I actually posted earlier, regarding the sourcing of certain fish and you guys were a huge help! Thank you for that.
This is THE tank for me, so I have it pretty meticulously planned out but I have 2 things I'd love to get input on from the pro's who have done this successfully before me. Now this is a very ambitious project, believe me I know. But I'm finally at the point where I'm ready and capable of handling it. This is going to be a 125-gallon all-male Malawi Cichlid tank. It will be 4 dwarf petricola, a variety of 20 male peacocks, and 3 male haps. I have about 60lbs of Seiryu Stone, a 20" manzanita driftwood, and an 18" mopani root driftwood. The final step in preparation for the fish will be plants. Yes, a planted Malawi tank; here's the list for your reference (these are all plants that can thrive in these parameters and Malawi's should not bother other than potentially uprooting the few that will be planted (but I have a plan for that as well). Mind you, these are all single plants (minus the moss which I will start with 3 of).
* Anubias Barteri Nana
* Anubias Barteri Minima
* Anubias Nancon
* Java Fern
* Massimo Moss Balls (3x)
* Crinum Calamistratum
* Bolbitis
* Cryptocoryne Wendtii Green
* Cryptocoryne Wendtii Red
* Cyrptocoryne Lucens
* Vallisneria Jungle
* Vallisneria Narrow Leaf Nana
* Bucephalandra Blue Boyan
Know them or don't (I know most of you probably don't bother with plants and cichlids together) but these are hardy, mostly low-to-medium light plants, and only the Crypts, Val, and Crinum will be planted into the substrate. Soooooo here's where I need help!
#1) Does anyone feel strongly (based on this setup) about wavemaker quantity, setup, or suggested models? I haven't decided on which one I will go with but was thinking about using one and pairing it with the Fluval FX6's outflow. Place it middle height and angle it up to create surface agitation but also, current across the middle plain of the tank.
#2) AND MOST IMPORTANTLY - this tank is not hidden in a fish room or basement. It's a centerpiece in a primary room of the house, so aesthetic is a major priority. That said, I want to go with clip-on arm lamps for the lighting. I've done planted tanks before but again, not to this scale and I have exhausted my research on this and still don't feel like I'm confident enough to pull the trigger on anything specifically, I just know this is going to require 2-3 lamps.
* I don't want to cheap out, but I also know I can save a lot of money in this category and would really like to haha
* Again, aesthetic is a big deal. Sleak, slim, modern is the way.
* Obviously, it needs to bring out the colors in the tank but also foster growth in the plants
* It needs to have different settings and/or be dimmable
* And I don't want it to light up the whole room, just the tank itself
Sorry for all the info, I just know that these are complex topics so I figured I'd try to answer as much as I could before you all asked. Thank you in advance for any advice!
This is THE tank for me, so I have it pretty meticulously planned out but I have 2 things I'd love to get input on from the pro's who have done this successfully before me. Now this is a very ambitious project, believe me I know. But I'm finally at the point where I'm ready and capable of handling it. This is going to be a 125-gallon all-male Malawi Cichlid tank. It will be 4 dwarf petricola, a variety of 20 male peacocks, and 3 male haps. I have about 60lbs of Seiryu Stone, a 20" manzanita driftwood, and an 18" mopani root driftwood. The final step in preparation for the fish will be plants. Yes, a planted Malawi tank; here's the list for your reference (these are all plants that can thrive in these parameters and Malawi's should not bother other than potentially uprooting the few that will be planted (but I have a plan for that as well). Mind you, these are all single plants (minus the moss which I will start with 3 of).
* Anubias Barteri Nana
* Anubias Barteri Minima
* Anubias Nancon
* Java Fern
* Massimo Moss Balls (3x)
* Crinum Calamistratum
* Bolbitis
* Cryptocoryne Wendtii Green
* Cryptocoryne Wendtii Red
* Cyrptocoryne Lucens
* Vallisneria Jungle
* Vallisneria Narrow Leaf Nana
* Bucephalandra Blue Boyan
Know them or don't (I know most of you probably don't bother with plants and cichlids together) but these are hardy, mostly low-to-medium light plants, and only the Crypts, Val, and Crinum will be planted into the substrate. Soooooo here's where I need help!
#1) Does anyone feel strongly (based on this setup) about wavemaker quantity, setup, or suggested models? I haven't decided on which one I will go with but was thinking about using one and pairing it with the Fluval FX6's outflow. Place it middle height and angle it up to create surface agitation but also, current across the middle plain of the tank.
#2) AND MOST IMPORTANTLY - this tank is not hidden in a fish room or basement. It's a centerpiece in a primary room of the house, so aesthetic is a major priority. That said, I want to go with clip-on arm lamps for the lighting. I've done planted tanks before but again, not to this scale and I have exhausted my research on this and still don't feel like I'm confident enough to pull the trigger on anything specifically, I just know this is going to require 2-3 lamps.
* I don't want to cheap out, but I also know I can save a lot of money in this category and would really like to haha
* Again, aesthetic is a big deal. Sleak, slim, modern is the way.
* Obviously, it needs to bring out the colors in the tank but also foster growth in the plants
* It needs to have different settings and/or be dimmable
* And I don't want it to light up the whole room, just the tank itself
Sorry for all the info, I just know that these are complex topics so I figured I'd try to answer as much as I could before you all asked. Thank you in advance for any advice!
