Ash's 150gal re-configuration! ''UPDATED"

[Ash]

Not sure where I wanted to post this so here it is.

I have a 150gal tank that currently houses 12 frontosa kigomas. It will be undergoing a re-confiuration soon, so I decided I wanted to make a thread with pics about it.

Plain and simple the tank looks like crap and it's set up like it too.

Current set-up:
-12 kigs
-1 syno cat
-clay pots, 2 small rocks, a sponge from a sponge filter
-1 ehiem canister (pro. 2 2028)
-1 hob filter (emp. 400)
-no substrate
-no rock work
-1 heater
-2 lids/lights
-1 really unorganized tank stand/wire work

Plans:
-Tank stand will be organized and we will be adding in floor support
-wires will be organized
-new filtration set-up (the bf is planning this out)
-12 kigs
-1 syno cat
-3M color quartz substrate - sand color (2 bags)
-boulder/river rocks picked up from landscape place (~84lbs)
-Ocean clear canister
-UV sterilizer
-Mag drive pump - 700gph for canister
-Plumbing for backwash
-Background of some sorts (havent figured this out yet)

This is long over due for this tank!

I will update the thread as progress is made

Here are some pics of the goodies and the current set-up

 

[HarleyK]

There's nothing like a well-planned project. Great! Go for it, Ash

 

[valderi123]

cool

 

[wishbone]

Sounds like every need has been provided, maybe few more deco like wood..

 

[Ash]

I am working on it... as for wood not sure that really fits in.. plus my water is hard so I wanna keep it that way =]

I am thinking about plants or fake plants... Any thoughts? not sure what would work.

Will be working on it tomorrow hopefully so I will update if I do!

 

[Pharaoh]

I would say get some more rock! haha

I also say paint the back black.

This should be good. It will make your tank look so much better.

 

[Somethingfishyinc.net]

I would make sure or try to have a spot/pot/cave for each Frontosa. Have one on one end for the dominate male & the rest on the other half for females. My experience (Many years & lots of Frontosa) A dominate male usually will not let another male exist in the same tank. You can be fooled by a sub male blending & looking like a female. Also domestic violence by the male toward the females can be expected so thats why they need a place of refuge from the male.
My Breeding group of Kigoma is now down to One 12"+ male & one female after killing about 4 females in the last 12 months (one last week) They are housed in 5' 120 with pvc pipe/rocks etc. & dither Malawian haps & somehow he destroyed this last kill even with hiding places. And they do it in the middle of the night when you are not looking!
Here's a crazy scenario for you on fronts. I have a F1 Pair of Zaire Kampampa (spelling?) In a 27g long (36x12x12). I originally put what was a sub male in for rehab because stud male decided he wanted to kill all the others including one known female one night. So I have four of these in different tanks recouping. Well with over 400 tanks I always need more tank space , I decide to throw a large piece of slate as a partial divider in this 27gal tank with some rock & two pots with one having a hole in the side & put the small female in there. Well they been together a year now?
They have spawned now twice in a 27 gal tank! As you may see I'm still in shock because I devote lots of resources for my favorite fish including 300 gallon tanks & bigger with less luck breeding the dang fish & here I have Zaires breeding in a small tank! Go figure.
Sorry if a little off topic but If I can help out with these awesome group of fishes, I will try to give some insight on what I know.
Looking forward to you completion of this Frontosa tank.

me Dave

 

[Ash]

Yes Pharaoh I was between black or a rock background. More rock I will be adding, I got the 80lbs for now and once I got them in place I would see what size/type of rock I would like to add more of. Its really cheap I got it from a landscape place for $20

Somethingfishy - Yeah I have pots in there now for them but I am not a huge fan of the pots which is why I picked up the rocks. I know I dont have a lot of pots to begin with (and I know they need more for hiding which is why I am adding rock and prob. getting more). I plan to make hiding spots with the rock's, I just wanted to set up what I have now then go from there, see how it looks, see what size of rock I need to add then I may go get more rock. I ve seen quite a few sucessful large tanks with 6-7 lfronts in them (a few were kig tanks), but usually only 1-2 male max. I am not sure how many I plan on keeping yet, I am waiting to see how many males/females I have, so I want to grow them out a little more. I also wanna see how they interact with eachother as they grow. I already know who my dominat male is.. thus far he has not been very agressive, but he is def. dominant. I have a synodontis eup. and a otopharynx tetrastigma in the tank as well. The tetrastigma is the meanest/most agressive thus far. I guess it's really up to the fish in the end. I have owned burundi before with no issues, but I had 4 of them, not 12. I've kept some weird mixes of fish sucessfully and fish that should get a long unsucessfully so its def. always a trip. I am always welcome to advice though, different things work so its always good to hear from others, thanks for the informaiton.

 

[Ash]

Okay so I never got around to it untill today lol. An inline heater is going to be added to the filtration system and a second bead filter is also being added and a bigger pump will probably be needed. Also the bf added in the wood bottom for the tank. Today I added that light crate stuff to the bottom (so the rock wont crack the tank if the fronts dig under it) and then the sand and finally the rock. I am probably going to get more rock and make more crevice/cave things. I am actually missing one rock out of the tank now that has an indenture that looks like a mini cave, while the rock tested fine (for minerals using vinegar) it has a very off color compared to the rest of the rock so I dont really trust it. The rock set-up will eventually change, I just wanted to get it in for now.

Anywho pictures:

 

[blacktip]

Funny how they look like they were cool with the egg crate but were scared to death of the sand.

The tank looks 110% better than it did before. What is their peacock looking tank mate?