# First DIY Background



## kouger (Jul 8, 2015)

Hi all
This is my first time here on the forums. Thought I would get some feedback on my background I just finished building.

I started off with a 36" long tank - (30 gallon) but then found a 55 gallon tank on craigslist and could not resist, so I bought it. I had pretty much finished cutting all the pieces for the background and glued them in place (not in the tank yet) when I found the 55 gallon. So my next thought was to just expand the original one to fit the bigger tank. Seemed to work out ok. 
I also set it up for a sandfall on the far right of the tank - not sure you can see it from the pictures.
I used blue foam from Lowes - seemed easy to cut and not as messy as the white foam. I did however run out of foam when setting it up for the 55 as I had thrown out a couple of scraps before acquiring the 55 gallon. I got lazy and cheap and decided instead of buying a new sheet I will just use some white foam I had lying around.

After all was glued in place with the GE Silicone 1, I then painted the whole thing (except the back) with Lowes Latex Drylok. I added some color to the drylok using Lowes quikrete cement color mix.
I tried 3 different colors until I found one mix I liked the best. I also gave the background 3 coats of the drylok before gluing in the tank. I used a LOT of glue (silicone 1) to glue to the tank. After all was dry, gave it another couple of coats of Drylok where I had made the cuts to get it into the tank - I had to cut the background into 3 sections.

I then proceeded to build a stand for the tank - as you can see in the pictures, made it all out of 2x4 from Lowes and then used birch wood to cover it all. I then used a 2 in 1 stain.

So what are your thoughts or suggestions. I have not decided on what kind of fish yet but was thinking about cichlids - any suggestions on the substrate? I was thinking about black CaribSea Eco-Complete


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## kouger (Jul 8, 2015)

No comments or suggestions? Type of fish or gravel?


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## james1983 (Dec 23, 2007)

The background and stand look good. I thought about a diy background, but ended up buying one instead. I have black sand and hate it. Everything that lands on it is noticeable. For stocking I would go with mbuna, there are tons of stocking combinations in a 55.


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## kouger (Jul 8, 2015)

Not sure why the post does not let me type the word b i r c h wood.
Anyway, thanks for the feedback James - I actually never thought about the black sad showing everything that lands on it, good point. I will have to think of something else. 
Where did you get buy your background from? I was contemplating that ide but did not know where to get them. Not sure if it would have been worth the cost.

One more question, what do you think about live plants or will the mbuna chew them up?


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## james1983 (Dec 23, 2007)

Most plants get eaten. Anubius and java fern do pretty good. I have the universal rocks background.


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## kouger (Jul 8, 2015)

Where did you get the background from


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## james1983 (Dec 23, 2007)

I got it from universalrocks.com.


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## kouger (Jul 8, 2015)

Thanks for the info. I had a look at the site - glad I decided to build one myself. They look great but pricey.
Any suggestions on using pool filter sand from home depot for the substrate. I still would like to go with black but after what you said thought I should go with a lighter color. My only concern with the pool filter sand is how easy is it to clean. Could I syphon it the same way as I do with gravel?


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## james1983 (Dec 23, 2007)

Just hover over the sand it normally picks up everything, stuff doesn't sink into sand like gravel, it sits on top. I haven't used pool filter sand, I've used play sand though. Wash it good and you should be fine.


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## kouger (Jul 8, 2015)

Cool. Thanks. I will get some today. Should I also get some crushed coral to mix in the sand. I was thinking about a 20 lb bag


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## kouger (Jul 8, 2015)

I know this may sound crazy but I need some help with the landscaping.
I bought a bunch of slate rock from a nursery and tried putting them in the tank. Hated what it looked like. I thought I could build some hideouts for the fish using the slate but did not look good.
Firstly the slate is a different color form the background I made and the contrast was really bad.

Anyone have any ideas or pictures of what they have for aquascaping? 
I thought about just getting a couple of rocks and be done with it. Maybe some plants as well.
Do the malawi cichlids prefer tunnels / caves to hide out in or would just a few rocks and some plants suffice?

Thanks


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## james1983 (Dec 23, 2007)

It depends on what fish you want. Most mbuna prefer hanging out in rocks, I have mostly open water haps and peacocks, which like more open swimming space and sand to sift through. In my 125 I have a few large granite rocks, no tunnels.


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## kouger (Jul 8, 2015)

I will probably go with mbuna. Any chance you could post a pic of your tank?


