to boil the hell out of it first to make sure nothing survived (like planaria worms... ewww). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evan9381 Posted September 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2007 yeah, ive been over there a few times. i talked to a couple people and they said their cichlids ate some of the plants they had. im not against the plants, i just dont want to see the damn bubbles. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted September 8, 2007 Report Share Posted September 8, 2007 why not just put a sump under the tank? i'll post pictures tomorrow of my 75g salt tank with this set-up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTQ B4U Posted September 8, 2007 Report Share Posted September 8, 2007 I grew up with 4 tanks starting at age 10 when I got my 65gal from my brother who brought it back from SanDiego. I had a 65gal long (Rare)...my South American Cichlid tank, a 55gal long fresh water, angles and other acid loving fish a 90gal saltwater reef and then a 135gal African Cichlid tank. Man, if I only had the time to get back into it again. When I moved to Cbus in 88 I had them up and running for about 10 years before I got out of the hobby. I've not kept up as much on the new technology, but I would definitely recommend a reef type filter set up. The large clear acrylic filters and pumps that you see mounted below the tank. Basically you'll be creating a self maintaining system that requires very little maint. Bubbles?? now that's old school.....get rid of that stuff. I always like Africans. PH is easier to maintain. Easier to manage than salt water and more attractive overall than most freshwater fish. They love rock and wood/hiding places too, so if you don't want to mess with plants, you're good with them. Just don't overfeed. That's one of the biggest mistakes. Feed them to survive not to be full. Look into say Limestone gravel which is very nice. The fish get large but not huge and have more color than you can imagine. Very beautiful. Byerly's Aquarium Supplies down near 5th is where I always shopped here in Columbus. Most other stores are way overpriced and at the time were no where near as knowledgeable. Times change and again I've been out of things for a while so perhaps there are some other good places around now. Coolest fish I had: 5' Snowflake eel (salt) Picasso Triggerfish - Best fish EVER, but very pricey. I paid like $150+ for mine back in the late 80's...not sure what they go for today. 8" freshwater Barracuda - Lived with my large 10" Oscars Excellent mating pair of Frontosa (African Cichlid) but eventually sold them all as they dig a lot and had babies all the time. Awesome fish. Electric Blue's are cool too. Wonder mating pair of Royal Red Discus. Good luck. Post pics. Got me wanting to get back into it now! post your set ups for me. i came across a 55g tank, black wood stand w/ double doors, and a hood, comes with "Filter,pumps,heater,gravel,decor" as well, for 100$...after a trip to the pet store today for crickets and a rat (for the other pets), im going to be getting cichlids, or oscars. im leaning more towards cichlids right now i did a little reading and found out the most important things are keeping the pH at the correct levels, water temp, and a lot of hiding spots. i saw some things about having to keep a certain substrate at the bottom, which looked like sand, but the girl at the store said she has cichlids with gravel bottom and theyre just fine what all should i look into getting for this tank? what i REALLY want to do with this one, and i think its the reason i somewhat dislike my current tank, is to keep it very tidy. by that i mean i dont want to see the bubbles from the waterfall/filter, or some stacks coming up for the undergravel filter, or the water heater and thermometer stuck to the walls of the tank, or cords going down the back of the tank (i know this final part can be solved with a background sheet)...all i want to see is fish, water, and rock/plants. i dont know exactly what kind of parts comes with the new tank, but i have a feeling im going to need to buy some more. all the tanks at the stores look so good without a bunch of junk in them, id like to get my new one set up like that recommend any parts you think would help me achieve what im looking for, or if you have anything on the cheap, let me know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted September 8, 2007 Report Share Posted September 8, 2007 this is my 75g with a 20g long sump. http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c80/CamaroAJ/th_fish1002.jpg http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c80/CamaroAJ/th_fish1001.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evan9381 Posted September 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2007 what exactly is the purpose of the sump. and is it something i need for freshwater? ive got a few extra 10 gallon tanks im sure i could use if needed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted September 8, 2007 Report Share Posted September 8, 2007 what exactly is the purpose of the sump. and is it something i need for freshwater? ive got a few extra 10 gallon tanks im sure i could use if needed on my tank it is a refugum (sp?) it has a light thats on at night so a certin type of algie grows so its more like a natural filter. it also has my protine skimmer, heater and filter. its pretty much just a way to hide all that stuff and increase total volume of water so its easier to maintain the water (ie. PH and stuff like that) the more water you have the easier it is to have a