# My VERY first African Cichlid Tank



## CutieSusieQ (May 12, 2009)

This is my very first African Cichlid tank. It was once set up a lot different (as you can see in first photo). I have spent several weeks selling all my old stuff, buying new stuff, and redesigning my tank to become something I want to show off! Right now I only have 4 Yellow Labs in it, but plan to stock it with more Labs and some Colbalt Blues in the near future 

The first photo is how my tank looked BEFORE I re-did it.









This is how it looks today...









This is one of my new fish...









I will take more photos when I finally get my fish.


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## raycam01_au (Apr 25, 2006)

Hi there
I think the new look is fantastic, much better!! got some nice height in those rock piles. should look gr8 with a few cobalts in there 
Ray

:thumb: :thumb: :thumb: opcorn: opcorn: opcorn: opcorn:


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## iplaywithemotions (Dec 18, 2008)

Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge improvement! Looks great, Susie!


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## CutieSusieQ (May 12, 2009)

Thank you so much. I like it a lot better too.


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## bigcatsrus (Apr 15, 2009)

Its looks like you havetaken the time to get what you wanted and the outcome is fantastic, well done :thumb:


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## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

amazing improvents!!!


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## CutieSusieQ (May 12, 2009)

I'm glad you guys like it. I did a lot of work on it. It took me a lot longer to get it finished than I ever expected. I just took my time with it; I really had no other choice, lol. The rockwork is what took the longest because I had to cut, reshape, drill holes into the feather rock and then sand it down. And then guess what? Feather rock floats!! And boiling doesn't help it to not float!! So I then had to silicone flat rock onto the feather rock to weigh it down. I tried several different things with the flat rock and Mexican Beach stones formations too, but everything I kept making kept falling apart; silicone didn't work and hot glue kept coming off after it dried. :x Grrrrr! I guess I was making my rock piles too big. I then bought some aquarium epoxy. Well, that didn't work either! So after rethinking my design a few more days, I decided to make simple rock piles out of the Mexican Beach stone instead of trying to glue it all together. I then decided to make the flat rock cliffs sort of as a centerpiece in the tank. I used superglue to hold the flat rock together. Supeglue is safe to use and I didn't know that until I already tried every other aquarium safe adhesive in the world it seems!! Grrrr! Live and learn!

I forgot to mention that I actually drove an hour and a half away from home to a place called Stone Mountain and that is where I got the flat rock. There is a trout stream/river/creek (whatever you want to call it) at Stone Mountain that runs for miles so I hunted for flat rock for several hours that day. I then, of course, had to haul it home, scrub it, boil it, and figure out what I wanted to do with it, lol. I bought the Mexican Beach Stone the same place I bought the Feather Rock; that too was cleaned and boiled by me. Oh, and Feather Rock will cut you quicker than a razor blade!! :thumb:

I won't even tell ya what I went threw for the substrate and filters, hahaha. I am now searching for fish. Nothing has been easy with this tank....but I guess hard works makes you appreciate things more, huh.


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## bigcatsrus (Apr 15, 2009)

With all the hard work in finding, sticking the rocks together and hurting yourself in the process was definately worth it.

Your also lucky to have (even if its an hour and a half away) access to rocks, what ever they maybe to put in your tank. Here have to pay for it. So far all I have seen, while walking the dog, are these pansy little stones. So again it is a much improved layout =D>


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## iplaywithemotions (Dec 18, 2008)

CutieSusieQ said:


> I'm glad you guys like it. I did a lot of work on it. It took me a lot longer to get it finished than I ever expected. I just took my time with it; I really had no other choice, lol. The rockwork is what took the longest because I had to cut, reshape, drill holes into the feather rock and then sand it down. And then guess what? Feather rock floats!! And boiling doesn't help it to not float!! So I then had to silicone flat rock onto the feather rock to weigh it down. I tried several different things with the flat rock and Mexican Beach stones formations too, but everything I kept making kept falling apart; silicone didn't work and hot glue kept coming off after it dried. :x Grrrrr! I guess I was making my rock piles too big. I then bought some aquarium epoxy. Well, that didn't work either! So after rethinking my design a few more days, I decided to make simple rock piles out of the Mexican Beach stone instead of trying to glue it all together. I then decided to make the flat rock cliffs sort of as a centerpiece in the tank. I used superglue to hold the flat rock together. Supeglue is safe to use and I didn't know that until I already tried every other aquarium safe adhesive in the world it seems!! Grrrr! Live and learn!
> 
> I forgot to mention that I actually drove an hour and a half away from home to a place called Stone Mountain and that is where I got the flat rock. There is a trout stream/river/creek (whatever you want to call it) at Stone Mountain that runs for miles so I hunted for flat rock for several hours that day. I then, of course, had to haul it home, scrub it, boil it, and figure out what I wanted to do with it, lol. I bought the Mexican Beach Stone the same place I bought the Feather Rock; that too was cleaned and boiled by me. Oh, and Feather Rock will cut you quicker than a razor blade!! :thumb:
> 
> I won't even tell ya what I went threw for the substrate and filters, hahaha. I am now searching for fish. Nothing has been easy with this tank....but I guess hard works makes you appreciate things more, huh.


Wow, but at least it was worth it! Tank looks beautiful.

I've been all over too, searching for rocks. I've rearranged my rocks countless times. I'm at a point where even if I'm out with friends fishing or barbecuing, I can't help but to analyze any nearby rock, whether it would look good in my tank or not! lol.


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## CutieSusieQ (May 12, 2009)

iplaywithemotions said:



> Wow, but at least it was worth it! Tank looks beautiful.
> 
> I've been all over too, searching for rocks. I've rearranged my rocks countless times. I'm at a point where even if I'm out with friends fishing or barbecuing, I can't help but to analyze any nearby rock, whether it would look good in my tank or not! lol.


Haha, yeah the very first rocks I decided to use in my "new" tank were huge flat rocks that I actually "stole" from the mom's goldfish pond, haha. They were so big I could hardly carry them. I sanitised them and set them up in my tank for a couple of days but I just didn't like it. They were too big and too grey. I gave em back to my mom all clean, lol, she hardly didn't recognize them. At Stone Mountain, all I could find that I liked were the small flat rocks, everything else was large or the wrong color. That is when I finally decided to buy the feather rock and mexican beach stones.

I hope I will be happy with my rock for awhile. I don't want to have to start the whole process back all over again, lol.


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## palindromekid (Jun 7, 2009)

CutieSusieQ said:


> iplaywithemotions said:
> 
> 
> > Wow, but at least it was worth it! Tank looks beautiful.
> ...


Beautiful, Susie. I love the rock piles. You've inspired me to add some rock height to my 75 gallon tank! Great job!


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## CutieSusieQ (May 12, 2009)

palindromekid said:


> Beautiful, Susie. I love the rock piles. You've inspired me to add some rock height to my 75 gallon tank! Great job!


Wow, well thank you so much. I inspired someone! Very Cool!! hehe!


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## palindromekid (Jun 7, 2009)

CutieSusieQ said:


> palindromekid said:
> 
> 
> > Beautiful, Susie. I love the rock piles. You've inspired me to add some rock height to my 75 gallon tank! Great job!
> ...


Seriously! I uploaded pics of my current setup last night (title: 75 Gallon Malawi Tank user: palindromekid). I'm constantly moving things around and rearranging. After seeing your tank I now want to clear out the right corner and add some rock height. I assume the Mexican Beach stone is the pile on the left of your picture? I love the formation - where did you buy it? Also - what DID you end up using for your substrate?


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## CutieSusieQ (May 12, 2009)

palindromekid said:


> CutieSusieQ said:
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> > palindromekid said:
> ...


