Biggest tank so far, making it a cichlid tank!!!

[Wackinator]

Your heater should be fine. YOu can get eggcrate at Home Depot or Rona, or any home store. I think they call it light diffusor - if you ask for eggcrate they look at you weird. I build ponds, and I often have a few left-over rocks, so I just use those. Feildstone is $.10/lb at Canaar... or you can just pick them up out and about. If you have access to an acid (vinegar will do in a pinch, but muriatic would be better), put a few drops on the rocks you find. If the rock bubbles, it'll dissolve in your tank; if no bubbles, it'll be perfect for the aquarium.

Thanks Jvision I will look around for eggcrate and rocks this coming weekend, I didnt know that I could use vinegar to test this so thanks again, though I normally go rock hunting around creeks and stuff and last time I ended up being inside the creek to get this one rock that was pretty sweet. Also a thanks for saving me from the weird look I probably would have gotten. Also good to know that I dont need to go out and buy another heater

Oh, and Rusties used to be around Edmonton - there was a guy on AA who was breeding them, but I haven't seen Nevin around in a couple years. They were being bought up at the ACE auctions, so I'm guessing somebody should have some; though, I haven't seen them around very much either.

I will look around for sure, I dont mind waiting and if it doesnt work then Ill go with the acei which a lot of people recommended.

Thanks again!

I think you guys are all on crack. (JK)

A 35 gallon mbuna tank is just asking for trouble, especially when you want to start mixing species. They WILL all kill each other, just a matter of time. My red zebra killed everything but the two toughest cichlids in my 55 gallon. Once he realized he was big enough to do so. Any mbuna who decides he wants to be dominant will likely do the same. Yes, even the "peaceful" electric yellows. My dominant male electric yellow used to chase and pester other smaller mbuna as well. Remember, an electric yellow is only relatively peaceful, ie. compared to most other mbuna, not compared to most other fish.

Do yourself a favor from a guy who's "been there, done that" stick with small fish that can actually comfortably live in a small tank. I just got a group of Rock Kribs (Victorian cichlids) for my 55, and I think a smaller group would do fine in a 35 as well, they stay smaller, and really are less aggressive. The bonus is they are really pretty fish. I'm about to post pics in my folder, so keep an eye out.

Boom :boom:

really? I have been told by numerous people that it should be fine, your the first person to advise me against it, I saw your pictures and the Rock Kribs are truly amazing, but I think I will try the tank with electric Yellows, I will add around 4-5 and if things arent going well I'l only keep one or two of my favorite as I have wanted electric yellows for the longest time, thanks for your advice and I dont mean to sound rude but its something I really want to try.

Thanks though!

[rED O]

You will be fine. Its just Boom smoking crack jk.

If you want to give mbunas a try, buy a group of small yellow labs( 6 or so), start with that. Give them maybe pvc piping or if you want to make it nice, do some little rock work making caves. They also love sand for digging. If in the future,you wanted to start a african tank with more kinds mbuna, haps and maybe even peacocks, you can decide if you are able to upgrade to a tank suitable for a african group. 75 gallons is a great size for a group of african cichlids.

[Wackinator]

You will be fine. Its just Boom smoking crack jk.

If you want to give mbunas a try, buy a group of small yellow labs( 6 or so), start with that. Give them maybe pvc piping or if you want to make it nice, do some little rock work making caves. They also love sand for digging. If in the future,you wanted to start a african tank with more kinds mbuna, haps and maybe even peacocks, you can decide if you are able to upgrade to a tank suitable for a african group. 75 gallons is a great size for a group of african cichlids.

lol thanks red, I didnt mean to sound so pissed or anything, I have thought about it and I will put in electric yellows first, would liek some more color but they will interbreed with electric blues right?

Anyways just put them in there for a couple of weeks to a month and if all seems to be going well then start looking for rusties. I plan on doing some rock work just gotta go get some this weekend and Ill look for an eggcrate/light diffusor at canadian tire this weekend as well.

And trust me I would love to have a 75 gallon but when you are just about to graduate high school I cant afford not would it be smart to buy a big tank.

Thanks a lot!

[Vallisneria]

I tend to agree with Boom, a 35g is small for african mbuna. Its definitely not an ideal tank size considering mbuna get big(4-6") and aggressive.

I used to keep Rusties and I wouldn't recommend them for a 35g. They are said to be "peaceful" but I found them much more aggressive then my yellow labs(I kept them together). They were beautiful and fiesty but I think in a 35g you will end up with fighting and injuries.

I'd recommend 5-6 yellow labs for your 35g. Most of the time yellow labs are peaceful and get along. I've found them to kind of be the exception to the Mbuna rule, even when compared to other "peaceful" mbuna species. I used to keep 6 in a 38g with a BN pleco and they did fine, no real fighting just chasing.