stable tank. if you look at the pictures all you see in my display tank are the over flows and no wires. also the back of my tank is painted dark blue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTQ B4U Posted September 9, 2007 Report Share Posted September 9, 2007 you don't "need" this type of set up, but it's a great system....only of course you won't need the salt water related items. the idea with filtration is that it's a series of layers that not just filter out the debris, but break it down through a natural process. organic matter if not properly broken down and recycled through the ecosystem in a properly set up tank becomes toxic. ie...back in the old days, if you upset an under gravel filter and set loose the toxins and material under it, you would wipe out your tank. you can also get away with a more cost effective canister style filter system too. IMO, go 1.5 times the size they say is recommended. I say this because again, you'll likely end up overfeeding and in general fall back from the ideal care of a tank at some point in normal life. what exactly is the purpose of the sump. and is it something i need for freshwater? ive got a few extra 10 gallon tanks im sure i could use if needed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evan9381 Posted September 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2007 you don't "need" this type of set up, but it's a great system....only of course you won't need the salt water related items. the idea with filtration is that it's a series of layers that not just filter out the debris, but break it down through a natural process. organic matter if not properly broken down and recycled through the ecosystem in a properly set up tank becomes toxic. ie...back in the old days, if you upset an under gravel filter and set loose the toxins and material under it, you would wipe out your tank. you can also get away with a more cost effective canister style filter system too. IMO, go 1.5 times the size they say is recommended. I say this because again, you'll likely end up overfeeding and in general fall back from the ideal care of a tank at some point in normal life. i found a cichlid forum (who knew they existed?) and been reading up a lot. it looks like a good filter is a marineland, theres a model for up to 55g, and the next one up i think is up to 100g. watching some of the viedos, cleaning the sand doesnt seem to be too bad at all. i also found that pool filter sand can be used, and is fairly cheap (10$ for a 100lb bag). i just dont think pool filter sand comes in cool colors...im gonna look into it so i think what i need to buy at this time is 1) limestone pieces 2) filter 3) sand of some sort 4) fish 5) misc decorations 6) water quality monitoring strips Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTQ B4U Posted September 9, 2007 Report Share Posted September 9, 2007 there's a forum for just about every single interest one can have. if you're going to canister route, look into Eheim Canister Filters. I had one back in the day. they are very quiet.....known for that, reliable and good for bio filtration. go to a good local store that can hook you up on the know how of good bio fiter media for inside the canister. i found a cichlid forum (who knew they existed?) and been reading up a lot. it looks like a good filter is a marineland, theres a model for up to 55g, and the next one up i think is up to 100g. watching some of the viedos, cleaning the sand doesnt seem to be too bad at all. i also found that pool filter sand can be used, and is fairly cheap (10$ for a 100lb bag). i just dont think pool filter sand comes in cool colors...im gonna look into it so i think what i need to buy at this time is 1) limestone pieces 2) filter 3) sand of some sort 4) fish 5) misc decorations 6) water quality monitoring strips Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
copperhead Posted September 9, 2007 Report Share Posted September 9, 2007 One of the guys on here I think runs a cichlid forum, I know its in his sig. http://www.ohiocichlids.com I don't know shit about it though, I don't have fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorne Posted September 9, 2007 Report Share Posted September 9, 2007 Man, I feel like weak sauce with my little 20g =) I'm still looking for a stand to sit it on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evan9381 Posted September 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2007 thorne - whats the measurements on the 20g base? i may have a stand available f/s now that we took down our 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmrmnhrm Posted September 9, 2007 Report Share Posted September 9, 2007 thorne - whats the measurements on the 20g base? i may have a stand available f/s now that we took down our 10 Can't speak for all 20's, but mine is 24.25" wide x 12.5" deep x 16.75" tall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99BlownYellowGT Posted September 10, 2007 Report Share Posted September 10, 2007 I use regular gravel at the bottom of my cichlid tank. But you are right when it comes to giving them alot of hiding spots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evan9381 Posted September 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2007 ive got a shitload of limestone and im thinking about just springing for the CaribSea substrate and doing it right the first time i just need to find out which cichlids i can mix in a single tank. the guy at aquarium adventures said to keep africans together, but reading on the cichlid forum it seems that the ones from a certain lake need to be kept together Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pedro1647545510 Posted September 10, 2007 Report Share Posted September 10, 2007 ive got a shitload of limestone and im thinking about just springing for the CaribSea substrate and doing it right the first time i just need to find out which cichlids i can mix in a single tank. the guy at aquarium adventures said to keep africans together, but reading on the cichlid forum it seems that the ones from a certain lake need to be kept together I have a 125 Gallon African Cichlid Tank with a mix of sand substrate and pool filter sand. I layed the pool filter sand down as a base and then put the substrate down on top of that. It was cheaper that way since I did not have to buy so much sand substrate. If you go African Cichlids sand is the way to go. They dig through the sand alot and move it around. It's not hard to clean the sand either, I use a Python water change hose and it sucks it all up. A few websites are http://www.cichlid-forum.com/ and http://www.cichlidforums.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evan9381 Posted October 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2007 well, the tank has been home, but a couple things came up and i didnt have the cash to get the rest of the stuff i found a guy in cleveland with a fluval 405 (the one thats for a ~110g tank) for 60$. since im headed up for the boston/cleveland game tomorrow, im gonna get it while im up there also found a site http://www.bigalsonline.com that has the black substrate for 29$ and 7-8$ shipping for a 50 pound bag. best deal ive found so far. i think what im gonna end up doing is getting the egg crate used below light fixtures on drop ceilings, fill all the area with gravel and then pouring the substrate on top. should let me get away w/ 50# of substrate i think im gonna do a black painted background as well if i can order the substrate this week and get my car back with the limestone in it, i can get it cycling and hopefully stocked in 2-3 weeks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron_ Posted October 15, 2007 Report Share Posted October 15, 2007 get discus i used to have 7 aquariums of them... do frequent water changes (50% of the water every week or two) and you'll be fine nothing fancy needed...easy to maintain...and they're the kings of the fish world Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pedro1647545510 Posted October 15, 2007 Report Share Posted October 15, 2007 well, the tank has been home, but a couple things came up and i didnt have the cash to get the rest of the stuff i found a guy in cleveland with a fluval 405 (the one thats for a ~110g tank) for 60$. since im headed up for the boston/cleveland game tomorrow, im gonna get it while im up there also found a site http://www.bigalsonline.com that has the black substrate for 29$ and 7-8$ shipping for a 50 pound bag. best deal ive found so far. i think what im gonna end up doing is getting the egg crate used below light fixtures on drop ceilings, fill all the area with gravel and then pouring the substrate on top. should let me get away w/ 50# of substrate i think im gonna do a black painted background as well if i can order the substrate this week and get my car back with the limestone in it, i can get it cycling and hopefully stocked in 2-3 weeks You shouldn't need the gravel. What type of Cichlids are you going to get? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RRC Posted October 15, 2007 Report Share Posted October 15, 2007 didnt know that many people were into fish on the site, i just purchased a 210g tank and stand, i just finished building my filter setup last week, ill post pics as soon as i get it up and running! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99BlownYellowGT Posted October 15, 2007 Report Share Posted October 15, 2007 wow!!! Thats a big tank cant wait to see pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evan9381 Posted October 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2007 couple crappy pics. went with pool filter sand, just wanted to get it filled up tonight. washed the sand and rocks, got the filter running. going to be getting to the store tomorrow for chemicals and hopefully if the water is ok by sunday, im gonna throw cheap fish in there to start the biological cycle http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y267/evan938/DSC02070.jpg?t=1193375963 http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y267/evan938/DSC02071.jpg?t=1193375963 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pedro1647545510 Posted October 26, 2007 Report Share Posted October 26, 2007 couple crappy pics. went with pool filter sand, just wanted to get it filled up tonight. washed the sand and rocks, got the filter running. going to be getting to the store tomorrow for chemicals and hopefully if the water is ok by sunday, im gonna throw cheap fish in there to start the biological cycle The tank is looking good. Congrats. You don't necessarily have to use cheap fish to start the biological process since you are going with freshwater fish that are typically har.. Just put one or two fish in to start and stagger the rest of the fish over a few weeks. That will give the cycle a chance to gradually catch up to the load that is being put on it. If you do it that way you don't have to worry about getting rid of fish at the end of the process and putting the ones you really want in there, unless the cheap fish are the ones you actually want to keep in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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