new tank questions

[vaughn]

ok so i have a 70g tank, i plan on keeping african mbuna ciclids. Im gonna use pool filter sand and found a bunch of rocks in my backyard to use for caves. So heres my questions:

1. i have a fluval 305 is that enough for filtration or do i need more n if so what other filter should i get?

2. i want bright colored ciclids so which ones should i get and how many do i start with?

3. do i need a powerhead?

4. can i put bala sharks with africans and what other fish can i mix with africans

this is my first tank so all your help is appreciated

 

[tydus]

1. Yes For a 70 gallon, you will need more filtration than that, because mbunas produce a lot of waste. If you want additional filtration, get the aquaclear 110 or the emperor 400. Best Hang on Back filters.
2. I'm not an mbuna expert, so I don't have a clue of what to suggest.
3. A powerhead is optional, you don't need it, but it will be pretty useful, since it will give aeration and it is best to place it behind the rocks so that it will blow the waste into the filters.
4. Bala sharks isn't a good idea, the mbunas will tear them apart depending on size. If you want to mix other fish with them, maybe some clown loaches, bristle nose plecos, synodontis catfish, or other cichlids.

 

[cali~budfish]

agreed that the bala sharks could be an item on the menu for the africans but if you get them in the tank at the same time and early they shouldn't be eaten. i have several africand cichlids and despite there size they can be mean as hell. they actually run the tank that includes a red terror, red devil and a tilapia. and i know mixing africans and south american cichlids is a text book no no, but has worked for me for the last five years. just get them together young and should be fine....for a while at least. good luck.

 

[Muske]

More filtration... of course. I am partial to wet/drys.

Powerhead won't hurt.

Bala sharks not a good idea.

As for fish list. What does your LFS have to offer?

 

[LFN]

Allmost all mbuna males are brightly colored if they are kept right, but to get the most colorful aquarium you need a specie were also the females have bright coloration, like for example;
yellow labs (Labidochromis caeruleus) both genders are yellow,
red zebras (metriaclima estherae) blue males and red females or both red,
Melanochromis johannii, blue and black males, orange or yellow females.

You should have atleast two females for each male to avoid too much aggression between the males and reduce the stress on the females. I wouldn't have more than 4 different species in a tank your size, since, in my opinion, it looks nicer with just a few different species, with more of each, than with lots of different species, and few of each.

Other fish you can keep with mbunas are Synodontis njassae (catfish) or a Malawi eel. These are both found in Lake Malawi so they are used to the high ph levels. If you want to keep other fish who are not from malawi with them, you should find a specie that can tolerate the high ph, or adjust your mbunas slowly to a lower ph level.

Also, mbunas mostly eat algea in the wild, so they need food with some spirulina and vegetables in it. You should take this in consideration when picking tankmates for them, since many other fish prefer more protein and fat in their food since they are more carnivorous in the wild.

You don't need a power head, but most mbunas would appreciate it. They are used to living in water with a lot of oxygen because of all the movement in the water along the coasts of Lake Malawi.

 

[tydus]

Good advice there. But if you were to also get females, then there could possibly have a lot of hybridization happening.

 

[LFN]

I don't think hybridization will be a problem if all the fish are from different genuses, at least I have never heard of it occuring, and in the wild, a lot of different species from different genuses live together without mating with eachother. But then again, I don't know that much about hybridization.

 

[tydus]

Hybridizations have happened plenty of times out of their genuses. It is likely to happen especially with mbunas.

 

[jhutch]

I personally wouldn't use a powerhead if I were you. Takes up too much room. Just get a canister filter with a spray bar. You need to take some time and research compatibility. If you go with red zebras you will want something that is as agressive. Maybe some maingano or something.

I personally like the Demasoni(for the black and blue), yellow labs(obviously for the yellow with some black), maybe some SRT Hongi(for the oranges, blacks and blues). The choices are endless. Compatibility is the main worry. Colors are nice but when they all die color didn't matter.

 

[ExoticEctotherms]

As stated by others, more filtration is an absolute must. I have a 55 gallon tank and I run a Rena XP3 as well as a 35 gallon wet/dry that filters approx. 750 GPH. Between the two systems, the entire volume of my tank filters every 5 minutes. Besides, if you run 2 separate filter systems and 1 breaks, you always have something running and it isn't as much of a crisis situation.

With enough filtration, a powerhead isn't necessary.