But I tend to stock conservatively, especially in smaller tanks. I dont' think the overstocking thing works too well in smaller spaces.

[Wackinator]

Thanks Vallisneria, right now the plan is to put in electric yellows and see how things go, if they seem to be going fine then and only then will I try adding other fish.

Thanks though

[Boom]

Good luck!

Boom :boom:

[Neesmo]

It should be fine. I have 6 cichlids in a 40 gallon with limited to no issues. The only problem cichlid I had was a yellow tail acei which I had to drop off at Petland. It constantly picked on my Jewel and Tiawan reef.

In total I have a Jewel, Tiawan reef, Demasoni, Eureka red, Yellow lab, Black calvus cichlid. All of them are 1.5-2.5". None pick on eachother, but that isnt as many as you plan to have in your 35. Try it out with 3 of each and go from there.

My fish are about to go into the 110 I have in my back yard waiting for a stand though..

Good luck and Rusties are one of my girlfriends favorites! Very nice cichlids

Kyle

[Wackinator]

Thanks Boom. I am still really inspired by your rock kribs, if I ever end up getting another tank, I think I will make it a rock krib tank, just out of curiosity what size of a tank would a small group (3-4) need?

Thanks again

Hey Neesmo, thanks for the info, I do like the look of the cichlids you have but I think Ill stick with electric yellows and if theres space and things go okay then rusties I love those two cichlids I really dont know why but they would have to be two of my favorite fish lol.

[Wackinator]

I got a question for you guys, I am having trouble finding eggcrate/light diffusor, and I had hoped to start setting up the tank this weekend but I took a break from my homework and ran to canadian tire to see if they had any, and they didnt.

Would it be dangerous if I didnt use it? do you guys silicone the rocks together? Its not something I want to do but am scared of the rock pile coming tumbling down if a fish tried going in a cave too big for it or something?

Just so that the whole trip wasn't a waste of time I did get a PVC pipe. My plan for filtration is the Hang On the Back filter and 2 DIY sponge filters, and I am hoping thats good enough.

Thanks

[Vallisneria]

Home depot and Rona carry eggcrate/light diffuser. Its not found in the lighting section though, its in the renovation section(kitchen lights and stuff).

But you dont' absolutely need it. If you stack your rocks directly onto the glass before adding gravel you should be fine too. You want the rocks stacked directly onto the glass so there isn't a way for the fish to dig the gravel out from underneath them, causing them to fall. Make sure you stack them so they are sturdy and can't easily be knocked over.

[Wackinator]

Thanks Vallisneria I will try to see if I can go to Home Depot sometime during the week, Its difficult because I have to get my dad to take me there, but Ill spend the time collecting rocks for the setup.

I was planning on making sure that I make it as sturdy as possible but its still something that Im worried about lol.

Thanks though! and two more stupid questions, do they come in huge sheets or various sizes? and how much do they cost generally?

Thanks again

[Neesmo]

they are typically something like 24"x48" I think. They are also quite cheap from what I remember, around $20 each

Kyle

[Wackinator]

Thanks Neesmo!

As soon as I get enough rocks I will start setting up the tank, just one more question is the filtration good enough? I do not know the type or name of the filter as the top of the filter was missing when I got it, I will post pictures when I get the chance, but apart from the HOB filter, I will do either 2 DIY filters or one big DIY filter.

Thanks!

[Neesmo]

Will need a picture to identify your HOB filter. When thats up im sure someone can ID it for you. How does the media fit into though? Like horizontally or vertically and is the media in cages or prepackaged in any way?

Kyle

Edited April 25, 2010 by Neesmo

[RD.]

The advice that Boom gave you was spot on.

Take it, leave it, your choice - but the dynamics will change once those mbuna mature, and you will soon find out just how small a 35 gallon tank really is with regards to mature mbuna. Sure, all cichlids get along when they are little pip squeaks, but as they become sexually mature the tighter the fit, the more severe aggression levels will become, even with yellow labs. I've had male yellow labs get along great for almost 2 years, only to have the dominant male kill one of the sub dom males for attempting to breed with one of the females.

And that was in a 6ft 125 gallon tank.

Now factor in all of the rocks that you plan on adding, and you'll be lucky if you have 20 gallons of actual water in that tank. The volume of water, and size of your tank, rules out everything but a few yellow labs, perhaps 1 male, and 3 females, at the very most. Personally I wouldn't even do that, IMHO all mbuna require a min of 48x12" to have any type of decent life in a glass cage.

Forget about adding red zebras, pseudotropheus acei, rusties, or anything else.