Tank upgrades and tank bottom.

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Buphy

Buphy

Dovii
MFK Member
Jun 10, 2015
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Texas
So I've started a fund of sorts where all the money I would normally spend on smokes and coffee are going into a box to save for new tanks. Yah! ^.^ anyways, currently planning on looking to trade my 55 for a 75 as well as saving longer term for a 125. As the planned 125 is further away, I'd like to start planning stock now (no new stock will be added with the 75.) The following is a list of pairs of cichlids I'd like to have in the future. If y'all would be so kind as to divide them into groups as to what will fit in a 125, and what will not, I'd love to hear y'all's thoughts (yes I already know some of these will for sure and some will for sure not fit, but for fear of looking stupid for not knowing some of the maybes, I'll include the whole list.)

- Jack Dempsey
- Green terror
- RTM (and or other small parachromis)
- Festae
- Black nasty
- Trimac
- Umbee
- Dovii
- Any other pair you think would be fun in a 125?

Again, if y'all don't mind dividing them up or recommending your own pair! Thanks!

Now on to the second part of this thread... Sorry to be so long winded... The tank bottom! Resently I've switched to a slate tile bottom and I like it very much. Easy to tell when it's dirty and even easier to clean. The only problem is there's no gravel for the fish to play with, and I think some of the fish on my wish list use gravel to spawn/raise fry. I've come up with a plan to rectify this and would like to run it past y'all.
This plan involves 2-3 layers of slate. The first layer is simply slate tiles. The second is broken slate puzzle pieced together and siliconed down so that there are crevices/veins for gravel/sand to settle in. Third layer is same as the second to deepen these crevises and veins.
So what do y'all think? Will it have the desired effect/look alright? Also, would y'all say gravel or pfs would work better look wise and also breeding wise?

Finally I'm done... Thank you all for taking the time to read and I look forward to y'all's responses!
 
I agree dovii and umbie are out way too big, but I think festea would be ok for a 125. I also agree don't waste your time and money with the 75, go straight to the 125.


But if you are asking if you can add a breeding pair of one of the fish listed to your current stock I would say no. The tank just isn't large enough for a large breeding pair and your current stock.
 
I'm planning on having the 75 and the 125 at the same time. And no, forget my current stock exist. Breeding pair are the only cichlids allowed in the 125 when I get it (apart from dither).

Ya I knew Umbee and dovii were out from the start in the 125. Now have an up and down vote on the festae, anyone else wanna chime in on that one?
 
I am skewed on the True red terrors from the list....
For variation purposes , how about Amphilophus Labiatus ( Red Devil cichlids)...very interactive...fun to watch...glass bangers...will feed off your hands. If you can land yourself the WC ones, more fun all the way.
On your second part of tank bottom , I am perfectly ok , with the slates as one layer.
Repeated layers , with crevices does not provide any use other than aesthetic purposes.
The cichlids that you will eventually end up homing will be big and even if they breed , they will use the slate for breeding and Fry's might go into the crevices and may get stuck.
I am also wondering , if this could increase your work in terms of cleaning point of view.
Lot of debris might get stuck between the layers , have you given a thought about it. (personal thoughts)
 
Never particularly cared for the color of Red Devils/Midas but you made me rember I forgot amphilophus Lyonsi on the list! And the layers of slate are sealed with silicon, so nothing should get in between. They are laminated to eachother, it's more of a vein/divit than a crevise...
 
I think all these fish would be ok in a 125 as a pair for a little while, but most of them would eventually outgrow the tank. A breeding pair of Trimac's in a 125 just doesn't seem quite right to me. It could be done, it'd be fine for a a year, but I don't know. A male Festae at full size--just a little too big for a 125. And what if they get too aggressive breeding and you have to put a divider. That seems a little cramped, too. A 180 gallon is 24 inches wide instead of 18 inches wide--that makes a big difference.

I had a Lyonsi in a 125 and it started to get too big for the tank, and they're a little smaller than most of the fish you list.

Of the fish you list that I personally think could live/breed in a 125, I'd say the GT and the JD would be OK. You could also add a Carpintis pair to the list maybe?

If you did this, what would you do with the fry? You'd need a third tank if you wanted to keep the fry, right?
 
Fry would probably be fed to another tank or put in a 40 breeder to grow out before being given to a LFS. Carpintis could be added to the list. Ya, most of the fish on the list are too big long term for a 125. Really my question marks were on RTM, Festae and black nasty... in that order from most sure to least sure.
 
I have successfully kept pairs of Rocio, motaguense, festae, and haitiensus in 6ft tanks. When spawning, just 1 pair to a tank, no other fish unless the tank was divided.
Even with just one pair, I insert a divided in case the males aggression hormones became too much.
The pair of haitiensus below made a 6ft tank seem tiny, basically a puddle, the male was @ 14"-15".

and a full grown pair of festae, also made a 6ft tank appear almost as wimpy.
I used the divider to allow the female an escape route if needed.


and I also agree, a 125 is to cramped for dovii or umbi.
 
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