# 110 gallon tall 48"w x 18"d x 29"t how to make this work????



## ttboybuick (Feb 5, 2016)

I purchased a 110 gallon tall aquarium, stand with canopy. I got a really good deal on it and it is in like new condition and looks really nice. I used to have a 72 gallon bow so this is an upgrade for me. I really love cichlids and want to make this tank work but everything I read seems to say this is a challenging tank for them. in the end I want to have a very colorful variety and busy looking set up.

all I have bought so far is the tank, stand with canopy and a Fluval FX6 and black paint for the back of the tank..... I would like to use reef sand as a substraght. I am open to all suggestions!!

How can I make this challenging size tank work well for me?????


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## Ted Schubert (Feb 4, 2016)

I just set up a 210 African tank 2 weeks ago.
With the tank being only 18 deep, I'd stay away from 3D backgrounds. I used over 150 pounds of limestone sand/gravel and 96 pounds of rock for mine. I mention this because I only spent 26 bucks for all of it at the local landscapers yard. Rinse and scrub everything good and your set. A bag of sea sand or crushed coral can run you over 20 bucks alone. Depending on your water and the fish you want, limestone can help raise the ph. I wish I could post pictures, but all of them are above the file size limits. Still working to figure that out.

What kind of lighting do you want to use?


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## ttboybuick (Feb 5, 2016)

I will check into the limestone and rock. thanks for that tip. I am not completely concerned with cost.... now I don't want to spend stupidly for sure.... I really want this set up to look great and work well with cichlids. I plan to just paint my back of the tank black. As far as lighting I have floresent bulbs now one white one blue.... I love the look with my past cichlids but I have been reading alot about the LED lights and am very interested.

My biggest concern is how to set up this size tank the best for cichlids..... all the details! I am all ears!!!! I have read that this size is not ideal??? But unfortunaley I need to make it work.


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## ttboybuick (Feb 5, 2016)

is this a bad size tank for cichlids??


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## Ted Schubert (Feb 4, 2016)

I don't think its a bad size. You have a 48 x 18 foot print. My previous tank was a 48 x 24 foot print (80 gallon), but I had a Pangea 3D background which gave me a smaller foot print of about 48 x 18. I had 4 frontosa, 2 tropheus, 1 yellow lab, 4 black calvus, and a pictus cat in mine. Size wasn't as much of an issue as was the tropheus. They were the bullies of the tank. I had them in this tank for 4 years. I eventually found a new home for the tropheus. Consider the fish you want to keep. How big do they grow. How are they with aggression. I never had any aggression issues with the fronts or the calvus.
Many people are going with the over-populate stock plan. So many fish the bullies forget who they're chasing. I'm trying that out on my 210. So far everyone seems happy.

Ted


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## tanker3 (May 18, 2015)

It is not a bad size for Cichlids, just not as good. With only a 48" tank, you will be limited on what you can keep. Also, IMO, a tall tank is better for all male Peacock/Haps, but again the 48" will limit stocking.


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## nodima (Oct 3, 2002)

The biggest challenge is reaching the bottom - so anything you can do to reduce the frequency of needing to hit bottom is good. Sand instead of gravel for sure.

I'd think of it as just a tall 75 and stock accordingly.

The other option is to think about keeping Angels such as Altum, which would do well in a super tall tank like that.


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## ttboybuick (Feb 5, 2016)

Ok, Now you guys have made me feel better about my tank size. I am positive that I want to put Cichlids in this tank.

I need help with setting up this TALL tank to run the best it can as far as maintance and I would like to what I should buy to make that happen? I am starting from scratch.... I have only bought one thing so far because that seemed like a no brainer a Fluval FX6 Please can I get a map to success?????? for all the other maintainace stuff and also how what substraight?

For a tall tank like this with I am also in need of direction on how and where to get the rocks and decorations for the inside.

I will make a separate post later on how to choose my fish for this tank...


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## tanker3 (May 18, 2015)

ttboybuick said:


> I am positive that I want to put Cichlids in this tank.
> 
> For a tall tank like this with I am also in need of direction on how and where to get the rocks and decorations for the inside.


When you say cichlids, I assume you mean Africans, because Angels area cichlids too.

