125 Gallon CA American Tank

[Roger Mcfish]

Finally redid the 125 gallon for my CA cichlids after rehoming my peacock and haps. I could spread the artificial plant on the right a little more to vine up through the driftwood. Didn't want to use real plants due to the type of cichlids that are in here.

 

[Deadeye]

Looks good!
What’s the stocking? I think I see a salvini, carpintis, and maybe a Vieja.
Hornwort can potentially work for a plant - it doesn’t need to be rooted (which is good for fish that like to dig) and grows faster than it gets eaten.

 

[duanes]

Good start, and nice looking tank.
You may find, that (what looks to me very white substrate), sometimes washes out the colors of certain Central American cichlids, depending on the species.
Some like those of the carpintus complex do well over that color, because their colors match, and help camouflage them from birds of prey, from above.

In the shot on the left, there are 3 carpintus, so light substrate works to their advantage.
Yet from the side, attracting a mate is easily done.

However, if your choice of cichlids are normally darker color bodied species, the light color substrate can make them stick out like a sore thumb to aerial predators, and cause their colors to wash out.

One other thing you may want to consider, is that although a 125 seems large enough for juvies to grow out, (in the end,) it may only be large enough for a pair or trio of certain adult Central Americans.
Non-cichlids will often be ignored if large enough not to be eaten, because they are not territorial competitors.

The same concepts that apply to African cichlid, do not often apply, when applying to Central Americans as adults.
I usually find a 6 ft tank is only large enough for an adult pair of Vieja, or an adult pair of carpintus , unless you choose a more social, or shoaling species like Thorichthys, or Cribroheros.

 

[Roger Mcfish]

Looks good!
What’s the stocking? I think I see a salvini, carpintis, and maybe a Vieja.
Hornwort can potentially work for a plant - it doesn’t need to be rooted (which is good for fish that like to dig) and grows faster than it gets eaten.

Hit it on the head! Carpintis, black belt vieja, convict and 2 female salvini.
Definitely will be watching all as they get bigger for sure as I know ca cichlids are definitely hit and miss.
I've tried hornwort once in my 40 gallon SA American tank, it didn't work out at all, so I keep anubias and ferns in that tank. It houses rams, neon tetra and a small pair of angels that will be getting a 55 gallon soon

Had a jack dempsey in there, but the synodintis featherfin catfish beat him up pretty bad, so the jack is in quarantine and I rehomed the catfish.

Because these guys are young, I have no aggression but as they get bigger, it will change. I have multiple tanks that can these guys can get moved into. Turned my garage into a fish room lol. More projects coming.

 

[Roger Mcfish]

Good start, and nice looking tank.
You may find, that (what looks to me very white substrate), sometimes washes out the colors of certain Central American cichlids, depending on the species.
Some like those of the carpintus complex do well over that color, because their colors match, and help camouflage them from birds of prey, from above.
View attachment 1534150View attachment 1534151
In the shot on the left, there are 3 carpintus, so light substrate works to their advantage.
Yet from the side, attracting a mate is easily done.

However, if your choice of cichlids are normally darker color bodied species, the light color substrate can make them stick out like a sore thumb to aerial predators, and cause their colors to wash out.

One other thing you may want to consider, is that although a 125 seems large enough for juvies to grow out, (in the end,) it may only be large enough for a pair or trio of certain adult Central Americans.
Non-cichlids will often be ignored if large enough not to be eaten, because they are not territorial competitors.

The same concepts that apply to African cichlid, do not often apply, when applying to Central Americans as adults.
I usually find a 6 ft tank is only large enough for an adult pair of Vieja, or an adult pair of carpintus , unless you choose a more social, or shoaling species like Thorichthys, or Cribroheros.
View attachment 1534152

What's up DSTER! Lol

That's the substrate from the peacock and haps that were originally in there. Our mutual friend from the other side said it would help keep everything stable due being a parameter stable substrate for Africans. Which makes sense since the CA and Africans share ALMOST the same water hardness and pH.
As these guys get bigger, I'm pretty sure I'll have to move some around without a doubt. For now, let em grow and I'll keep an eye on them.

I may source some giant danio since we have no access to those CA tetra you recommend, unless I get blind cave tetra. But not a fan of them.

 

[Roger Mcfish]

And thank you both for the comments. much appreciated

 

[Joshuakahan]

Finally redid the 125 gallon for my CA cichlids after rehoming my peacock and haps. I could spread the artificial plant on the right a little more to vine up through the driftwood. Didn't want to use real plants due to the type of cichlids that are in here.View attachment 1534149

Looks good!! The only thing I’d change is, like Duanes said, is the substrate. But I think you could just add a few pounds of black sand for a peppered look and that would prevent washout
Do you have pics of the tank when it was a rift setup?

 

[Roger Mcfish]

Looks good!! The only thing I’d change is, like Duanes said, is the substrate. But I think you could just add a few pounds of black sand for a peppered look and that would prevent washout
Do you have pics of the tank when it was a rift setup?

Back story on substrate. Duane remembers what happened to my original setup where I had a heater malfunction, then cycle crash the and then boom, hydrogen sulfide bomb went off! So there's actually a quarter of the substrate removed last year.
I could add some black African cichlid sand help keep parameters up.
I buffer American cichlid salt to raise GH due to having low GH coming from the tap and pH stays at 7.6.
I would have to rinse new sand, then add with a cup so it doesn't cloud up the tank.

 

[Joshuakahan]

Back story on substrate. Duane remembers what happened to my original setup where I had a heater malfunction, then cycle crash the and then boom, hydrogen sulfide bomb went off! So there's actually a quarter of the substrate removed last year.
I could add some black African cichlid sand help keep parameters up.
I buffer American cichlid salt to raise GH due to having low GH coming from the tap and pH stays at 7.6.
I would have to rinse new sand, then add with a cup so it doesn't cloud up the tank.

Oh damn. I’ve heard stories of that happening. That’s nuts. I think black Argonite sand would be good

 

[Roger Mcfish]

Oh damn. I’ve heard stories of that happening. That’s nuts. I think black Argonite sand would be good

I can grab a bag of the caribsea African cichlid mix black and mix it in, nothing crazy.

Yea the smell was horrific lol. I actually called out of work that day to remove everything and clean it all out and start fresh. I had 5 survivors out 24 fish. It was a long sad day. All those events happened within 2 weeks!
Restarted and rebuilt and pushed on!