I used Eco-Complete African Cichlid Gravel (the crushed shells, not the sand) for my substrate. I added some black sand to it so it wouldn't be too pale. The Mexican Beach Stone are the small rounded rocks on the right. The taller pile of bigger rocks on the left are the Feather Rocks that I had to cut, reshape, drill caves into, and sand down so they wouldn't be so dang sharp. The cliff formation that sits kinda in the middle is something I made. I superglued several small flatrocks together until I felt it was tall enough. The white coral is just something I bought. I also have several seashells in my tank that I found on Hatteras Island. I boiled them before adding them to my tank.

My tank photo is kinda dark. You can't really see the caves in my feather rock that I drilled. I will take some more photos soon and post them here; probably tonight. There is too much reflection during the day on the glass.


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## palindromekid (Jun 7, 2009)

CutieSusieQ said:


> palindromekid said:
> 
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> > CutieSusieQ said:
> ...


THOSE are the Feather Rocks that you had to glue flat rock to in order to keep them from floating??? Holy cow. Where did you purchase them? I read how much work it was for you to achieve that look with the Feather Rock, but I must say it's really cool. Were you able to drill all the way through them for the caves? Obviously I'm looking forward to seeing more pics.

I know what you mean about the glare during the day - my tank is actually sitting in a sunroom. If I take a pic during the day I see the french doors and a line of windows (oh - and my reflection as well!) Surprisingly enough having the tank in the sunroom doesn't promote algae growth the way I thought it might (which is nice because it really looks sweet in there - and I don't want to have to move it again!).


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## CutieSusieQ (May 12, 2009)

palindromekid said:


> THOSE are the Feather Rocks that you had to glue flat rock to in order to keep them from floating??? Holy cow. Where did you purchase them? I read how much work it was for you to achieve that look with the Feather Rock, but I must say it's really cool. Were you able to drill all the way through them for the caves? Obviously I'm looking forward to seeing more pics.
> 
> I know what you mean about the glare during the day - my tank is actually sitting in a sunroom. If I take a pic during the day I see the french doors and a line of windows (oh - and my reflection as well!) Surprisingly enough having the tank in the sunroom doesn't promote algae growth the way I thought it might (which is nice because it really looks sweet in there - and I don't want to have to move it again!).


Yep, that's the feather rock. They are very porus and light weight, they hold a lot of air!. They are like pumice stone. Feather rocks are actually lava rock. I thought having larger pieces of them would keep them from floating, but nope! The only way I can keep them down is to weigh them down with other rocks. So I attached flatrock to some of them. The feather rock was very easy to drill. I used a wood boring drillbit. When drilling or cutting they crumble into a fine dust. To break them into smaller pieces I used a saw at first but then decided to use a large flathead screwdriver and a hammer. If you decide to work with feather rock, beware---it will make you itch like its fiberglass and it will cut your finger tips to shreds. So use gloves and wear long sleeves if possible, lol! :thumb: Sand it down once your done shaping it...and then rinse it to get the dust off, soak it to get some air bubbles out, and sanitize it to kill funky stuff that may be living inside it.

Here are two links about them
http://www.landscapemart.com/landscapeh ... 5&rshcat=3
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/d ... errock.php

Because they are so easy to drill, yes I was able to drill holes all the way through. On some, I drilled them all the way through to make tunnels. On others, I decided instead of drilling them all the way through to just make the inside of the rock sort of hollow; like a cave.

I had to call around to several places to find it because no one around here seems to know what feather rock is. I finally found it at a landscaping place about an hour from my house. They sold it for .60 cents a pound. I got $40 worth and had too much so I put the rest outside in my flower beds.


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## palindromekid (Jun 7, 2009)

Now, whenever it rains outside, you have Feather Rock floating around your flower beds? I hope you'll post more pics tonight! 

I'm in Northern Virginia, and I just ran over to a LFS near my work...they had everything but Feather Rock! On a brighter note, I saw some really cool fish that I'd like to have. Now I just have to figure out what they were! (Customer service is not high on this store's priority list.)


