# New 55 Gallon Tank!



## LyriC (Aug 11, 2017)

So about 6 months ago I purchased a tall 38 gallon. I entered the cichlid hobby and knew nothing, hence why I opted for a tall. I now own a acrylic 55 gallon long, I want to say 4 feet? Anyways I own over a dozen different hang on back filters which range from all different sizes and types. I want to create a new setup for this 55 gallon and want to go with a canister filter. Ill have about 35 cichlids in the tank. They are all under 2 inches with a few being 2.5". I have yellow labs, Christmas fulus, demasoni, lake Victoria zebras, yellow top afras, dragon blood peacocks, the list goes on. All males have about 3 females each. No fighting at all, a very friendly tank.

Anyways here are the filters I'm looking at:
Fluval 406
Fluval Fx4

I want to have a filter I can eventually move up with when I have to get a larger Tank and I also want to over filtrate the tank. I understand the flow may be a little much but if I run it on the lowest setting and make a spray bar would it work? I have a lot of fish in the tank and want to make sure it stays clean and clear as possible. I'm not exactly interested in the other brands or older models as I know the newer fluvals do not leak. Money is not an issue.

Side note to this is rock. Has anyone visited a local rock yard for rock? Is there any rock they sell that is aquarium safe? I know of slate and lava rock. I don't want to bother with anything that may alter my chemistry. And if so, do they usually sell it cheap? Say if I filled up two 5 gallon buckets ?


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## LyriC (Aug 11, 2017)

Oh and the 406 is $160 
Fx4 is $220


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## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

The best advice I can give you is to never start out with fish you're eventually going to need a bigger tank for. Life happens and getting a bigger aquariums gets put on the back burner and the fish end up suffering etc... Get fish that are suitable for a 55 gallon, which most Mbuna are... I'd recommend going with the FX4 if that's at the top of your budget, wouldn't suggest going any smaller than that. As far as rocks are concerned, nothing extremely porous or crumbly but a lot of them are generally safe as long as they don't have chemicals on them. The majority of us have probably bought from rock yards


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## LyriC (Aug 11, 2017)

Oh switching tanks is no problem to me I can do that within a day. I could go for even an FX6 but wouldn't the outflow be way out of the realm for a 55? I definitely don't want to go too small. I was just thinking the FX4 was pushing it, but that's why I'm asking the experts lol.


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## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

No, an FX6, while overkill, would be ideal.


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## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

No offense, but why don't you just get a bigger tank to start out with instead of the added expense and stress to the fish... What are you wanting to stock it with?


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## LyriC (Aug 11, 2017)

Well at the moment the 38 tall even trumps the fish. They are just too small for me to justify buying a very large tank at the moment. I have two empty 40 gallon longs and a few other between 10-30. I have the females so I can breed. While purchasing these tanks may seem inconvenient I'll need them once babies are born and they need to be categorized by size. The fish at the moment have a massive amount of room to roam around in the 38. So don't worry as they aren't suffering and have plenty of space to hide as well. They are well cared for


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## LyriC (Aug 11, 2017)

As for stocking the tank, refer to the opening post. I can elaborate if needed.


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## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

That's fine, I didn't mean to infer that your fish were suffering now but I see it on a daily basis here from other novice keepers. I'm sure you're doing the best you can for them and the fact that you're setting up a larger tank for says better for you than most. But what is your eventual stock list and how are you planning on breeding them. I'll help you get started any way I can


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## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

I asked because you said the list goes on, so I wanted to know the full stock list. Once I know I can better instruct you on how to proceed


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## LyriC (Aug 11, 2017)

Oh definitely! No offense taken. I just wanted to make sure you and other knew, as I'm an avid reader here I just never made an account. I see what some of the others do and it's sad. So here it is: 
1 Male Christmas Fulu & 4 Females
1 Male Yellow Lab & 3 Female
1 Male DragonBlood & 4 Females
1 Male Demasoni & 3 Females 
1 Male Cynotilapia afra Cobue & 3 Females
1 Male Cynotilapia afar white top & 2 Females
1 Male Rusty & 2 Females(Need to get some more, they're beautiful!)
1 Male Zebra Obliq & 2 Females
1 Albino Bushy Nose Long Fin


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## LyriC (Aug 11, 2017)

DragonBloods are not in the tank yet as they aren't ready from my seller. Will be within a month


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## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

Alright, glad that's cleared up. The two afra species and possibly the demasoni are going to have to be separated if you want to breed because there will be a 100% chance of crossbreeding. Plus the males are going to have aggression issues since they're all similar looking. The victorians need their own tank as do the peacocks since they don't mix well with mbuna because of their aggression. Everything is working okay now because they are all juvies and haven't reached sexual maturity yet, but once they do, all heck is going to start breaking loose. So it looks as though you have enough tanks to accomplish some of this already since the peacocks will do fine in the 55 gallon, the victorians in a 40 and one breeding group of mbuna in a 40.


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## LyriC (Aug 11, 2017)

All of that is no problem I have plenty of heaters and filters to accomplish that. But if they grow up together and have a large tank in the end and plenty of places to hide and females to lower their aggression you don't think they'll be able to live together long term? I know the demasoni will be significantly smaller so they will have to move eventually and the cobues I plan on giving to a friend whom doesn't have this species so I avoid cross breeding


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## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

The rusties, yellow labs and an afra species would do well together and no chance of cross breeding but I'd leave out the peacocks since you don't have them yet and just do those three in the 55 and the Victorians in a 40 and a demasoni species tank in the other 40


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## LyriC (Aug 11, 2017)

I also give them a very balanced diet and was wondering what else I could do. Right now they get a healthy mix of peas, cucumber, dried krill, and non growth/coloring cichlid flakes. I throw in pleco discs for the pleco sometimes but they seem to devour it before 30 minutes lol. ****I will not do live feeding**** and I'll do that once I start to see breeding habits. Right now the yellow labs are the only ones remotely acting as so


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## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

I feed NLS cichlid formula and the occasional treat. But you're doing fine as far as that's concerned.


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## LyriC (Aug 11, 2017)

So is it at a certain maturity or size when they start to breed? I am getting restless haha. They have a few flat slate rocks as I read they like to use flat spaces to breed. I know they like the Water temp a little higher as well but I don't have an adjustable heater in the tank yet. I do have one ready for the 55 tho.


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## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

Mine like to breed after water changes, just be patient they'll get down to business when they're old enough and as long as you keep the water parameters right.


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## LyriC (Aug 11, 2017)

Any other suggestions you may have? I appreciate your time btw very much


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## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

No problem, that's what I'm here for! If I think of anything else, I will let you know


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