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## Samadhikash (Jun 16, 2015)

kouger said:


> I then painted the whole thing (except the back) with Lowes Latex Drylok. I added some color to the drylok using Lowes quikrete cement color mix.
> I tried 3 different colors until I found one mix I liked the best.


I'm sure you've probably already thought through this, but instead of pinning yourself into corners by trying to find rocks that match your background, what about finding rocks you really like and changing the color of the background to suit your scape? More work, I know, but might be more satisfying in the end. Maybe there's a way to add some color to the background without having to cut it out--just a little something to reduce the contrast that was unappealing? Always easy to suggest things like this when my own elbow grease isn't involved.


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## james1983 (Dec 23, 2007)

kouger said:


> I will probably go with mbuna. Any chance you could post a pic of your tank?


I'll see what I can do. Try to look for the large rocks the are normally used at construction site. Some of them come in a nice dark grey that's close to your back ground color.


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## kouger (Jul 8, 2015)

Samadhikash - I did think about your idea but way too much work to change the color. I actually like the color of the background so I guess I have to find some rocks to make it look good. The pictures don't do it justice, hard to tell.
I also don't have a light for the tank yet so there is a lot of reflection from the glass. LED lights coming this week (I hope)

james1983 - there is a nursery near me, I bought some slate from them the other day - way cheaper than the LPS - $12 for 40 pounds. I will go back to them today to see if there is anything else they have.

Here are a few more pictures with the slate rocks and another rock that I had from my other tank. I think I like the single rock and might get some more. 
Any thoughts??

Oh, I also made a canopy / cover for the tank as the one that came with the tank was warped and I did not like it. I glued the door handles on to slide the glass back and forth.


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## kouger (Jul 8, 2015)

What do you guys think of lava rock. The nursery near me has a ton of that stuff and is really cheap. Do you think it will look weird with the background?


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## Samadhikash (Jun 16, 2015)

You made a really good point about lighting. It's going to be tough to know what things will look like without your lights on the tank. And, along those lines, everything in the tank is going to look different when it's wet. Last time I went searching for rocks, I took along an emptied soda bottle filled with water and poured some on anything that looked interesting.


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## kouger (Jul 8, 2015)

Update
I finally got my LED lights and I think it made a huge difference to the look of the tank.
Check out the pics and let me know your thoughts.



















I also have as short video of my sandfall - I am still tweaking it a bit and almost have it 100%






Lastly I went back to the nursery and bought some more rocks, a variation of them but a few were the lava rocks. I drilled some holes in them and smoothed out the holes with a dremmel. Turned out great. I have not put them in the tank yet but will hope to do so this weekend.

Let me know your thoughts people. 

Thanks


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## kouger (Jul 8, 2015)

OK i totally messed up the you tube video trying to embed it in the forum - not sure what I did but I do apologize.


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## kouger (Jul 8, 2015)

I now have a new problem. The water is very hard - PH is high and I have lost a ton of fish. The LFS suggested putting in some goldfish to get the bacteria going while the tank cycles, which I did (25 of them) but they seem to keep dying every day.
MY LFS also said to put in a water softener which I did but does not seem to have done anything. After about a week I put another 25 goldfish in the tank and they too are starting to drop off 

MY LFS thinks the drylok is the cause of the high PH - any ideas or suggestions on this


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## Kanorin (Apr 8, 2008)

My suggestion is to do a fishless cycle. The goldfish will thank you.
You can read articles about that here and here

How hard is your water? And what kinds of fish will you be keeping in the tank eventually?


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## kouger (Jul 8, 2015)

Kanorin - thanks for the reply. 
I have about 8 fish left and feel if I move them to my other established tank, it might shock them and they will surely die. I was thinking that I should leave them and hopefully they will pull through while I try to figure out why my water is so hard.
I am going to recharge the water softener cartridge tonight and put it back in the tank. I am hoping that will help. If the fish don't make it, I will not put anything else in the tank until it is perfect.

Do you, or anyone else know if Drylok leaches into the tank?


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## Kanorin (Apr 8, 2008)

First, I don't suspect that the hardness of the water is killing the goldfish, but rather some combination of ammonia and nitrites.

As to the Drylok - I have a background that was sealed with Drylok and haven't had any problems with it and many others have used it successfully as well. How long did you allow it to dry before putting it in the tank? Did you use any cement as well?