I buy my rocks from my local Landscape store, lots to choose from and cheap. I would put egg crate on the bottom of your tank. With so tall of a tank, one of those rocks may slip out of your hands one day and crash the bottom.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Agree with the others, stock it like a 75G and ignore the height. It will be hard and not essential to fish health to decorate the upper half of the tank.


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## ttboybuick (Feb 5, 2016)

i do mean africans....

I like angels but they are limited in colors. I love the colors


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

I used to have a tank that was 42" tall. I'd drain out about a foot of water to work on it and hang by my waist down into the tank. Many times I got my hair wet. It was a great cichlid tank but had the advantage of being 96" by 36" at the base. Tall tanks have access problems, but they are solvable. It is true that the greater height means less relative surface area. Keep that in mind when you stock the tank.


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## ttboybuick (Feb 5, 2016)

in a 110 tall..... different animal being a tall tank.....

what filter system? Is the Fuval FX6 enough by itself or will I need more things?

is reef sand best for sub-straight or?

what heater brand and size?

will I need a power head?

I would like to have light air bubbles running behind the rocks what works best for that?

I would like to have a cool holey / some kind of built up rock structure that Africans will have fun with what works best?

what is a LED light that brings out colors best in Africans?

anything else I am missing? I want a awesome tank set up and want it to be as maintenance free as possible with beautiful happy fish.....

Help please....

Thanks!!


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

You might want to read some of the articles in the CF Library for this information, but here are some comments.



ttboybuick said:


> what filter system? Is the Fuval FX6 enough by itself or will I need more things?


 Find out the GPH of the FX6. You want between 8X and 10X GPH for the 110G.



ttboybuick said:


> is reef sand best for sub-straight or?


I like silica pool filter sand 20 grain or larger. It's very cheap, very easy to maintain and the fish love it. A little harder to find nowadays since the pool/spa stores and Walmart/HomeDepot have started carrying recycled glass sand instead of silica sand.



ttboybuick said:


> what heater brand and size?


3W per gallon and I like an in-line heater. IDK what is on the market today, mine are Hydor.



ttboybuick said:


> will I need a power head?


I have never used one, never seen the need.



ttboybuick said:


> I would like to have light air bubbles running behind the rocks what works best for that?


Air stone.



ttboybuick said:


> I would like to have a cool holey / some kind of built up rock structure that Africans will have fun with what works best?


IME dark rocks are best because the algae looks natural instead of looking dirty on a white rock like holey rock. Visit your landscape supplier. Look for rocks the size of your fist to head-sized.



ttboybuick said:


> what is a LED light that brings out colors best in Africans?


LED lights often come with remote to custom mix colors, so this is not an issue like it was with fluorescent.


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## ttboybuick (Feb 5, 2016)

now questioning my choice in fish...... in my 110 tall fish tank which would you select?????

African Cichlids?

Discus?

Angel Fish?

I want to try to have the best tank set up to look at and I don't think i could go wrong with any of these choices. I have had Africans for a long time and feel comfortable with them but it seems like a 110 tall is not ideal for them. I have had Angel fish a long time ago when I was young and remember them being easily sick and sensitive fish but they are beautiful in schools. I know this tank size works well for them.I have never had Discus but they are very intriguing too. But I do not know anything about keeping them.... I know this tank size works well with them too.

Suggestions on selecting the fish I should put in this tank PLEASE!!!

Thank you for your help!!

Tom


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## Handyjoe (Jan 11, 2015)

EQUIPMENT: 
I believe I have the exact same size of tank you have. 110 tall display tank, painted black back, white coral sand for substrate (egg crate under), running with an FX5. I have a cheap BeamsWork LED light from eBay. Have heard lots of good things about Current Satelite Pro LED. If money is available, that's what I would like to have. One FX6 is good enough for filtration. I have no problem at all with only one FX5. I do have an AC30 with the inlet hookup to a surface skimmer. No bubble stone.