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## CutieSusieQ (May 12, 2009)

palindromekid said:


> Now, whenever it rains outside, you have Feather Rock floating around your flower beds? I hope you'll post more pics tonight!
> 
> I'm in Northern Virginia, and I just ran over to a LFS near my work...they had everything but Feather Rock! On a brighter note, I saw some really cool fish that I'd like to have. Now I just have to figure out what they were! (Customer service is not high on this store's priority list.)


Hahaha, the only way they will float is if my flower beds flood!! And hopefully that will never happen.

I bought mine in Charlotte, NC at http://www.atlanticlandscape.com/gallery_granite.html

You can maybe call them and they can help you find a place closer to home. Maybe they have other stores in other states.


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## palindromekid (Jun 7, 2009)

CutieSusieQ said:


> palindromekid said:
> 
> 
> > Now, whenever it rains outside, you have Feather Rock floating around your flower beds? I hope you'll post more pics tonight!
> ...


Thanks for the lead. I just did some quick 'search-fu' on the web and didn't see any landscaping companies here that carry it. The N. Virginia area is a true melting pot, and you can find most things here, but it really lacks a good LFS! I'll do a more extensive search when I get home. I gotta have Feather Rock! 

You've been a wealth of rock-info, plus, you should know that you're living my dream. I've always wanted to live in NC. My parents have a place in N. Mrytle so I'm in SC quite a bit, but my favorite vacation is to rent a lake front home in the Kerr/Gaston area. I'm also a Panthers fan. I plan on being in Charlotte for the Dolphins game this year. I pretty much consider myself a displaced Carolinian - even though I've never lived there.

Do you have a good selection of fish where you are, or do you buy online?


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## CutieSusieQ (May 12, 2009)

palindromekid said:


> Thanks for the lead. I just did some quick 'search-fu' on the web and didn't see any landscaping companies here that carry it. The N. Virginia area is a true melting pot, and you can find most things here, but it really lacks a good LFS! I'll do a more extensive search when I get home. I gotta have Feather Rock!
> 
> You've been a wealth of rock-info, plus, you should know that you're living my dream. I've always wanted to live in NC. My parents have a place in N. Mrytle so I'm in SC quite a bit, but my favorite vacation is to rent a lake front home in the Kerr/Gaston area. I'm also a Panthers fan. I plan on being in Charlotte for the Dolphins game this year. I pretty much consider myself a displaced Carolinian - even though I've never lived there.
> 
> Do you have a good selection of fish where you are, or do you buy online?


I had to search online for days before I found a place in Charlotte that sold the feather rock. I also found out that not many people around the "South" knows what feather rock is. Some places may actually sell it but call it a different name such as lava rock or something else. Most landscaping places around here sell small lava rock that is red like brick so make sure you ask if they have black/grey lava rock if you do decide to look around some more for it. If you plan on visitng Myrtle Beach anytime soon perhaps you can stop in Charlotte on your way at the place I went to buy yours.

Oh, and the LFS here are weak and cheesy! They don't have a clue about African Cichlids. We got the family owned places that are more into dogs/birds and then we got the big franchise places that sell mixed cichlids. I can't find anywhere that specializes in cichlids. So far, the only place I have found (kinda) near my house that sells cichlids from all three lakes is about 1.5 hours from my house. That's the best I found so far. I went there a couple of weekends ago and bought my first 4 yellow labs. They told me they could order the fish I want if they don't have what I'm looking for. I am currently searching for 8 Cobalt Blues right now. I have joined the RAS yahoo group looking for a local breeder but I just joined today so I haven't found anything yet. I would prefer to find a breeder but if I have to I will call that place back and ask if they can order me 8 Cobalt Blues or I will buy them online. I have one place I found online that sells them for $6 each but shipping is $39!!