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## kouger (Jul 8, 2015)

So I just went to the LFS and had the water tested.
Nitrate - 20
Nitrite - 5.0
Hardness - 25
Chlorine - 0
Alkalinity - 120
pH - 7.8

I was wondering if I should just empty the tank and start from the beginning. Leave the gravel, filter and 3 plants alone but empty all the water and start again? Any suggestions?


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## kouger (Jul 8, 2015)

Forgot to mention - I would like to put Malawi Cichlids in the tank


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## Kanorin (Apr 8, 2008)

kouger said:


> Nitrite - 5.0


This is likely what is killing the goldfish.

I don't think you need to start over - especially because it looks like you are about 1/2 way through the cycling process.
Here's what you should do
Step 1: Rehome any surviving goldfish - maybe donate them back to the store.
Step 2: Purchase a test kit which has tests for Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate at a minimum. 
Step 3: Buy some ammonia (look for pure ammonia that doesn't contain any dyes or other additives)
Step 4: Add ammonia to your tank until it hits 5 parts per million (and measure it out so you'll know for subsequent days)
Step 5: Wait 24 hours and measure levels of ammonia, nitrites, nitrates
Step 6: If ammonia or nitrite levels are above 0, go back to step 4. 
(you may have to repeat these steps 4-6 many times. It typically takes about 3 weeks to fully cycle a tank from 0, but since yours has been jump-started it should take less for you.

Feel free to post your test results here and we can help you along with the process.


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## kouger (Jul 8, 2015)

Kanorin - Thank you so much for the information and education. I will definitely be doing what you suggested. As for rehoming the fish that are left, I will put them in my other (well established) tank tonight.

I do have some questions though and must apologize for my ignorance so please forgive me.
1. Should I purchase a test kit with strips or get the liquid kind.
2. What is the part of the test kit that shows the ammonia levels - is this the nitrite or combination?
3. Not quite sure I follow why I need to add ammonia, please can you explain a little bit more on that.

I am still learning so appreciate the patience.


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## Kanorin (Apr 8, 2008)

1. I've found the strips to be less accurate. Go liquid
2. There should be a specific test for ammonia
3. This article may help you understand why you need to establish your nitrogen cycle


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## kouger (Jul 8, 2015)

Any suggestions on which liquid test kit to get?
I thought about this one from Petco - API Freshwater Master Test Kit
And also this one - API Freshwater Deluxe pH Test Kit


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## Samadhikash (Jun 16, 2015)

The API freshwater master kit will do the job for you nicely. It will have individual tests for your pH, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates.

I think the person at your LFS may have set you down a road you didn't need to travel by giving you the impression that your pH and water hardness were killing your fish. After looking at your numbers, I really doubt your background is having a significant impact on your tank water. And fish from Malawi won't give a second thought to your pH level.

Check out the links on cycling (I think there were a couple in the other thread as well) that have been suggested to you. Understanding the nitrogen cycle is important and will help you to be purposeful and successful with your fish. One set of bacteria converts ammonia to nitrite, another set of bacteria converts the nitrite to nitrate, and then you are responsible for removing nitrates (the simplest and most common way is with water changes). Your fish (and no one here) aren't going to quiz you later on the latin name for the bacteria that converts ammonia to nitrite, but they are definitely counting on you to make sure their water isn't full of either.

Be patient, get your cycle finished, read up and ask questions about what type of Malawi cichlids will work in your tank (it's easier if you do this BEFORE you make an impulse buy at the LFS), and you'll be enjoying that background with some great fish in no time.


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## Kanorin (Apr 8, 2008)

Samadhikash said:


> The API freshwater master kit will do the job for you nicely. It will have individual tests for your pH, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates.
> 
> I think the person at your LFS may have set you down a road you didn't need to travel by giving you the impression that your pH and water hardness were killing your fish. After looking at your numbers, I really doubt your background is having a significant impact on your tank water. And fish from Malawi won't give a second thought to your pH level.
> 
> ...


Agreed


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## kouger (Jul 8, 2015)

Samadhikash - thank you so much for the information.
I am going shortly to another pet shop and will purchase the test kits. Will report back my results tonight.
Just and FYI - When I had the tests done at the LFS - they used the strips.


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## kouger (Jul 8, 2015)

Well the pet shop was out of the liquid test kits so I ordered one on line, should arrive in a day or so.

I have another question though. I noticed today that there is quite a build up of brown stuff on my 3D background. I am guessing it is algae however it is brown.
Is this a problem? It does not look nice.
Is there a way to remove it and stop it from coming back.


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## Kanorin (Apr 8, 2008)

It's likely brown algae which your mbuna will graze upon. You can post a picture if you like, but probably not a problem.