FISH:
I used to have Malawi cichlids in it. Now I have Tanganyika cichlids. 
Malawian are all over the tank. So if you like colorful and fast moving fish, that maybe your choice. For me, they are too active. They drive me crazy. 
I never have discuss. But I think If you don't mind the work, discuss maybe a good choice since they occupy the whole water column, taking advantage of the tall display tank. They are colorful and graceful, I think. However, I heard it needs lots of RO water changes. I live in a city where water is limited, so it's not for me. 
If you do want to keep species that prefer lower pH, then save some money from coral sand and use PFS.

Here are some old pics of my tank.


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## ttboybuick (Feb 5, 2016)

Very nice set up! thanks for showing me your set up.... I appreciate the input. I am so crossed on what fish to go with. I have 4 kids and a busy life right now so I need something that will not consume me. I have all young kids so I want to enjoy the fish experience with them.... picking out the fish, taking care of them and for sure watching them 

When everyone says that the africans stay low.... can I build up rock layers and get them up in the tank?

on a scale of 1-10 how hard are these fish to take care of?

Africans:

Angels:

Discus:

Thanks,

Tom


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## nodima (Oct 3, 2002)

ttboybuick said:


> Very nice set up! thanks for showing me your set up.... I appreciate the input. I am so crossed on what fish to go with. I have 4 kids and a busy life right now so I need something that will not consume me. I have all young kids so I want to enjoy the fish experience with them.... picking out the fish, taking care of them and for sure watching them
> 
> When everyone says that the africans stay low.... can I build up rock layers and get them up in the tank?
> 
> ...


Sort of an impossible task to give a number to africans, as there are so many different types, some are much easier than others. At the end of the day, if you are able to provide consistent water parameters, and a well maintained tank, you should not have problems with any of them. Discus have a reputation for being 'hard', but really it comes down to having less wiggle room on water parameters.

One tanganikan that might be interesting in that size tank is Tropheus. Mine are in a 180,but they are all over the place, top/bottom, left/right etc. Provide lots of action and activity. Only possible downside is the cost as you need so many to prevent aggression. That and not much else will work as tankmates in their tank.

I don't think everyone says africans stay low - but some species certainly do. If you can try to separate out different types of african cichlids that you are interested in, your questions become a lot easier to answer, and some probably will answer themselves with some additional searching when you have specific species or genus in mind.


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

If you go species by species looking though the species Profiles, you will find a difficulty number for each. That is kind of conceived in terms of how difficult to breed, rather than how difficult to keep healthy, but there should be a lot of correlation. http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/

The mbuna that tend to stay on the bottom really tend to stay close to structure, so if you build ledges, they will follow. I have seen a tank where light weight structure was hung into the tank by a couple pieces of monofilament fishing line. Fish spent most of their time swimming around the "floating" rock ball.

I have some of the hollow ceramic Cichlid rocks and one of my sons is a fisherman. I should give it a try.


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## ttboybuick (Feb 5, 2016)

I love colors and thats why I want to run africans. as far as set ups I want to do it right.... display and fish and fitration. I don't want to respend money changing things later.... so that being said in my 110 gallon high tank I would like to create a rock structure that promotes my fish to be at all levels of the tank. that being said what would be my varieties for fish?

Names please...

I love the big forhead frontosa, blue and yellow spotted vanustis yellow labs, hap alli blue with the white stripe and with the orange tips if possible, maybe some marble ones, and some parrots, blue and black striped, I also had with my old set up and it was really cool a polypalipturous...

I am sorry for all the bad spelled names and the lack of real names. maybe you all know the real names and can tell me what of these I can do and if there are other cool fish that I missed..

Thanks,

Tom


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

With a 48" tank I think you would not be looking at frontosa or venustus. For those I would want a 72" tank.


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## ttboybuick (Feb 5, 2016)

when you say that frontosa and vanustus will not work in a 48" tank.... I don't mean to dispute that coment but I had all the fish I listed in a 72 gallon bow and had no problems..... yes there was some aggression but they did all get along. I know every fish will be happier in a long tank..... the question I have been trying to figure out here is how can it work? I love these fish....


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Venustus is a 10" fish and Frontosa are 15". Even an 8" fish I have found to be too much for a 48x18 tank.


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## ttboybuick (Feb 5, 2016)

I had a 9" frontosa and a 9" venustus in my 72 gallon 48" bow. and they were fine.... the frontosa was very mild mannered and the venutus was the king of the tank but he was also not unmanageable...

