Advise for setup/new tank

[Rawimpact]

Hi guys, this is my first post on this forum. I am 20 years old and a college student here in Orange County, California. Over the past four months, i have gained respect for many aquarium enthusiasts. I believe i am ready in terms of dedication and time to start my own tank. I have recently fell in love with cichlids because of their aggressive behavior. Although i love how salt water aquariums look, i don't want to jump on that boat just yet.

I want to create a freshwater aquarium that looks as though it's saltwater. I have been reading tutorials and have been recommended play sand, or pool filter sand for the gravel. I do not have a tank yet, and i don't plan on getting anything above 55 gallons. I was wondering if you guys could recommend the fish tank type (shape, gallons and how many cichlids it can house), and if i am correct with the substrate type.

I have been recently looking for freshwater ornaments that would imitate live rocks, but have been unable to find any. Maybe some of you members can lead me in the right direction?

Thank you guys in advance.
-Raw

 

[Cichlaholics Anonymous]

there are lots of colorful mbuna species that would look "saltwater-like" if that is the look you're good for. I would get the biggest tank possible, though

 

[Rawimpact]

Are there any artificial 'live rocks' for sale anywhere?

 

[pcfriedrich]

Welcome.

my LFS sells "texas holey rock", which I'm pretty sure is a man-made rock for aqaurium use. I believe its pretty common, and can be found in most shops. also, most LFSs sell pieces of slate. if there is a local rock quarry near you, call them up and see if they have any pieces they would be willing to sell.

or you could just take a trip out to the desert, find rocks out there. i'm using pieces of granite I found in a riverbed in OK. I just scrubbed them with hot water and a little Comet, then rinsed the hell out of them.

definately go with natural rock, if you can find it. drift wood is another good option. again, you can buy it at the fish store (way overpriced) or you could probably find some nice pieces near the shore, or in a dry riverbed out in the SoCal desert. boiling driftwood kills germs and helps waterlog it. another good option somebody mentioned in here the other day is petrified wood and/or fossils. if you have any fossil stores near you, its kinda expensive, but worth it.

I found play sand to be finer than pool filter sand. I went with the courser grained pool filter sand (figured it would be less likely to be sucked into vacuum and filter intake). whichever way you go, make sure you rinse all the dust out of it before you put it in your tank.

 

[Rawimpact]

How would i go about cleaning these natural rocks? I have heard things from oven roasting to boiling them.

 

[Sic_Maggot13]

How would i go about cleaning these natural rocks? I have heard things from oven roasting to boiling them.

you can do that, i just washed mine reall good and scrubed some fungus off

 

[pcfriedrich]

yeah, like I said, I just scrubbed mine in hot water from the tap. i used a very small amount of Comet, and rinsed them very well. its been a few weeks now and my fish are fine.

alot of people do recommend boiling or baking them, though.

 

[Angler]

I agree with filling a 55 with Mbuna. I had a 55 gallon Mbuna tank before, and a few people who saw it, who weren't really into fish, asked me if it was a saltwater setup.