# Getting back into raising Cichlids after 30 year absence



## Bikeman48088 (Nov 13, 2013)

I'm new to the forum and look forward to exchanging ideas and stories with all of you. As the title says, I'm planning on getting back into raising Cichlids after a 30 year hiatus. I recently retired after managing a chemical lab for the past 25 years to start a bike making company with my son and have a little free time to get back into the hobby.

A friend of mine just gave me a 90 gallon tank with a Cascade 1500 filter and lots of accessories, so now I'm trying to figure out what to do with it. Back in the late 70's-mid80's, I lived in an apartment and had 7 10-29 gallon tanks that I used to raise various cichlids including Firemouths, Blue Acaras, Convicts, Jack Dempseys and Mozambique mouthbreeders, so I figured I'd raise Cichlids again.
But, I've been out of the hobby so long that I forgot most of what I knew and wanted to start again fresh. 
The first decision is : sand or gravel. I'm leaning towards sand, but I'm open to suggestions.
Second is starter fish. Since this is essentially a new tank, I will have to establish a nitrogen cycle before going crazy with a lot of fish. Suggestions there would be helpful, with the understanding that eventually, this will be a freshwater (not brackish) Cichlid colony tank and that I'm not interested in spending a fortune on fish. 
I travel enough that I won't be able to baby the tank with constant attention, too, so minimal maintenance is a plus.

So, I'm open to any and all suggestions on how to proceed.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Hello and welcome to the forum!

My first suggestion would be to read this article on fishless cycling and follow its instructions:

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/f ... _cycle.php

While you tank is cycling-it will take 4-6 weeks unless you have a good source of bacteria-you can take the time to decide on what species you'd like to keep and how you'd like to setup your tank. With a tank this size the options are almost limitless with the exception of some of the larger new world cichlids and africans. You could do mbuna, hap/peacock/mbuna, hap/peacock, smaller SA cichlids, smaller CA cichlids, Tanganyikan community, angels, discus, angel/discuss community. The possibilities are vast. Take some time to look through the different species groups and profiles on this site and decide on what you'd like to house in this tank. Once you have done that and cycled your tank we can help you more with the setup.

For a relatively low-cost setup I would suggest either mbuna or CA cichlids. Mbuna are around $5-10 for juvies and central americans are about that range as well. Both are readily available at your LFS and even in the big box pet stores. JD, firemouths, and texas cichlids-as you previously kept-are easy to come by and relatively in-expensive. I would not say that any cichlid is 'cheap' (tetra/barb price range), but they are definitely worth the investment.


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## chiroken (Sep 25, 2007)

+1 on the fishless cycling. I've never done it before but will be at some point doing it for a large 300g tank. I've always had extra filters cycled on other tanks that I just move across and presto!

For fish type maybe you should narrow it down to what region of the world you want to focus on? African, South America? The choices are almost endless. This site and others have great profiles sections where you can just cruise through and look for shapes and colours you love and then start to narrow it down. African Malawis can't be beat for colours. What about fish activity? The african malawis will be on the go, lots of movement, social structure. I've been told the South Americans tend to be quite still and don't have tons of movement. The angels and discus I've kept certainly fit into that category.


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## mambee (Apr 13, 2003)

Definitely go with sand. I switched all of my tanks to sand many years ago and would never go back to gravel.


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## Bikeman48088 (Nov 13, 2013)

Thanks for the feedback. I've never tried the fishless cycling, but being a retired chemist, it probably isn't beyond my abilities. :wink: 
I'll probably start with what I already knew, so SA and CA Cichlids will probably be my first choice in cichlids. I'll throw a pleco in there for good luck. They always seemed to hold up well to the more aggressive cichlids harassment. 
I've decided to go with sand to start, since I recall my cichlids always loved to rearrange the furniture and plants. 
The former tank owner sent me home with bags of slate, driftwood and carved lava, so that shouldn't be hard to get set up. He also gave me some coral which is probably a no-no for a SA/CA cichlid tank, right?
Keep the suggestions and comments coming.
THX


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## chiroken (Sep 25, 2007)

I would probably omit the coral if I'm looking for softer, lower pH water. I am shifting to sand as well, super cheap. Pool filter sand (not playground sand) from my local building supply store was something like $8 for 50lbs. Not pure white but pretty close. Pay attention to grain size, I think I got 20/30# as the 70# was too fine, literally seemed like powder, blowing around, concerned it would get into filter impellers etc (I think I got the courseness the right way around?) I think it even came up from the US, Laine Mountain sand seems to ring a bell, Oregon or something.