BTW, I hope your parents weren't effected by the wild fire in N. Myrtle a few weeks ago! I have never rented a place in Gaston area. My favorite NC spots are the Outer Banks especially Hatteras Island and around Jefferson in the mountains. I like to go canoeing in the mountains and 4-wheelin in the sand at the Outer Banks


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## palindromekid (Jun 7, 2009)

CutieSusieQ said:


> palindromekid said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks for the lead. I just did some quick 'search-fu' on the web and didn't see any landscaping companies here that carry it. The N. Virginia area is a true melting pot, and you can find most things here, but it really lacks a good LFS! I'll do a more extensive search when I get home. I gotta have Feather Rock!
> ...


Luckily they weren't! I was actually down there the day before the fires. They had some to clean up ash fall-out and they said the air quality definitely sucked (no pun intended) for a few days. They could see the light from the blaze on the horizon at night. Pretty scary becaise it was such a windy time then too.

It goes without saying that the OBX is the bomb. Have you ever been to a place called Emerald Isle (I guess it's south of OBX)? The CEO of my company vacations there and always raves about it. I love NC because of the diversity (caneoing in the mtns., fresh water, salt water, hiking, AND 4WD on the sand...heaven?)

I too am having trouble finding fish. I just got into cichlids a couple of weeks ago. I bought a tank from someone and "inherited" a mix of 9 Malawi cichlids. After some research I figured out that I have a yellow Lab., a nice Ps. demasoni, two 2 cool looking Ps. Acei (they're both blue with yellow tipped fins), 1 Ps. Flavus or Crabro - the jury is still out on this one (it's the biggest fish at around 4-5 inches and yellow/brown striped), 2 Ps. Saulosi (they're both all yellow), 1 Julidochromis regani 'Karilani' (I think??), and 1 that I can't identify. It's small like at around 2-3 inches and kind of plain with flashes of green.

I just saw some really nice 3-4" Aulonocara red-peacocks and a sm. Aulonocara bi-color at the fish store at lunch. $40 each - but that beats $20 and $40 for shipping if I did it online!!


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## CutieSusieQ (May 12, 2009)

palindromekid said:


> Luckily they weren't! I was actually down there the day before the fires. They had some to clean up ash fall-out and they said the air quality definitely sucked (no pun intended) for a few days. They could see the light from the blaze on the horizon at night. Pretty scary becaise it was such a windy time then too.
> 
> It goes without saying that the OBX is the bomb. Have you ever been to a place called Emerald Isle (I guess it's south of OBX)? The CEO of my company vacations there and always raves about it. I love NC because of the diversity (caneoing in the mtns., fresh water, salt water, hiking, AND 4WD on the sand...heaven?)
> 
> I too am having trouble finding fish.


Check your "private message" emails. I just sent you one with some links.


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## CutieSusieQ (May 12, 2009)




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## CutieSusieQ (May 12, 2009)

Ok, so I got the close-up pics added last night finally after a ton of technical difficulties, lol.

I had to over expose the photos so you could see them better. The water was full of tiny air bubbles b/c I had been messing with my filter earlier in the day. But you can see the rocks better anyway; just ignore the bubbles, hehe.


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## palindromekid (Jun 7, 2009)

CutieSusieQ said:


> Ok, so I got the close-up pics added last night finally after a ton of technical difficulties, lol.
> 
> I had to over expose the photos so you could see them better. The water was full of tiny air bubbles b/c I had been messing with my filter earlier in the day. But you can see the rocks better anyway; just ignore the bubbles, hehe.


Pulchritudinous! If only I could trade you cobalts for 'finished' Feather Rock!!


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## CutieSusieQ (May 12, 2009)

palindromekid said:


> Pulchritudinous! If only I could trade you cobalts for 'finished' Feather Rock!!


Pulchritudinous?? Wow, nice word. I had to look that one up!! 

Yeah trading rock for fish would be awesome for me, hehe.


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