# 75 Gallon tank, first time with Mbuna, am i good?



## CanuckGame (Feb 13, 2013)

Hey everyone,

Im sure some of you have seen me posting questions here and there! and i appreciate everyone who has taken the time to help me out!

Im just about done with setting my tank up, and just doing the finishing touches now! here is where im at

Tank- 75 Gallons
Filter- Fluval FX5
Heater- Cheap one right now, will be ordering 2x Eheim Jager 200W heaters today. (Should i order 200W or 150W heaters?)
Light- hoping to find a 50/50 bulb locally today
Substrate- PFS

one thing im wondering about is should i buy a wavemaker or 2? the current with my FX5 looks decent in my tank right now as is, but im not sure if the fish will benefit from an even stronger current?

here are a couple of pics of the hardscape i did yesterday, im assuming this will be more than suitable for Mbuna.



















am i forgetting anything? are all my plans in check? should i get a wavemaker?

thanks alot for taking the time to help!


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

The two large rocks seem a bit too large for me but if you are happy with it that is all that matters.

I like to use 3 watts per gallon for determining heater size but this will vary depending on the average room temperature. Heaters are rated for tank sizes by the mfg. and those ratings assume a maximum of 8-10°F over room temperature.

Wavemakers or water circulators are a personal preference, I find them difficult to hide them easily in the tank. The size and placement of rocks in the tank can also interfere with the outflow of the units so you may need to play with the placement to achieve the desired result.


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## PhinFan1981 (Nov 15, 2014)

1.Wavemaker?-You dont need a wavemaker. This is preference as Deeda pointed out. I personally like to use an air pump with black tubing and bubblestone. I position them in the back of tank under substrate behind caves. I dont think that you necessarily need them,but I prefer positioning them in dead spots that filter outlets dont move water. I like to have entire surface agitated. Depending on your water if you dont keep surface of water moving you will likely notice a film form.
2.Heaters-A single 250watt heater will be sufficient.
3.Rockwork-It's your personal preference what you like. I tinker with my rocks all the time.Your rockwork is definitely suitable for Mbuna.I like your rock work.Your PFS looks nice too. 
...Well done. Make sure you update!repost a picture with fish stocked!


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## nodima (Oct 3, 2002)

Tank looks fantastic, I actually like the look of larger rocks in a tank, as it feels more natural, although they do take up a lot of volume. For heater, it comes down to the temperature in the room, and how hot you want the tank. The bigger the delta in those two, the larger heater you need. For comparison, I have a 150 watt in my 75 in the living room, which is normally around 63 degrees. The two larger tanks are in the basement, and the ambient temp is more like 60, and they have a 200 and 250 watt heaters, I suspect that both those tanks have some additional heat provided by the sump return pumps though.

As for wavemakers, not needed, run the existing filter, modify your rockwork and then make the call. I don't care for the look of bubbles in the tank either, and can provide plenty of surface disturbance by simply running a spray bar or filter outlets near the surface.


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