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## Rhinox (Sep 10, 2009)

I could only ever get the brown algae to grow in my tanks. Some say it comes at first and eventually goes away/is replaced by the prettier green algae, but my tanks always stayed brown. It would grow on the glass too and I'd have to use the magnet scraper to get it off. Best way to control it I've heard is to get the right combination of light spectrum/intensity/duration.

I did some research in the past and remember finding something about your ratio of Nitrate to... phosphate? (I think?) will determine what species of algae will thrive. It's been a while since I looked up that study and don't remember the details off the top of my head. (Edit: quick googling led me to the Redfield Ratio which rings a bell, might be something to look into.)

Of course, the only way to eliminate algae entirely if that's what you're after is to get rid of the algae food, which is primarily Nitrate, but often there are other things naturally in the water that different types of algae will feed on even if you eliminate Nitrate entirely.

Some people have had success with using an algae scrubber in a sump setup, which is really just a fancy name for encouraging the algae to grow in the sump rather than the tank itself. I had Mbuna and they did graze on the brown algae, but not enough to really keep anything clean.


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## kouger (Jul 8, 2015)

Firstly thanks to everyone for their feedback and help - just a wealth of information here - much appreciated.

I did clean the brown algae with a toothbrush and got most of it off. Definitely did not like the look of that. I will be putting in Malawis, hopefully soon. I still have the 3 goldfish left and glad that they did not do backstroke  
I will put them in my 30 gallon as soon as this 55 is ready and then I can put in the Malawis or any other kind of cichlids.
As for the testing of the water, I am still waiting on my test kit to arrive so hopefully soon.
Will post results


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## kouger (Jul 8, 2015)

Well not even 3 days layer and the algae is back in full force. I think I will wait till the tank is completely cycled before removing it again. Could the led lights be a cause. I bought a 48" on ebay. 3 rows down the lenght with about 5 blue ones that ate also on when the regular lights are on


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## kouger (Jul 8, 2015)

Finally got my test kit in - here are the results for the 55:

PH -7.6+
High PH - 7.8
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate 5.0

Now my already established tank (30 gallon) has the same results expect the Nitrate is 40 - the only thing I did to it recently was change the filter to a different brand. I did however keep the bio brushes and put them on top of the media in the new filter.

Do you think that the tank is ready for some cichlids? I still have the brown algae and have not cleaned it yet.


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## Samadhikash (Jun 16, 2015)

I think you're ready! Actually, I know _you_ are. But I think your tank is too. 

However, should probably clarify a couple things.
1) Is there still fish in the tank? If yes, that means your bacterial colony has grown large enough to accommodate their waste. Which is great. If no, how long has it been without fish? If it didn't have any fish, were you adding ammonia? A reading of zero ammonia and zero nitrites with some nitrates (what you have) usually means the tank has cycled. But if there are no fish in the tank and you haven't been adding ammonia, it's only telling you that you have some nitrates left over from when there were fish in the tank (and not necessarily that you have a healthy colony of bacteria). Hope that all made sense. I'm going to assume you still had some goldfish left in the tank.
2) So, on the assumption that you still have goldfish in the tank; zero ammonia, zero nitrites and five nitrates is a good sign. You could test it for a couple more days just to make sure the ammonia and nitrites stay at zero, but based on everything I'm remembering about your tank, I'd say you're good to go. Especially since....
3) You're going to need to test your water on a daily basis for awhile anyway, whether you put cichlids in tomorrow morning or not. Here's why. Let's say you have two goldfish in the tank. That would mean you have a bacterial colony that can handle two goldfish. Now, if you go out tomorrow and add ten cichlids, you are effectively adding 5X more waste than your current bacterial colony can handle. Your bacteria will rapidly multiply to handle the additional fish--but we're talking days here, not hours. So you need to test daily until you are certain that you have zero ammonia and zero nitrites. If they go up after you add your cichlids, you're going to need to do water changes every day to bring them down. May seem like a hassle, but it's way less frustrating that watching the cichlids you've waited so long for go belly up.

You're almost there. :dancing:


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## kouger (Jul 8, 2015)

Samadhikash - thank for the information, very detailed and much appreciated.

I had 2 goldfish left in the tank, an hour before writing the previous post, one of them died.
Later on I got a little impatient and went to the LFS and got 3 cichlids. Of course I re-homed the 2 goldfish in my 30 gallon.
So far the cihclids seem good - I also got a pleco and 2 more plants. Now have a total of 5 plants.
Tested the water again an hour ago and the results are the same as before.


