Ideas for remodeling a freshwater ray/cichlid exhibit

[BAHA_Turtle]

Hey guys I'm thinking about re doing the freshwater exhibit and was looking for cool ideas and pictures. The tank is circular (about 10-13' across) and the water is about 3'-3 1/2' deep. It currently has a white sand bottom a few river rocks here and there and a little drift wood. There is a water fall at the back that pushes the water counter clockwise and a little bridge extends to a mound in the center (this is all rock work with the same color theme).

First I thought about adding gravel instead of sand or just cover the bottom in medium to small sized river rocks but Id like to know how this would look first.

Then I want to add a second pump just to push extra water at the water fall so I can turn the bridge that runs out to the centre of the tank into a river.

The tank is home to 7 large fresh water rays. 2 motoro's and bunch of motoro hybrids and 2 potamotrygon henlei's. A bunch of cichlids including electic blues, yellow labs, orange and albino zebras, giraffe's and a few other random guys.

So any comments, pictures, suggestions and or dirty jokes please feel free. Thanks

 

[sniper-sam]

I would love to see pics of the current setup/fish. Sounds great.

 

[BAHA_Turtle]

Ill take some today and post it up.

 

[BAHA_Turtle]

 

[jschall]

Hey guys I'm thinking about re doing the freshwater exhibit and was looking for cool ideas and pictures. The tank is circular (about 10-13' across) and the water is about 3'-3 1/2' deep. It currently has a white sand bottom a few river rocks here and there and a little drift wood. There is a water fall at the back that pushes the water counter clockwise and a little bridge extends to a mound in the center (this is all rock work with the same color theme).

First I thought about adding gravel instead of sand or just cover the bottom in medium to small sized river rocks but Id like to know how this would look first.

Then I want to add a second pump just to push extra water at the water fall so I can turn the bridge that runs out to the centre of the tank into a river.

The tank is home to 7 large fresh water rays. 2 motoro's and bunch of motoro hybrids and 2 potamotrygon henlei's. A bunch of cichlids including electic blues, yellow labs, orange and albino zebras, giraffe's and a few other random guys.

So any comments, pictures, suggestions and or dirty jokes please feel free. Thanks

That's a very incompatible stock list. You've got freshwater stingrays, which I believe like softer water and large open areas of smooth sand, mixed in with rift lake cichlids, which like "liquid rock" water and lots of rocky caves and such to hide in.

Anyway, don't do gravel. If you're keeping rays in there then you need very fine sand. Gravel is also much more difficult to maintain. The occasional large, smooth rock would probably be fine.

Great looking tank. If it was mine, I'd do a large pile of honeycomb limestone in the middle rather than the big fake structure that's in there and stock it heavily with lake malawi cichlids.

 

[BAHA_Turtle]

I keep the ph around 6.8-7.2 the rays and the fish both do fine as the rays like around 6 and the fish 7-8. I hate the sand. It was full of sand the pictures are right after I completely emptied the tank of everything. The pit in the middle causes all of the sand to drift to the center so it takes like 250 plus pounds to level out the tank. I want to give the tank a completely different look. I was thinking small pebbles like the sand filter media and small to large river rocks with a bunch of drift wood.

 

[beex215]

hot tub for sexy parties

 

[Conner]

I keep the ph around 6.8-7.2 the rays and the fish both do fine as the rays like around 6 and the fish 7-8. I hate the sand. It was full of sand the pictures are right after I completely emptied the tank of everything. The pit in the middle causes all of the sand to drift to the center so it takes like 250 plus pounds to level out the tank. I want to give the tank a completely different look. I was thinking small pebbles like the sand filter media and small to large river rocks with a bunch of drift wood.

You could do a mixture of sand and small, smooth gravel. That way the rays would not be bothered by too much gravel (sharp or smooth), but you don't have as much sand to worry about.

A few large groupings (or several single) of smooth river rocks would be nice, as well as several large pieces of driftwood.

 

[BAHA_Turtle]

That sounds like a cool Idea. Ill look it over and move things around to see what I come up with.

 

[justonemoretank]

Hi can you tell me who made that tank? I'd like to look them up and hopefully have them build one for us... Thanks!