# New Malawi biotope Tank 412.5L



## Incompetent_Aquarist (Oct 27, 2012)

Hello everyone,
For some time im setting-up a tank for Malawi cichlids. I've been using informations collected over internet, aswell from this forums to create my own little Malawi. I've decided to go with Mbuna group, living in a rocky regions of the lake. There would be around 15-25 fishes from 3 species. It was very troubling to fit the diet, as for example L. Caeruleus is demanding meat while demasoni or Acei is typical vegetarian, but i was very concerned about fish health so i decided to leave my dream setup and go for one that wont suffer disseases from improper diet or crosbreed or fight to much. To see if I've succed i need some more time because for now the tank just have started, and fishes are still waiting for it to start proper denitrification working. But as it is a decoration forum I'd like You to have a look at my tank and share opinion if those rocks look well placed. Sorry for bad English it's not my dafault language, and as matter of fact i only use it to read in internet so no I have no practice

The picture is without water, just decorations and lightning. The picture is a bit dark comparing to how it looks. Those are Serpetnite stones plus black sand and the background is also black









Ah and the fishes I've decided to go are:

L. Caeruleus 1+x
P. Saulosi Coral (orange) 3+x
Metriaclima Callainos (pearl white) 1+x

Cheers from Poland !


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

I see no picture..


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## Incompetent_Aquarist (Oct 27, 2012)

halffrozen said:


> I see no picture..


I've posted a webpage url to jpg. Don't know how to add picture on this forums?


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

You can upload the picture to Photobucket or some other image hosting site. And just put the "" tag here.

Also, the link sends me to a foreign website, and requires login.


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## Incompetent_Aquarist (Oct 27, 2012)

Bah, I would need to register there :/ Dont have an account. I've tried to add photos to forum gallery but i think it require to be aproved by a moderator.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Image Hosting
We suggest you upload your images at one of these web sites:
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Next steps

1. After the upload is complete, view the photo you wish to post here. Right-click on the picture and then select Properties. Copy the Address (URL).

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Code: Select all









3. THEN, before you SUBMIT your post, be sure to PREVIEW it first. You should see the image. If not, double check your code.


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## Incompetent_Aquarist (Oct 27, 2012)

Could i somehow update my post then, and Could You please delete all the messages below, because they are not related to subject of my message, but rather technical issue










It seems I cant edit original one, only the posts below


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## metricliman (Sep 3, 2012)

It looks great!


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## Sidius (Mar 3, 2012)

Wow that's an impressive looking rock structure.. I like it!!


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

Really.. REALLY love that tilted rock on the right side.

Some great hardscape for sure!


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## B.Roberson (Nov 6, 2011)

how heavy are those rocks?? and what is the lighting? Its alot of blueish color that looks cool!! tank size?


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## Incompetent_Aquarist (Oct 27, 2012)

I've wanted to keep it pure rocky with no plants. I think this is good contrast as the fishes will provide alot of life inside. There is about 100 kilograms of rocks inside, and the heaviest one on the left is where im hiding equipment like heater or mechanic filter (there will be also biger filter outside of the tank). The heaviest rock is about 40 kilograms. The sand is quartz-sand but it's been coloured and sold with aquarist certificate, as it is safe for the fish, it doesnt drop anything bad to water and it has no sharp edges and this was very importand for my fish as i want them to dig! The size of sand is around 0.03 to 0.04 inch so it's still a sand not graves, but it's heavy enough to not fly around. I'm using a filter with quite big water flow inside the tank, as fishes will do alot of dirt i want it all to be filtered from the sand. To make it work good I've decided the filter will work by the back-glass, and i will have an circulator working on the front glass, this way the water will make a circle delivering all the dirt to filter. It's quite effective and cheap solution from what i've red.


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## Incompetent_Aquarist (Oct 27, 2012)

The front glass of tank is made from Opti-White glass which is better then traditional float, but as it is more expensive only front glass i made like this, rest is traditional float glass. The lightning are fluorescent bulbs, there is alot of light that doesnt show the picture. It's power is 160Watts and its split for 2 bulbs. The front one is traditional Sylvania 865 (daylight) and another one is Narva Blue2 - typical blue light. Those two mixed provide quite nice blue aura that i really like, it looks a bit like salt water tank. The bulbs are cheap but if u want to go for real quality I'd recommend try JBL Marin Day ultra instead of daylight 865, as it's more cold light but it will enchance colors more. I'm going to buy one when I have some spear money.

The fishes right now live in a smaller tank, while the nitrating system is starting to work in the tank, it takes 4 weeks for the tank to be safe for life. While this is proceding, there are already 3 species in smaller tank waiting. I've bought them from fish museum that has some imported fish from africa, as those are quite expensive mine were sold as first generation after lake, this way i can be almost sure i have species which i have, beacause in Poland often in zoo-shops they sell Malawi-Mix where any species can be a ******* 

The cobalt blue x pearl white - called also Blue Zebra Cichlid, 
The Labidochromis Caeruleus - trade name Yellow Labes,
The Pseudotropheus Saulosi x Coral (orange females) - is very interesting as this one im not sure is 100% natural form.

The last 2 species are quite peaceful for mbuna which are rather very agressive towards eachother, i didint want to go for very agressive fish, allthough i've decide to have one male that will keep hard hand on the leadership and this will me first specie on the list, it grows noticably bigger and have harder character then others.


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## Incompetent_Aquarist (Oct 27, 2012)

To more say about the fish I've been really doing long research before choosing those 3 species. They are all proud representants of MBUNA group. Not many people consider proper male/female ratios, crossbreed problems, agression levels or that sometimes species have entirely different diet. It's said that for one Mbuna fish there should be atleast 5 gallon of space and i would like to keep it this way. This way I can observe all the behavior of the fish, while overpopulated tanks might look cool but nature wise they have little to offer to the fish. So Im going to keep max 5 males, so each one will have own theritory, and atleast 3 females for each male to spreed the agression in tank. If thats going to work I'll see Im good with theory right now only


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Assuming your tank is 48" x 18" I'd do four species and four males with four females for each.

Or, given you have chosen saulosi and assuming you don't mind a lot of yellow-orange, maybe I'd stock like this:
1m:4f labs
1m:4f callainos
3m:9f saulosi

I do love the rockwork as well, but for mbuna, I'd add more rocks to get more of a 3D maze with many hiding places for each female. Currently I think haps and peacocks would love that aquascape, as I do!


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## Incompetent_Aquarist (Oct 27, 2012)

It's more then 48". Thanks.


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## Incompetent_Aquarist (Oct 27, 2012)

With some water inside tank now as it started


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## metricliman (Sep 3, 2012)

****. It almost looks like there's moss on the rock that's overhanging.


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## Incompetent_Aquarist (Oct 27, 2012)




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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

nice those cobalt blue cichlids with the labs will be a good color combo


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Incompetent_Aquarist said:


> The Pseudotropheus Saulosi x Coral (orange females) - is very interesting as this one im not sure is 100% natural form.
> 
> .


Indeed not the natural form. Many believe this to be a hybrid.


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