# Comments welcome! 60 gallon setup



## Ondapre (Dec 8, 2012)

here is my African Cichlid tank that my fiancee and I setup over this weekend. There are n't any cichlids in the tank yet but that will probably change today. I wanted a black background, but the soon-to-be wife wanted rock background... grrrr


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## metricliman (Sep 3, 2012)

Looks good! What are you planning on stocking?


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## rgr4475 (Mar 19, 2008)

Should have told her the wedding would be off if you didn't use a black background.


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## kojak76 (Feb 13, 2012)

Are those rocks stacked? Or is that a picture.


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## Ondapre (Dec 8, 2012)

haha yeah I said something like that, but it didn't work! I will change it sometime down the road when she isnt looking. poor Cichlids are trying to go through the glass and hide in the FAKE stone background.

it is a picture background with the flat rocks (very limited on what was avaliable at the store for a background...black was one of them GAH!) The rocks are from my backyard...NOT in the stream but close by. total weight of the rocks is just about 125lbs. I put 6 cichlids in there now. I forget the names I will have to search their proper names. but a couple of them are Electric yellow, Bumblebee, Livingstonii, Johanni, anddddd..... not sure about the two others... I plan on putting 6 more to have an even 12. think 12 is too much? all the fish will be at most 1-2" in length when I put them in the tank. I want them to grow into the tank.


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## BrendanMc (May 30, 2012)

Ondapre said:


> ...I put 6 cichlids in there now. I forget the names I will have to search their proper names. but a couple of them are Electric yellow, Bumblebee, Livingstonii, Johanni, anddddd..... not sure about the two others... I plan on putting 6 more to have an even 12. think 12 is too much? all the fish will be at most 1-2" in length when I put them in the tank. I want them to grow into the tank.


I would take the Bumblebee and Johanni out of there before they cause problems. They will be much too aggressive for that size tank. I would keep the Yellow Lab and add a few more, get some Rusties or other more docile species.


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## metricliman (Sep 3, 2012)

And the livingstonii. It gets big and mean.


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## kojak76 (Feb 13, 2012)

honestly that was the original plan for my background but with real rocks. But with 8ft long to cover and 2ft high...that was gonna be alot of money lol.


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## Ondapre (Dec 8, 2012)

kojak76 said:


> honestly that was the original plan for my background but with real rocks. But with 8ft long to cover and 2ft high...that was gonna be alot of money lol.


yeah I could get all those rocks in the paper background and make a 3D background with real rocks. But I wanted tank setup and the misses was getting impatient! lol



BrendanMc said:


> I would take the Bumblebee and Johanni out of there before they cause problems. They will be much too aggressive for that size tank. I would keep the Yellow Lab and add a few more, get some Rusties or other more docile species.


You think with the size of the tank (6) and the amount of fish I plan to have (12), would the Johanni and Bumblebee be able to have a less aggresive relationship with others? Or will they just look for a fight. Right now after watching them for a while it seems everyone is getting along and the only chasing I see is when another fish enters the others "territory". I will watch them more closely and if I see too much aggression on the other fish from those guys then I will take them out and give them a better more appropriate home.


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## Ladyfish (Jul 21, 2012)

Ondapre said:


> ... I wanted a black background, but the soon-to-be wife wanted rock background... grrrr


Heh, my husband pulled that same silliness on me. We have two tanks with black backgrounds and no way were we going to have a third, according to him! My solution - I bought a 3D background that looks really amazing for my new 75 gallon. They make slimlines, as well, that slide right in. Might be a good solution for you both 

As for aggression due to a bad mix of fish, I have some sad experience. It can start up months later, after the fish settle in and mature. And when it starts, it can escalate very quickly, even overnight. You think everyone is getting along fine, then suddenly the fishy hormones kick in and literally overnight you have dead fish, and no idea why. Last spring I lost 6 amazingly beautiful fish over the course of a few days, 3 of which I had had for over 7 years, due to a fish maturing and deciding they looked like a threat. He had been living peacefully in the tank for 6 months before this happened. He only attacked them at night, so it took me a few days to figure out that it was him, and not some problem with water quality or illness. I was pretty ignorant then - hadn't found this forum yet! Anyway, just realize that when fish decide that others are a threat, they might not mess around with a bit of chasing before they kill.


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

What are the tank dimensions? Is it cycled?


