# New 46 Gallon Bowfront Critiques and Suggestions



## apex82 (Jul 16, 2010)

Hi just starting my first cichlid tank. It is just about finished cycling (4 weeks) with some zebra danios and black skirts. Running a rena xp4 and fluval u4 internal. I wanted the tank to look simple, almost zen like. It will be holding mainly african mbuna. Substrate is white pool filter sand and the rocks are from the site of a local subdivision. Not sure if I have created enough caves? I really wanted it to look less cluttered. Any suggestions or does it look adequate?
Thanks


----------



## Oscar Madison (Mar 24, 2008)

I'm partial to the bowfront tanks :thumb:


----------



## Oscar Madison (Mar 24, 2008)

The one thing you must remember about the hobby. It is what you think looks good and are happy with!


----------



## ridley25 (Jan 5, 2008)

apex82 said:


> I wanted the tank to look simple, almost zen like.


10/10. It's very sublime and looks so peaceful I could drift off to sleep.



apex82 said:


> It will be holding mainly african mbuna. Not sure if I have created enough caves? I really wanted it to look less cluttered. Any suggestions or does it look adequate?


That depends on numbers of species and numbers of individuals.

A 46 bow has a slightly smaller footprint than a 40 breeder, so I would be hesitant to suggest anything more than a single species tank.

The way your rocks are set up you really don't have many usable caves for mature mbuna - you'd likely find that both of your distinct piles would be claimed by your two dominant fish - meaning all other mbuna would be chased from pile to pile with nowhere to retreat.

You could combat this with overstocking, choosing a mild species or having only one male.

My suggestions:
Go dimorphic single species with Ps. saulosi or Cynotilapia sp. "hara." Get a dozen or 15 juveniles and shoot for 3m/9f.
5 Labidochromis caeruleus & 12 Ps. demasoni (the overstocking route)

Or...you could build a third pile of rocks that is larger than the two existing. It wouldn't look great if you had three uniform piles, but if the piles got larger/smaller as you moved from left to right you could still keep the 'zen' you're attempting to achieve. I used to have river rocks piled up in my tank and found it no problem to remove and re-pile during water changes or when chasing fish.

kevin


----------



## apex82 (Jul 16, 2010)

Thanks for all the comments! As far as stocking you are right on queue with what I was thinking about getting. Although I love the mbamba coloring so I wanted to try

6 demasoni
4 yellow labs
4 Cynotilapia Mbamba
2 Metriaclima sp. "Zebra Gold" Kawanga
2 synodontis nigriventis(upside down catfish)
1 bristlenosed pleco

Do you think this is going to end in catastrophe with my current setup? I could build the piles up a bit higher on each side as I still have tons of left over rock or just use them to fill in the space in the middle creating a unified rock wall.


----------



## ridley25 (Jan 5, 2008)

I don't like the idea of four species in a tank that small.

I wouldn't even put 4 species in a 55. Additionally, having less than a 1m/3f ratio per species is often an invitation to inter-species violence and/or hybridization.

Also, do some searches on demasoni - no one seems to have any luck stocking fewer than a dozen; six will become one.

kevin


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

ridley25 said:


> I wouldn't even put 4 species in a 55. Additionally, having less than a 1m/3f ratio per species is often an invitation to inter-species violence and/or hybridization.
> 
> Also, do some searches on demasoni - no one seems to have any luck stocking fewer than a dozen; six will become one.


Plus one. And I would not do hara in a 46G bow now that I have had them.

I absolutely love that round rock in the middle!


----------



## Oscar Madison (Mar 24, 2008)

I tend to agree with Ridley. I'm letting natural attrition reduce my tank to one species. The 6 yellow labs are 2nd generation and eventually it will just house the labs.


----------



## Oscar Madison (Mar 24, 2008)

Only non labs left.


----------



## apex82 (Jul 16, 2010)

DJRansome said:


> ridley25 said:
> 
> 
> > I wouldn't even put 4 species in a 55. Additionally, having less than a 1m/3f ratio per species is often an invitation to inter-species violence and/or hybridization.
> ...


Why no hara in 46 gallon? size or aggression issues? hmm sounds like I might be best off with just going 12 demasoni and some yellow labs.... Does a tank of only cynotilapia usually work?


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Both size and aggression on the hara. Mostly size. They are close to a full-sized mbuna.

The afra types would work as a species tank.


----------



## apex82 (Jul 16, 2010)

Here is an update... I liked your suggestions and went the Demasoni/ yellow lab route. I also got bigger rocks, switched to a painted spray bar, put in some led moonlights, added some new plants and changed the sand placement to exhibit a more natural look. Let me know what you guys think!? 
In the tank as of now:
8 Demasoni
5 Yellow Labs
2 Electric Blue Jack Dempseys(I got them first and they are doing great in higher ph)
1 Blue Crayfish
1 Synodontis Multipunctuas
1 Bristlenose Pleco

BEFORE










AFTER


----------



## Oscar Madison (Mar 24, 2008)

I like it.....much improved!


----------



## KiDD (Aug 20, 2010)

I got the same tank and stand. Did you get it at Petsmart? Did you use a petsmart perks card it saved me alot of money...


----------



## apex82 (Jul 16, 2010)

Craigslist..... saved me tons  Allowed for me to get rena xp4 and new coralife lighting.


----------



## TexasFishGuy (Aug 20, 2010)

What are those new plants, and are they live?

Looks great. :thumb:


----------



## apex82 (Jul 16, 2010)

TexasFishGuy said:


> What are those new plants, and are they live?
> 
> Looks great. :thumb:


They are fake plastic plants from Michaels. However, I bought some vallisnaria yesterday and put it in instead. It looks almost identical to the fake ones but these are live. I like the look of live better so I thought I would give it a shot and see how long till the little guys eat it.


----------



## apex82 (Jul 16, 2010)

Well it has been just over a month now since my last update.... so here it goes.. Looking for more feedback and suggestions PLEASE.

Added tons more rock
Added more sand to create natural hills
Added live plants(vallisneria, anubia) and removed fake ones
Added white led moon spoltlight at front of tank
Shortened length of LED moonlight to lighting middle section(creates shadows on sides)
Added a couple acei and rustys
Added snowball pleco

All in all the fish seem much much happier with their new fish condo. The white moon spotlight really added a lot! The blue led are cool enough as it is at night. However, adding a small white led spotlight to the front of the tank to be used at the same time made a huge difference. You get the dark blue shadows in the back and little ray of white liight... like the moon in the front. You cant tell in the pic, but I definitely recommend it if you already have blue leds set up.


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Last pic is very dramatic and cool. Love the shapes of the rocks. The fish may rescape your hills of sand, LOL. Are those JDs in the tank?


----------



## Manoah Marton (Feb 17, 2009)

Looks great!!!


----------



## apex82 (Jul 16, 2010)

Thanks for the feedback. Ya electric blues, male and female.. I think? Got them first so they are bigger than mbuna and are the boss of the tank. After a year or so I will probably have to get a bigger tank.


----------



## wlyons9856 (Sep 16, 2010)

Is that spray bar at the op to break up protein scum?


----------



## apex82 (Jul 16, 2010)

wlyons9856 said:


> Is that spray bar at the op to break up protein scum?


I use it instead of the regular output valve for the rena xp4(created to much current) and yes it removes the film on top with good surface agitation.


----------



## Morgan Harris (Sep 15, 2010)

Apex, I think the new setup is AWESOME...and still quite Zen.


----------



## apex82 (Jul 16, 2010)

thanks!


----------

