New To African Cichlids

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Ok, I guess I'll try 3 of each and see where it takes me. I did find a website that can sell me all males if thats what I want. Has anyone ever dealt with him before? http://livefishdirect.com/. I already have 2 Synodontis decorus, should I keep them or get rid of them for something else? Right now in the tank I have pea gravel. I know thats not a good substrate for africans but thats what my SA/CA liked. What kind of sand? Playground sand or another type? You guys and girl have been great thanks.:)
 
I have an order in with Livefishdirect.com that will be shipping out today and arriving tomorrow. So far they have been very nice and have answer all my emails very quickly.
 
For sand I would look into PFS (Pool Filter Sand). It is relatively cheap, although recently I found the price just went up...but for 50lbs you should have to pay much more than 10$. The nice thing with PFS is that the granules are large enough that they do not float they pretty much immediatly sink.

A good rinse out then I filled the tank 50% and used a large cup to pick up the sand put the cup into the water to the bottom and then turn the cup over, this didnt leave much if anyting floating in the water and within 10 minutes it was good to turn the filter on, although I still waited a few hours.

I did my 55g with 50 lbs of sand and it was plenty, so for yours just up convert and you should be good. I had pea gravel in mine and when I switch to sand the improvement was immediate with the fish. You will have a loss in bio material with the gravel though so it is best to do the change before your fish jump in the pool. Then get yourself some MTS (Malaysian Trumpet Snails) and you will good to go. I find my fish will even eat them in the sand...I am trying to get them growing in my 10g because everytime I introduce small ones into the large tank the fish eventually seem to sift them all out of the sand haha.

Good luck! Pics when you get it setup and fish in is a must!
 
It took 450lbs. of pea gravel to give me about a 1 1/2" layer in the tank. So hopefully the same amount will be good for the sand. After I make the switch from gravel to sand I'll wait a week or so before I add any fish. Pics will be up as soon as the tank is worthy to be photographed. Thanks
 
We can't wait!
 
Peacocks and Haps. But four small colonies of mbuna red zebras, yellow labs, Demasoni, Saulosi they are really cool cause the males are blue and the females are orange or the mosbos where its the other way around. A;ways need a couple Synodontis to keep the night life going. Add them all at the same time or when u add more switch the rocks around so the newbes don't get picked off! U can never have too much rock work in an African tank!
 
i love the idea of a group of yellow labs to cruise the rockwork! great idea! keep the synos-they should be okay..

youll loooove sand! i use river rock/boulder.. it looks great. i went to a local rock yard.. got 200 lbs of it for 26 bucks! just washed it off.. and viola its in there!

pool filter sand is the way to go like jay said! just wash it once.. its a little heavier grain so it settles down good.. cant wait to see your pics?
 
Well, SA/CA cichlids are gone. :headbang2Tank was emptied, scrubbed and filled back up with 200lbs. of sand and 250lbs. of river rock. I picked up 3 dimidichromis compresseceps last night and put them in a small holding tank. Now ill just wait for the tank to cycle and see how things go from there. Thanks again for all the help. You guys are the best. :D
 
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