rED O Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 To the mawlai keepers here, I have a 90 gallon tank with peacocks haps and mbunas. I have it full of lava rock but I can not stand them keep hurting them selfs on it so I took it out and Iam selling it. Heres my qestion, I was thinking of a stackable rocks or just keeping a tank with just sand. What do you guys use in your tanks? Can you show me some pictures so I can get some ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallisneria Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 Here is my tank Its some grey rocks(I think limestone but it doens't raise the ph) that we brought back from canmore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lana Bollers Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 You might see some pictures in my album, but I just went to our neighbours (farmer) and he had lots of rocks, all my kind of pricing ... FREE... I was able to find a few flat one's, and I also purchased Malasian drift wood, not my kind of pricing but love the looks of the tank, and a lot of the fish love the driftwood to hide in, like the Salausi, demonsoni and the front's. I also just purchased some texas holey rock that I will be adding to the new 120gal. As well as a couple of pieces of driftwood and some fake plants. Oh yeah and I purchased some plastic piping, it is not a T joint, but looks more like a screwed up Y...haha, I purchased the largest size I think it is 3" in diameter... I put it under one of the flat rocks, just to add more hiding area's... Lana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RD. Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 (edited) My 125 when I set it 2 1/2 yrs ago. what it looks like now ........... Edited September 23, 2008 by RD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rED O Posted September 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 thanks every one, Iam still not sure what to do. I kinda like it with just sand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happeboy Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 mine fishies like some places to hide and round river rocks have been a pritty safe bet in my tanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishful Thinking Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 Sorry I don't have a picture to show you, but I think aesthetically speaking rocks in a tank give it definition, even if it is just a few. Even one or two big rocks really break up the view of the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazy_Karma Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 My first tank was a corner tank I had lava rock, flat "farm" rocks, some slate, some drift wood a lil bit of everything, now in my bigger tank I have all the same stuff just not stacked so high apparently my space is used up so I cant send pictures through the group, you can email me privately and I can send you pictures my email is noblew@telusplanet.net Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lana Bollers Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 When keeping malawi's they perfer rocks and sand as substraight, they could care less about plants. You can do a google search and all the readings will say to have rock in their tank, they could care less if it is free rock or if you paid a mint, ask them they will tell ya...haha... My opinion is this, put some rocks in, go ask a farmer if you can dig in their rock piles, there are some nice rocks to be found, round, flat odd ball shaped... they will not cost you a cent either. Lana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murminator Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 Nice tanks...what size is your tank Val? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 Hey I have a few different set ups one I used flag stone rock large dark flat sheet rock, I got a few big pieces at a landscaping shop and tock a hammer to them. After I broke them up I took a metal sander and shaved down sharp edges. I also used fist sized lime stone rocks to raise some pieces. Or you can use limestone sheet rock. limestone is suitable for some fish msbunas or rainbows for example do well with it. It tends to make the water harder. On the other hand I took river rocks and bleached them for 2 days and then rinsed and scrubed the really well. As the following people have said some rocks are advisable considering fish need to hide the less cichlids you have the more hiding places you need, an all sand tank will need many more fish... this is because it makes it harder for one fish to always find the one it likes to pester. In my 112 G I use to have approx 30 fish well balanced very little aggression I have taken out and sold 22 of them now I am down to 8 fish the agression is very high and a few of my fish have specifically targeted other fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
African_Fever Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 Whatever you do decide for rocks, I'd get all the same type of rocks. If you have a couple different types of rocks IMO it doesn't look as good. Make sure your rocks go all the way to the bottom under the sand, because your fish will dig under them and they will collapse. I've actually built myself 'tables' out of pieces of granite (free in the scrap bins from any granite countertop places) that bury in the sand, and then pile my rocks around. They allow the fish to dig out and get a cave under the rocks, and keep the rocks placed exactly how I want them. This also allows me to grow vals in all my cichlid tanks because I essentially control exactly where the fish dig (with practice you'll get good at 'enticing' them to dig exactly where you want). Having a few separate rock piles versus one large pile throughout the tank will help separate the territories of the dominant fish, and allow them to co-exist more peacefully. One big pile means one fish will rule the roost; piles separated by sand allows different males to claim different piles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallisneria Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 Nice tanks...what size is your tank Val? That tank is a 90g. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firestorm Posted September 25, 2008 Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 In my 90 african tank I use slate I picked up from burnco for pretty cheap, just sifted through the bins for broken pieces and they don't charge you as much as they would for whole pieces. For some other tanks I collected river rock, trying to get ones with flat surfaces for easier stacking, and it cost me nothing (except the gas to get there). IMO when keeping mbuna you will need to have hiding places for them, haps/peacocks could care less. But going all with one type of rock is better looking, and I would build it up along the bottom length of the tank, and leave lots of extra swimming space above for the haps/peacocks. Here is a slightly older picture of my 90 gallon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rED O Posted September 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 thanks every one, I will let up date every one when I deside what Iam doing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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