I hate to keep beating a dead horse here but I really love these kinds of cichlids and want to find a way to have them in this 110 high tank... so I am really just looking for ideas of how to make it work...

Thanks,

Tom


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## tanker3 (May 18, 2015)

Sorry Tom, but I agree with DJR. That tank is just too short for the fishes you want (Fronts and venustus). It is just not right for a 10" fish (or longer) to live in a 48" long tank. I know people that do this, and even people on this site that does it, but IMO, to cruel to the fish.

Go with the Angels, you and the fishes would be more happy.


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## ttboybuick (Feb 5, 2016)

really that is the answer I have been trying to avoid....

what about if I start with juvinials wont they just grow into the tank and stay to a size that the tank limits them to?


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## ttboybuick (Feb 5, 2016)

Ok...... I will give up on my quest for Cichlids and will now go with angels as the primary fish in the tank.

Question one: 
I am going to go with Veil Tail Angels. How many would be a good number? I am going to start with juvinials and watch them grow into the tank. I think my kids will have fun watching them grow. I would like to start with more and weed out the less perfect ones and I heard they pair up so I will need to wait and see who are the odd ones.

Question two: 
I would like to add one REALLY beautiful colorful Cichlid. That should work right? which one would get along with Angels and looks awesome?

Question three: 
Would I want to add other fish and if so which ones would work best? I really would like to add a couple Polypaliturous.

Thanks,

Tom


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## tanker3 (May 18, 2015)

ttboybuick said:


> really that is the answer I have been trying to avoid....
> 
> what about if I start with juvinials wont they just grow into the tank and stay to a size that the tank limits them to?


That is like say, if I do not feed my kids enough food, can I keep them at a small size so they do not out-grow their clothes?


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## tanker3 (May 18, 2015)

ttboybuick said:


> Ok...... I will give up on my quest for Cichlids and will now go with angels as the primary fish in the tank.
> 
> Question one:
> I am going to go with Veil Tail Angels. How many would be a good number? I am going to start with juvinials and watch them grow into the tank. I think my kids will have fun watching them grow. I would like to start with more and weed out the less perfect ones and I heard they pair up so I will need to wait and see who are the odd ones.
> ...


Not really saying to give-up the quest for a Rift Lake Cichlid tank, there are lots of Mbunas, Hap and Peacocks that will fit fine in that tank. I have a 36" tank for my Ps. Saulosi with a few Lab. Perlmutts and they are OK.

1) In a 48" tank, I can get about 12+ Juvies and let them grow. I have had 2 breeding pairs in a 55gal before, so it is possible.
2) You can always add a group of Apistogrammas, there are many species to choose from. I just love the Nijsseni. Or get a few Electric Blue Rams.
3) You can always add a school of tetras (ex: Red Phantoms) or Rasboras (ex: Harlequin). PS---What is a Polypaliturous?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Senegal bichir (Polypterus senegalus)?


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## ttboybuick (Feb 5, 2016)

yes it is a Polypterus.... sorry for the bad spelling.

I love this fish!! it was a big attraction for anyone who seen my fish tank.


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## tanker3 (May 18, 2015)

Looks like you have not decided on what you want yet. Discus, African Rift, Angels, A Bichir, ect.

All are possible, just not together. Pick a path and then we can help.


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## EnemyNSA (Jan 27, 2016)

ttboybuick said:


> yes it is a Polypterus.... sorry for the bad spelling.
> 
> I love this fish!! it was a big attraction for anyone who seen my fish tank.


I have a Polypterus senegalus in my big mixer tank. I got him at the local big box fish store. He was maybe 3 inches when I got him? Now he's about 6-7 inches (8 months or so later), but its all length, very small around still.

VERY cool fish. Seems to like to sit at the edge of the tank and watch us. I haven't seen it be aggressive towards anything else in the tank (yet). They are supposed to get to be around 14" eventually, so he'll either get a new tank or be rehomed at some point before reaching that size.

It's a very cool fish to watch cruise around the tank. My favorite behavior is mine likes to swim up into the current created by my circulation pump and "surfs" all the way across the tank. Its kind of hilarious to watch.


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