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## Kanorin (Apr 8, 2008)

I agree with Samadhikash - keep testing water daily watching out for an ammonia or nitrite spike. Wait at least a week or two before adding more fish to allow the bacteria to catch up.


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## kouger (Jul 8, 2015)

So I have been testing the water every day and the results have been consistent.
The only change that I have seen is that my Nitrate might be between 5.0 and 10
As for the algae, below is a picture of it:










One last thing - I know this may sound stupid but could someone please explain to me the correct way to read the results of the liquid test kit. Are you supposed to hold the glass tube against a white background so that it actually touches it, or move it about an inch from the background? It seems that the color changes when touching the white background and not sure which reading would be correct.

My LFS suggested that I need to lower my PH still even though I am putting in chiclids as their PH is lower with their Chichlids. I also wanted to put in an Oscar, any suggestions on this, should I stay away from the Oscars?
Should I clean the tank at the end of the week and do a water change or wait another few weeks. I normally use spring water for my 30 gallon but another pet shop suggested using distilled water to get my PH down.

Too many suggestions from all the pet shops and each one is conflicting with the next. Seems like this is the best place to get the correct answers and keep my new family happy.

Thanks


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## james1983 (Dec 23, 2007)

I would avoid the Oscar, they get too large for a 55 gallon and create a huge mess.


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## kouger (Jul 8, 2015)

Ok, thanks - what about a pleco


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## Samadhikash (Jun 16, 2015)

First, congrats on the ammonia and nitrite levels staying zero. Awesome.

There's no reason you shouldn't do a water change at this point. Personal big believer in weekly water changes. As far as giving the tank a "clean"... get rid of fish poop laying around, dead pieces of plant, etc. Wipe down the front glass so you can enjoy the wonderful view. I would suggest not going too crazy as far as scouring your rocks and background. Beneficial biofilm covers pretty much every square inch of your tank. Nothing wrong with cleaning (I've never heard anyone describe diatoms as a lovely addition), but especially since the tank is still settling in, there's no reason to make it struggle by taking a brush to anything and everything that doesn't move and scrubbing till the bristles on the brush disappear.

As far as reading your test results. I believe the directions indicate you should place the vial against the card.

Regarding new fish, pH, and what water to use for water changes, I'd tap the brakes a bit. You said you put cichlids in the tank. What kind? *Cichlid* is a big word that encompasses all kinds of fish with widely varying requirements for pH and hardness. There's no reason to go fiddling trying to raise/lower pH or hardness unless your fish need it. On the other hand, there is no way around the fact that your pH and hardness is going to differ from the LFS, an online retailer, mine, and any other ten random folks on the forum--and we may all successfully keep the same fish. Take time to acclimate your fish to your tank parameters wherever you get them.

You'll probably get more input about fish compatibility on a thread specific to that issue. (Lots of compatibility experts here that may not even know you'd like their input on page 3 of a DIY background thread.) Include your tank dimensions, your water parameters, what fish are currently in the tank, and what kinds of fish you are thinking about and why.


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## kouger (Jul 8, 2015)

Thanks for the information
So I did a water change this weekend - at least 12 gallons, however I used distilled water. Then I tested the water today and the readings are the same, although it seems that my High PH has gone up a little, almost 8.0 now.
PH -7.6+
High PH - 8.0
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate 5.0

As for the type of fish, they are all African Cichlids. Not sure exactly which ones. I will have to do some research to find out more about that.
How many can I put in the tank if they are all about 2" long?


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## Aaron S (Apr 4, 2015)

If you have some cichlids already and are unsure what kind they are then feel free to post some pictures in the "unknown cichlids" section where others can try to help you identify them. There are several extremely knowledgeable and helpful people on this site (I am not terribly knowledgeable, but I try to be helpful when possible).


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## kouger (Jul 8, 2015)

Thanks. It is still going strong. One if them had some babies 5 days ago for the 3rd time



lawkmlaw said:


> omg your tank looks really cool.. great work...


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## AquaTom (Jun 15, 2017)

By what i have seen on this forum DIY is the way forward. All of the designs look a lot better than what can be shelf bought. Well done on this project


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## Whimeldreved36 (Jul 13, 2017)

Awesome background how long did it take you to make that


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## xgtphalex (Jan 30, 2017)

Couple years old now, op may not be active anymore last on in April.


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