# 55 Gallon Re-work!



## wolfemitch (Jan 5, 2014)

I have had this tank up and running since Dec 2013. I acquired the tank a couple of years prior to setting it up and it came with some blue, white and navy blue gravel and a few decorations. I used the gravel and the plants just to get things rolling and get back into cichlids after a good bit of time.

After much research and reading through posts on this forum I decided to change some things...so I thought I would share the short evolution.

Let me know what you think of the rework!

Here is the tank as of December 2013 at first set up



Just like us all, We are always changing the aquascape! Here is the tank as of 4/11/14



*...and here is the rework after a few hours of work and a few more rocks as of 4/13/13 !*


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

Looks great with those rocks and substrate. Nicely done!


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## Thalas_shaya (Mar 10, 2014)

Nice work. The taller rocks really look nice.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

:thumb:


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## hose91 (Mar 5, 2014)

Agreed, really well done! Tall rocks make a huge difference, I think. It is harder than it looks to get natural looking height by stacking rocks. Love the the uniformity of rock and way the line of the rocks draws your eye to the center. Compared to your previous setup, there seems to be fewer caves and swim throughs. Have you noticed any difference in the fish behaviors as they settle into their new hardscape?


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## wolfemitch (Jan 5, 2014)

Thank you everyone for the feedback!



hose91 said:


> Compared to your previous setup, there seems to be fewer caves and swim throughs. Have you noticed any difference in the fish behaviors as they settle into their new hardscape?


I have noticed a bit of a difference in behavior. The fish have been staying a bit lower towards the base of the rocks and substrate and not so much in the upper part of the tank. They seem more spread out. The most relative reason I did the re-work is that I had two fish that were being pushed to the top corners of the tank and they are not there anymore. The angles of the rocks over in the right side of the tank create some decent caves within the pile. I am not sure why, but they never really used the caves I had in the last setup. I have a few extra rocks that I didn't use which I might think about incorporating to add a couple more caves within the left side.


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## pelphrey (Apr 9, 2014)

Looks great!


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## Shaky (Jan 2, 2003)

Yeah, really nice.


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## Vincenzo (Mar 6, 2014)

Nice. I like the color of the rocks. Glad you got rid of those pink plants. One suggestion, just visualize it. Move the large rock on the left end more toward the center. But not in the center. Draw an imaginary line down the middle of the tank and switch the rock left of that line. In your photo it's the square rock second from the center with the two fish above it. Tell me what you think. And if you do post a photo.


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## Vincenzo (Mar 6, 2014)

Another question. Are they limestone? Where did you get them?


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## wolfemitch (Jan 5, 2014)

Vincenzo said:


> Nice. I like the color of the rocks. Glad you got rid of those pink plants. One suggestion, just visualize it. Move the large rock on the left end more toward the center. But not in the center. Draw an imaginary line down the middle of the tank and switch the rock left of that line. In your photo it's the square rock second from the center with the two fish above it. Tell me what you think. And if you do post a photo.


Good call...I imagined and then "photo-shopped" it. I like the look. The large rock is hiding the heater where the current location is...will move that along with it if I decide to do it. I will keep you updated.



Vincenzo said:


> Another question. Are they limestone? Where did you get them?


Spot on, rocks are limestone...picked them up at a local landscape supply down the road...they were about 18 cents a lb.


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