beginner 75g cichlid tank help, stocking cleaning E.T.C

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predator1

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 14, 2012
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Toronto Ontario
75g cichlid tank has come up to mind and mbuna seem the easiest. what are steps you people out there do cleaning wise step by step you do when cleaning like water changes testing ph al that stuff. ive been on websites and as 12 year old beginner it all seems hard to undertsand can you guys devote some of your time to clearly state what steps to take how hard n stuff cleaning what kinda fish i should get 75g 12 year old! o and i want to keep easiest starter mbuna cichlids 75g. and want to start off just small number of them
 
I have a 72 gallon and all I do is a 25% - 50% water change while cleaning out the gravel or in my case the sand with a syphon and every 2 or 3 times I do a water change I'll take apart my filter and clean it out. I'm sure some other people might do more than that but that's all I do.


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water change once a week about 30%. You local fish store should be able to test your water and say if anything is too high or low. The mbuna's are hardy so you shouldn't have a problem there if you want it easy then get all male mbuna's because then fighting should be less. If you are setting up the tank I would make plenty of caves so they can hide and establish territories. If you were getting mbuna's I would get some electric yellows and auratus which are very easy to maintain fish and shouldn't cost that much money you could also get some kenyi's and if you want a cool blue fish I would get an electric blue :D. Here is a site that could help you http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/malmbuna.htm and here is a link to a list of mbuna's http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/african_cichlid_genus_gallery.php Good luck :P
 
oh and definitely get sand as a substrate it is in my opinion better for the fish and easier to clean. You can get pool filter silica sand from Home Depot for $6 bucks a 50 pound bag.
 
I'd also use silica sand or pool filter sand for your substrate, there are a lot of mbunas you can choose from but just keep in mind you may have to trade back some that are too aggressive unless you get lucky. Keeping african cichlids really isn't that hard or difficult :)

I don't test my pH at all, I just use dechlorinated tap water. Some people may frown upon me doing that but I believe since they're captive bred theres no sense to raise the pH to the pH of the wild where they come from. Also, why shock them from going from the water in the fish/pet store to a higher pH in your tank? However, if I knew I had some wild africans, I certainly would raise the pH. Some good rocks to raise your pH if your wanting too is lace rock, texas holey rock, and lava rock. Large river rocks look pretty cool stacked up as well :)
 
awesome il be glad to purchase them soon and create the tank i always wnated well a coral reef but this is close enough! wow hearing your guys opinion made me feel good not having to care for these guys in such a hard way with all these ph and weird funky things to test hardness and acidic and amonia and nitrite and nitrate levels are too confusing. im sur ethe store peeps will help me out. say you dont clean rocks? bout algea on walls? and how do you clean filter?
 
Yeah I live in Arizona and our water is hard as hell, yet my cichlids do just fine after a water change. I always clean my rocks the first time I get tem then put them in the tank. I usually never get algae on the walls because I always keep my water moving and don't let it get warm enough for algae. You clean your filter just with a garden hose lol. Good luck
 
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