# Critique my rock work please!



## Biello (Nov 13, 2011)

Hello all, i am slowly making progress on our mbuna tank. Last night we spent some time working on the hardscape. We are using pool filter sand as a substrate and some "creek rock" from a local landscape company. the tank is a standard 55g 48x13x20, this is our first attempt and while i am pleased with the results i am open to criticism, constructive or not. everything is stacked solidly, though i have to admit it was much more difficult than i expected. thank you for your time folks!
forgive me for the crappy qulaity pic but its from my cell phone in a poorly lit room.








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## Nodalizer (Nov 7, 2011)

If anything I would say a little bit too much. But looks good all the same.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I should think most mbuna will find it fine. From there the question comes up about how you plan to operate the tank. If you will have male/female and want to save fry, don't spend too much time arranging the rocks as you may have to move them to catch fish! That can get to be a whole different story.


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## Biello (Nov 13, 2011)

i plan on both males and females, right now i do not plan on saving any fry, though i'm sure that could change. i am still undecided on my stocking list, since im still not quite ready to get the tank up and cycling i have some time. were hopeful (my wife and i) that we created a natural environment for the inhabitants. currently i favor some of the dwarf species such as saulosi and polit, but that will remain to be seen.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

It looks VERY natural. I think it looks good. Again..this all personal taste. What I may like someone may not but ultimately it is YOU that has to like it.

You know what would really set it off? Some plants. I would put some height in the right rear corner, middle back and some smaller plants right in the middle towards the front. I think some green would really pop.

What type of light do you have?


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## Biello (Nov 13, 2011)

Interesting razorbackfan, *** thought about plants, though i have zero experience with them. Lighting i actually the one thing i haven't purchased yet and am still trying to decide on.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I might suggest that live plants are great. BUT they are also a Great pain to get going right and can be a great disappointment. It can be better to start with plastic plants for the greenery and then when the tank is more set and running well, the plants may be shifted to live plants. I still struggle to find plants my fish will not kill. It seems sometimes to be a skill learned from other fish. They may not eat the plant but just seem to pick it to death. If one fish start plucking leaves, they all seem to try it and suddenly I have this bare stalk left sticking up in the tank. The leaves then become a real nuisance floating around to clog filter and powerhead intakes. They about triple my bio-load.


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## Mike_G (Nov 8, 2011)

I think it looks okay- I would try to avoid having the substrate all one level though, maybe add some more height on the sides, but that's just my personal taste.


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## Sub-Mariner (Dec 7, 2011)

Looks good to me. I like how the right pile is longer than the left and theres a break between the two. Nice job! :thumb:


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

PfunMo said:


> I might suggest that live plants are great. BUT they are also a Great pain to get going right and can be a great disappointment. It can be better to start with plastic plants for the greenery and then when the tank is more set and running well, the plants may be shifted to live plants. I still struggle to find plants my fish will not kill. It seems sometimes to be a skill learned from other fish. They may not eat the plant but just seem to pick it to death. If one fish start plucking leaves, they all seem to try it and suddenly I have this bare stalk left sticking up in the tank. The leaves then become a real nuisance floating around to clog filter and powerhead intakes. They about triple my bio-load.


I agree...I have plastic right now. I am still making changes to my tank and about to order a new filter. I wanted to add some height and green to get an idea of live plant placement. I have had to move around my plastic ones quite a bit so they are not being blown around by the current. When my new filter arrives and the plastic plant placement is pretty stable then I know where I can and can't place my new live plants.

SO yes....I would go with fake for right now and maybe upgrade to live later on especially once the tank is more established and has more nutrients in the water to feed on.


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## Biello (Nov 13, 2011)

Mike_G said:


> I think it looks okay- I would try to avoid having the substrate all one level though, maybe add some more height on the sides, but that's just my personal taste.


i always like that look when i see it done, but as i am relatively new to this hobby it confuses me a bit. is it as simple as adding more sand in places i wish to build? correct me if im wrong but i believe i see it recommended to keep 1.5 to 2 inches of substrate to avoid Anaerobic pockets?


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## Sub-Mariner (Dec 7, 2011)

Dont worry about the sand. The filters output / powerheads / fish will re-arrange it. You can always move it with your hand if you want but trust me it will be re-arranged.


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## SeahorseDeb (Nov 1, 2011)

> You can always move it with your hand if you want, but trust me it will be arranged.


 =D> :thumb: :wink:

Lmao, so true!!! Whoever invented the bulldozer had cichlids and stole the idea from them!!


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I have to agrre with the bulldozer theroy!



> keep 1.5 to 2 inches of substrate to avoid Anaerobic pockets?


When I read this advise, I have to wonder what fish the writer was keeping. I don't worry about air pockets. I just try to keep them from throwing it into the filter intake!!! I move the sand, they move the sand and we all get some exercise!


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

> correct me if im wrong but i believe i see it recommended to keep 1.5 to 2 inches of substrate to avoid Anaerobic pockets?


That's a lot of sand and could actually encourage anaerobic pockets, but depends on the fish. I don't think you can necessarily use sand depth to determine likelihood of pockets forming. And not all cichlids move a lot of sand. I've seen the movement of sand actually encourage these pockets because the detritus gets buried. 'l' brevis move a lot of sand and will turn it black more quickly than any fish I know, regardless of depth. I have xenotilapia that sift sand all day and I never have any problems with these pockets in their tank. Just depends.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

prov356 said:


> > correct me if im wrong but i believe i see it recommended to keep 1.5 to 2 inches of substrate to avoid Anaerobic pockets?
> 
> 
> That's a lot of sand and could actually encourage anaerobic pockets, but depends on the fish. I don't think you can necessarily use sand depth to determine likelihood of pockets forming. And not all cichlids move a lot of sand. I've seen the movement of sand actually encourage these pockets because the detritus gets buried. 'l' brevis move a lot of sand and will turn it black more quickly than any fish I know, regardless of depth. I have xenotilapia that sift sand all day and I never have any problems with these pockets in their tank. Just depends.


I agree...I had this problem with a deep sand bed in my reef tanks. When they do release it can be disaster.


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## Eric_S (Feb 27, 2007)

When I clean my tank, one of the most useful tools I use is a big turkey baster. Cleans out between the rocks but also can act as a sand aerator if you shove it down in deep sand and squirt it. Releases any trapped gas and also detritus buried in the sand which can then be siphoned or sucked up by the filter. I do it regularly.

Btw, I like the rocks. I would build them up even higher, though.


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## Biello (Nov 13, 2011)

thanks for keeping this topic going, got some very useful info and tips from you guys!


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## Mike_G (Nov 8, 2011)

Biello said:


> Mike_G said:
> 
> 
> > I think it looks okay- I would try to avoid having the substrate all one level though, maybe add some more height on the sides, but that's just my personal taste.
> ...


I use gravel- too many potential issues with using sand IMO.


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## DIAMOND_CICHLIDS (Sep 22, 2011)

Your rock set up looks good :thumb: I think the plants would be a great addition... As for the dept of the sand, I wouldn't worry about it too much, I put more then what was recommended and I don't have many air bubbles....I do my water changes about 3 times a month and I stir up the sand every time. The most I found in the 125g at the same time were 4 little bubbles...


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## DanniGirl (Jan 25, 2007)

*Biello*, your tank looks good. I like what you have done with the rocks. :thumb:
It just needs the finishing touch of a black background.


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## terrorizer (Dec 31, 2011)

i love it i think it would look good with a few plants to if your going with the natural nature look


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