# NEW!! cichlid tank (constructive criticism please)



## troyino777 (Dec 10, 2008)

ok, so heres my 40G tank, im new to this whole cichlid world, so any ideas or tips on how to improve my tank would be appriciated thanks... the plants are bad, i know but times are tough, ill soon be able to buy better decor, any tips on good plants? or where to get them? (im adding more rocks to make bigger caves)































































I HAVE 2 CATFISH


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## danielratti (Feb 17, 2008)

A venustus will not to good in a 4 foot tank. It will also not do well in a all mbuna tank.


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## Maddog (Nov 7, 2008)

danielratti said:


> A venustus will not to good in a 4 foot tank. It will also not do well in a all mbuna tank.


I have two in my 55 gallon 4 footer
along with 2 red zebras, 3 maingano's and a red top

They are doing great, no one has nipped fins, everyone colors up nice. 
I've had them for aroudn a year.


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## danielratti (Feb 17, 2008)

Yeah but have they reached the 10 inches they grow to yet?


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## demonsoni (Feb 10, 2006)

danielratti said:


> Yeah but have they reached the 10 inches they grow to yet?


lol


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## Brother Anthony (Mar 16, 2009)

What kind of fish was that in the last pic? Looked almost K-9 to me


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## danielratti (Feb 17, 2008)

demonsoni said:


> danielratti said:
> 
> 
> > Yeah but have they reached the 10 inches they grow to yet?
> ...


I know right.


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## raggs715 (Mar 6, 2009)

i have learned this the hard way, your 5-6 dollar fish are most likley going to beat up you 15-30 dollar fish so be carefull with the mbuna's...


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## webgirl74 (Jan 30, 2009)

Honestly...and this is just my personal opinion mind you...but I'm not a fan at all of the coloured gravel. If you're going to do gravel instead of sand substrate, spend your $ on natural coloured gravel. Real plants are nice, but some fish will just eat them and they do require proper lighting and fertilizers, etc. There are some really nice and realistic looking fake plants out there now. I have a lot of the silk ones that are even silkscreened to have veining, blotches, shading etc. They actually flow in the current too like real plants would, so they look more realistic. Plants can get pricy, but check online sources. Most of the time you can find much better prices than in the stores, and because of the light weight, shipping is pretty cheap too.


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## PsYcHoTiC_MaDmAn (Dec 26, 2005)

I fixed the links, photos are all displayed properly apart from the first, which is claiming not to be the correct address.


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## ddarden90 (Mar 16, 2009)

dude redo, use sand instead of using that ugly unnatural blue gravel. sand is very cheap too besides the gravel the setup is pretty nice.


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

I like the rocks. Thats about it.

Sorry, all the fake stuff and loud colored substrate dont do it for me. I also agree with the others advice and so should you to be honest.


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## nauTik (Mar 18, 2009)

yea just bein honest as you're asking for constructive criticism. I really don't like to have plants and gravel that out color or match the color of my fish. I really prefer a natural look to a tank that brings out the fish, as the fish are the main point of a fish tank imo. Unless it's a salt water reef tank or something 

What'd Id do if I were you is if you have to have plants, get more realistic looking fake ones. Also you said you were going to add more rocks, I'd say just change the substrate before you add in those rocks. Then just do what you do, the rocks you already have look great, it's the just fake plants and fakey gravel that need to go


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## ashilli48 (May 14, 2006)

Question for you is:

Do YOU like the blue gravel? Then go for it. Keep in mind though, eventually the "paint" or whatever they color it with will rub off, due to movement, attempts to eat it (lol), etc.

Do YOU like the plants? The bad experience I had in first starting was the plastic plants really hold onto debris, BAD. Also, with your crowd it won't be long before ALL of your "plants" are floating around after being dug up.

As for live plants, try anubias or java fern. Cichlids don't munch on these as much, if at all and their roots will grab onto things too heavy for the fish to dig up or move. Just start with mature specimens already on rock or wood, rubber band them yourself, or grow out in another tank. Just consider the lighting, CO2, ferts, etc.

As for the compatibility of the fish with each other, the size of the tank....develop a good relationship with your LFS so you can exchange or trade out your issues.....but always try to do the research, THEN buy the fish. True the Venestus will hit 10+ inches but enjoy him until then .... 

Just keep in mind a few things.....this IS the place to come for knowledge, without a doubt! It is also the place to come for opinions, which are like elbows (and other things) everyone has them. So if you are searching for a right way for your aquarium to appear, well.......throw the fish back in the water they came from, where God intended them to be.......otherwise enjoy what appeals to you, but tweak it to the fishes liking, i.e. soft substrate for barbel fish, hiding places for rock dwellers, free swimming areas for open water fish, etc.


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## alicem (Jul 26, 2007)

> the plants are bad, i know but times are tough, ill soon be able to buy better decor,


Something you could do is pull out the orange, pink etc. colored plants. They take your eye away from the fish.
Keep the green "less fake looking" ones. The green one with a little red and the lime colored ones are ok.
Fake plants are fine for now. Your fish will probably eat/tear up live ones anyway.
hth,
ps, I like that brindle dog.


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## Buckeyereavis (Jun 20, 2008)

Well i started a year ago... i had cool rocks plants, a castle... i was tired of that quick and my fish were too so i went down to the beach and found rocks that were along the shore..... the had muscles on it and everything... brought them home and scrubbed the **** outa them... then boiled them to make sure i got all the crabs and stuff out..... i love the rocks i have and it was all free.... my cichlids rearrange the plants like 1 day after putting them in there so i dont use anymore.....

i also had blue gravel too..... and it got either black or white... lol so i changed that out like 3 weeks after spendin all that money on it!!!! so hopefully ur gravel doesnt fade or chip like mine did! I use crushed coral now!!! and man i love it its natural looking and does something to the ph lol lowers raises stabilizes something possitive lol!!!!

I was on here every other night reasearching talking to everyone!!!! They were really helpfl!!!!!!!

check out my tanks if you even care!!!!!

P.S. i had a vent too and that jerk got big and mean soooooooo fast killed 6 fish lol so i gave him to petsmart!!

Good Ones:

























Bad Ones:


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