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## Bikeman48088 (Nov 13, 2013)

Well, I felt energetic today and set my tank up. I put 100 pounds of Mystic White Pure Filter Sand from West "By God" Virginia. Great particle size and I didn't have to rinse it before use to get out the dust. When I figure out how to post a photo on this site, I will.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Cool! I love PFS!


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Posting pics....
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?nomobile=1&f=4&t=255444


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## Bikeman48088 (Nov 13, 2013)

image by anon_amys, on Flickr

Thanks Iggy
It appears to have worked. As you can see, no fish, filter or heater installed yet. I decided to go with a Christmas theme background since my nieces are coming to visit in a few weeks.


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## Bikeman48088 (Nov 13, 2013)

Bikeman48088 said:


> I'm new to the forum and look forward to exchanging ideas and stories with all of you. As the title says, I'm planning on getting back into raising Cichlids after a 30 year hiatus. I recently retired after managing a chemical lab for the past 25 years to start a bike making company with my son and have a little free time to get back into the hobby.
> 
> A friend of mine just gave me a 90 gallon tank with a Cascade 1500 filter and lots of accessories, so now I'm trying to figure out what to do with it. Back in the late 70's-mid80's, I lived in an apartment and had 7 10-29 gallon tanks that I used to raise various cichlids including Firemouths, Blue Acaras, Convicts, Jack Dempseys and Mozambique mouthbreeders, so I figured I'd raise Cichlids again.
> But, I've been out of the hobby so long that I forgot most of what I knew and wanted to start again fresh.
> ...


The guy that gave me the tank and 4 bags of accessories even had the original receipts for the tank and filter. It's a 120gallon tank, not a 90 as I had thought.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Yea it doesn't look like a typical 90. What are the dimensions?


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## Bikeman48088 (Nov 13, 2013)

Iggy Newcastle said:


> Yea it doesn't look like a typical 90. What are the dimensions?


When I measured the tank and do the math, I get 14.583ft3 which should be 109gallons. 
72" x 17.5" x 20" = 25200CI=14.583CUFT = 109 gallons, even if you rounded off, it would be 110, not the 120 the receipt stated.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Bikeman48088 said:


> Iggy Newcastle said:
> 
> 
> > Yea it doesn't look like a typical 90. What are the dimensions?
> ...


Ya, def not 120G. That is a odd sized tank, but I kinda like it.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

We'll a 6' tank blows your stocking wide open. Nice.


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## Bikeman48088 (Nov 13, 2013)

Got the tank up and running now. It has 4 juvenile Firemouths, 4 juvenile Jack Dempseys an albino bristlenosed Pleco and a Chinese algae eater. 
Not much of a load for a 110 gallon tank, but easy to care for.
Only issue is fine particulate isn't being filtered out very well through Cascade 1500 canister filter. Time to change media or should I supplement with some other type of filtration?


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## pablo111 (Dec 10, 2013)

Why don't you add an Aquaclear 110 to the mix and stuff it full of floss? (polyester filter floss. It looks sort of like pillow stuffing. $2-3 for a 1 year supply)


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

I agree with Pablo on an additional filter.


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## Bikeman48088 (Nov 13, 2013)

pablo111 said:


> Why don't you add an Aquaclear 110 to the mix and stuff it full of floss? (polyester filter floss. It looks sort of like pillow stuffing. $2-3 for a 1 year supply)


I picked up a Maxi-jet 1200, set it up in powerhead mode, cut a plastic water bottle bottom off, stuffed it with floss and it works so well that I don't even need to vacuum now. I saw a video with this type of set-up. The only variant is I used a small clear 8oz dixie cut with its bottom cut out to act as a funnel inside of the bottle.


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