# Free tank, free fish, much confusion.



## theinjected1 (Aug 18, 2007)

Hoping to get some good advice (which I know I will) for a tank I am picking up on Saturday. It is a 110 tall (48longX18deepX30tall). I also just received 30 acei fry, 1/2 inch and eating like pigs, that are currently being kept alone in a 30 gal. I figure I have a a little time to get the 110 up to speed. My questions are:

-What would you do for:
filtration?
Substrate?
Decor (rock/wood)?
tank mates?
UGJ?

Thanks all!


----------



## why_spyder (Mar 2, 2006)

Filtration: I'll let someone else with filter knowledge help you here.

Substrate: I use small gravel right now (works slick for substrate cleaning), but I playsand/silica sand would also be a good choice. Sometime I plan to switch to it myself.

Decor: This is a personal choice. The fish won't be so concerned about decorations as long as males and set up a territory if need be, and everyone else has a place to escape should tempers rise. I have used rock in the past, but for ease of cleaning I have switched to 6"-8" long X 2" diameter PVC pipe and strawberry pots (upside down).

Tankmates: Of course I'll recommend a Cynotilapia species, just about any will do fine with the right ratio. Cynotilapia sp. hara is a very popular species right now.

UGJ: This is another item I am not familar with.


----------



## jhunbj (May 16, 2005)

Filtration: 2 Eheim 2217, don't forget to cover the input tube with stockings or foam.
Substrate: PFS
Decor: Rocks
Tank mates: Mbuna
UGJ: sure y not.  
Heater: 2 200W-250W Ebo Jager or Stealth heater

Good luck! :thumb:


----------



## why_spyder (Mar 2, 2006)

jhunbj said:


> Heater: 2 200W-250W Ebo Jager or Stealth heater


I forgot about heaters....


----------



## khaki (Jan 12, 2008)

Filtration: 2 Eheim 2217, don't forget to cover the input tube with stockings or foam. 
Substrate: silica sand
Decor: lace rocks
Tank mates: Mbuna 
UGJ: dont know about this
Heater: 300W lifetech


----------



## theinjected1 (Aug 18, 2007)

Thanks for the input thus far. I am going to assume PFS is pool filter sand, yeah? Another question dawned upon me after posting. These guys are herbivores, should I light the tank to promote algae, or assume that due to the fact that they are not wild caught, nor are they F1, that high quality flake will be fine and keep the algae to a minimum?


----------



## mike2724 (Dec 12, 2007)

Algae is good for the tank but it doesn't take special lighting to get it going.


----------



## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

A good quality food is all you need. I use New Life Spectrum (sinking pellets and wafers)and have plecos that keep the tank clean of algea.


----------



## theinjected1 (Aug 18, 2007)

Thanks dewdrop, what is the fish in your sig?


----------



## Peacock88 (Jan 21, 2007)

I'm thinkin it's a female Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos, Maingano for short.


----------



## bmills (Apr 17, 2008)

Yes indeed Dewdrop's lovely avatar is a picture of a Maingano. I have a colony of these and they are currently my favourite cichlid. Judging by the colouring her image is of a juvenile. At adult, even the femailes and sub-dominant males are a little darker. Splendid fish anyway - could not recommend them too much.

One question - why do so many recommend stocking or foam on filter intake? My only guess is that it's a precaution against fry being sucked into the filter...


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Exactly, keeps the fry from getting sucked up.


----------



## bmills (Apr 17, 2008)

Does it not lessen the flow though? Or risk clogging? That would be a concern to me...


----------



## theinjected1 (Aug 18, 2007)

OK... sweet little fish, but, are they aggresive as they are made out to be? Anywho, got the tank. The stand is ****. I am nervous with the tank setting on it empty, so the first thing is going to be a ney stand with matching hood. Going with Home Dumpster 48" shop light, black sand, and a DIY "center section". Instead of doing the DIY background, I think I am going to try an piled up effect in the middle of the tank possibly piling into one corner to hide "stuff". Ugj to get the poop moving, and I am looking into heating. Quick question for the filtration. The tank came with a H.O.T. Magnum 350. Would this along with two Marineland HOB 400's and the UGJ's be enough? Looking forward to the input.

And if there is anything else, please feel free.


----------



## bmills (Apr 17, 2008)

If you're talking Mainganos being aggressive then my experience is that they are assertive but not totally feral. The males certainly each have a "spot" in the rocks and shoo away any passers by. But they only very rarely squabble apart from that. The females are less territorial and are happy to roam around the tank - they seem to enjoy hanging out with my Acei, thats when they are not teasing the boys!


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Foam over the filter intake does slow the flow, but with fry they can't swim against too much current. No clogging, but easy to rinse with every water change.

theinjectedone, what is the gph for each filter? You want 4X to 10X turnover per hour. However, I would definitely do one or more canisters instead of additional power filters. Canisters are MUCH quieter. I have two canisters on my 125G, when I buy another it will probably be a Rena Filstar. I have a 3XP now and like it. My other two canisters are Eheims, they are nice too.

Rock piles are always good. With the shop light, just make sure you also have a glass cover, fish jump out.


----------



## theinjected1 (Aug 18, 2007)

Well then... If I have 48"X18" to play with, is more than 1 male do-able? I was thinking of adding some Mbuna for the bottom "rocky" space, but I am open for suggestions. I have some donated acei fry going in for the top. There are about 30 at about 1/2" hanging out and eating like pigs in a 30 gal at the moment. I was thinking of letting them grow a bit, then thinning the heard for a proper harem for a male or two in the new tank.


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

More than one male will probably work with Acei, you probably don't want to end up with more than six fish though. They are huge...I have seven in my 72" long tank and would not want more. Limit to one male on the Mangaino.


----------



## bmills (Apr 17, 2008)

DJ - you are a conservative fella! While your suggestions will obviously lead to fish with fantastic space to enjoy and territories of their own, I do think you are a little too careful on the Mainganos.

I have 6 (2M 4F) in a custom tall 35g and they have been fine for >6months. I should say though that the 2 males do enjoy having their own holes/caves in the rock so aquascaping is very important.

However overall I wouldn't imagine that a colony of say 8 Maingano of which 2-3 are male would be a problem in a 48" carefully set up.

On the Acei, my 4 are around the 2.5 to 3 inch mark but I swear that I can see them grow every day! Until I got these guys I thought I needed a catfish but they hoover up all the food, then spend an hour carefully scavenging every inch of the substrate! If they get too big my plan will be to trade them for Cy. Afra "Cobue" and/or to get a second larger tank.


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Reading pleas for help on the forum will make you conservative. :thumb:

My Demasoni were angels for the first 9 months in my 38G tank as well, but closer to 12 months...look out!

However, since most buy a group of unsexed juveniles and try to weed out males as they mature, do what we all do! Only weed them out if they are a problem. If you end up with 2 or 3 males and no havoc in the tank after a year...fabulous!


----------