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## Ondapre (Dec 8, 2012)

Ladyfish said:


> As for aggression due to a bad mix of fish, I have some sad experience. It can start up months later, after the fish settle in and mature. And when it starts, it can escalate very quickly, even overnight. You think everyone is getting along fine, then suddenly the fishy hormones kick in and literally overnight you have dead fish, and no idea why. Last spring I lost 6 amazingly beautiful fish over the course of a few days, 3 of which I had had for over 7 years, due to a fish maturing and deciding they looked like a threat. He had been living peacefully in the tank for 6 months before this happened. He only attacked them at night, so it took me a few days to figure out that it was him, and not some problem with water quality or illness. I was pretty ignorant then - hadn't found this forum yet! Anyway, just realize that when fish decide that others are a threat, they might not mess around with a bit of chasing before they kill.


hmmm yeah well I will try my best to keep an eye out for that when it happens. If it does I have a good LFS home for them. Hopefully Id get some credit for them!



GTZ said:


> What are the tank dimensions? Is it cycled?


The tank dimensions are 48x24x12 same size as a 55gal. but a little bit taller. as far as it being cycled. I am not sure. I have been checking it everyday and the readings are as follows:

NITRATE: 10-20ppm
NITRITE: 0ppm
HARDNESS: 140+ppm
Alkalinity: around 80-120 (not exact, at work and don't remember the official reading)
PH 7.6 - 8.0

I added the stuff that adds all the proper nutrients and minerals to the water for the Cichlids so right now I assume the water is in great shape for them.


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

Get yourself an ammonia tester if you don't have one already. It's highly toxic and builds in tanks that aren't cycled. Unless you're using substrate, decorations or filter media from another tank, I don't think the tank is cycled. You said you set it up this past weekend?
Fishless Cycling


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## Ondapre (Dec 8, 2012)

GTZ said:


> Get yourself an ammonia tester if you don't have one already. It's highly toxic and builds in tanks that aren't cycled. Unless you're using substrate, decorations or filter media from another tank, I don't think the tank is cycled. You said you set it up this past weekend?
> Fishless Cycling


with having the 6 fish in there and feeding them proper amounts and checking the water quality every day, I haven't seen any spikes yet. I plan on doing a 15-20% water change this weekend (for when the fish have been in there for almost a week). I have a API master testing kit. I understand now that the fishless cycle is a better and safer way to go about doing this and I should have, I asked local LFS advice before I joined here. By tomorrow the tank has been running for two weeks.


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## Ondapre (Dec 8, 2012)

GTZ said:


> Get yourself an ammonia tester if you don't have one already. It's highly toxic and builds in tanks that aren't cycled. Unless you're using substrate, decorations or filter media from another tank, I don't think the tank is cycled. You said you set it up this past weekend?
> Fishless Cycling


Nitrites is at 0 and Ammonia is a 0.25 after a week with the fish in there. everything else is as said above

with the 6 fish in there now when should I expect the spike to hit? I plan on doing a 20% water change this weekend.


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

Keep testing daily. If ammonia approaches 1ppm you need water changes to bring it down. Same with nitrites.
Everything is new correct? Not from a previous tank?


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## Ondapre (Dec 8, 2012)

yes correct everything is new I have been testing everyday and this weekend it will be due for a water change. The nitrites were still at 0 and the Ammonia was 0.5 now The High Hange PH test put it at 8.2. Given that I am going for a Malawi Lake style tank I took that as good. Alk was 180 and Hardness was 120. are those acceptable levels for the fish?


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

Levels are fine. Concentrate on ammonia readings for now, looks like they're beginning to rise. You can test for nitrite but don't expect any readings for a while. 
Your weekly water change frequency will have to be increased as levels rise, daily if necessary to keep under 1ppm. Ideally, around .25-.5ppm.
Keep in mind that a 1ppm reading will require a 50% water change to reduce to .5ppm, or thereabouts. 
What dechlorinator are you using? I recommend something that detoxifies ammonia and nitrite, such as Seachem Prime. Just don't overdose as it can slow the cycling process.
If you can obtain some filter media from a healthy, established tank, that will greatly speed up the cycling process.


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## Ondapre (Dec 8, 2012)

I have "Prime" and "Microbe-Lift dechlorinator +water conditioner" I have my 20 gallon piranha tank in the house that has been established.


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## mikelfc583 (Nov 8, 2012)

That looks great, gonna start a cichlid tank after christmas. Great badge too


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## Ondapre (Dec 8, 2012)

mikelfc583 said:


> That looks great, gonna start a cichlid tank after christmas. Great badge too


"You'll Never Walk Alone!"

My fiancee keeps telling me to take it done and I told her never lol. The fish tank is in my bar room. I couldn't think of a better place for the Liverpool Badge. Cheers!

Thanks! Yeah the tank is going well so far and the fish seem to enjoy it. No major issues yet as I have some more aggressive fish in there. I plan on adding a few more rocks along the side so that the wall looks like it continues through the glass so it actually seems like a lake rock wall. etc. If I get a bigger tank I Will be getting a 3D background and really make it work.


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