Tanganyika Chichlids... · CigarBid Forums

I lost my 105 gallon reef tank in 2004-5 when we lost power for four days and I did not have a generator to run the chiller. Hurts to this very day. However, wife and I went shoping for a 65 gallon tank yesterday and I am going to order it as soon as next week when I have the cash. It is going to be 36L x 18Wx 22-24H on a stand made by the tank manufacturer (Aqueon). Busting at the seams! Got my eyes on four Lelupi and a proven breeding-pair of Brichardi. Just can't wait!!!

Edited by user 2 years ago | Reason: Not specified

Gene363
Herf-A-Holic

2 years ago

rfenst wrote:

You're on your way. At least you're not considering a saltwater tank... yet. 😰

The escape pod: https://cigarbid.freeforums.net

ZRX1200
Herf-A-Holic

2 years ago

I love looking, but not maintaining….

MidnightToker( • )( • )
Herf-A-Holic

2 years ago

I keep Saulosi cichlids but they hail from lake Malawi. I like them because unlike most cichlids the females aren't a drab grey. They are solid yellow and resembling the more popular electric yellow labs minus the black stripe on the dorsal fin . The males are dark blue with black stripes resembling the popular convict cichlid. They are also more docile than most cichlids, theyre herbivores except when fry are present, and they are also mouth breeders meaning the females hold the fertilized eggs in her lower lip like a snuff dip until they hatch then she spits them out and the fry hide in the gravel. So u can tell when one is holding babies by her fattened lower lip. Some get eaten but I've had success getting some into a nursery tank and currently have 3 generations of them in my main tank. I previously had cichlids that would lay eggs on flat rocks but those eggs never last more than 10 seconds. You have to quarantine the female if u want to breed egg laying cichlids and even then you have to immediately remove her because she'll eat her own children if she gets hungry enough. Eggs are like their favorite food. I was only able to find these online on aquabid. Yes you can have fish mailed to you. They ship overnight, with a oxygen,food, and cleaner tab in the bag and if necessary a disposable hand warmer. (They check weather along shipping route) Shipping is about $30 but u can find anything on Aquabid. I bought 6- S2's meaning they were 2nd generation from wild caught. 2 males and 3 females survived transport so I now have S2s, S3s, and 4th gen Saulosis and they are beautiful.

Edited by user 2 years ago | Reason: Not specified

tonygraz
Herf-A-Holic

2 years ago

Never had the African cichlids, but I would recommend a separate tank for the breeding pair. One thing to watch out for is snails which will eat any eggs.

deadeyedick
Herf-A-Holic

2 years ago

Delicious! Do you fry or bake them?

tonygraz
Herf-A-Holic

2 years ago

Another thing to watch out for is deadeyedick with a net.

RobertHively
Herf-A-Holic

2 years ago

#10

I have kept fish since I was around 7 or 8. My uncle got me into it-- never had cichlids. Kept a lot of different tropical fish though. My buddy had a 55 with both African and South American Cichlids. Beautiful fish when they arent fighting each other Lol

Right now I have a 30 gal long with a Bluegill in it. Lol Named him Vince Gill. He is actually from Hivelyland. I caught him in a minnow trap in my creek. He was a tiny fry when I put him in there. Bout 1 1/2 yrs now

Did you know that black bass (largemouth, Smallmouth and spotted) and bluegill are in the cichlid family. They act the same as cichlids from the pet store--just aren't as colorful.

All of the rocks (not gravel) in my tank are from all over the mid atlantic or southern states. I would pick one up here and there when I went hiking or wade fishing.

BuckyB93
Herf-A-Holic

2 years ago

#11

I've had numerous fresh water fish tanks over the years. 20 and 30 gallon tanks. Chichlids were some of my favorite fish to have. I'd have a balanced selection of fish to help maintain the ecosystem. Regular fish for viewing. Plecostomus and a couple of snails for algae eating, Rainbow Sharks and Redtail Sharks, mini shrimp , Kuhli loaches and small crabs to clean up food leftovers in the gravel and so on. The crabs didn't last long. Those things would climb the air lines or float up on the bubbles from the bubble tubing and get out of the tank only to be found dead on the floor.

As ZRX mentioned, the tank maintenance of cleaning and water changes every 2 to 4 weeks, pH balance and so on turned into a chore that got old so I gave it up after a year or so. Then later I'd buy another one a year or two later but would get tired of the maintenance so punted again.

Never tried a salt water tank. I like fish tanks but I have no urge to do another one anytime soon.

MACS
Herf-A-Holic

2 years ago

#12

Yeah. Beautiful to look at... a giant pain in the ass to maintain.

Edited by user 2 years ago | Reason: Not specified

rfenst
Herf-A-Holic Topic Starter

2 years ago

#13

You're on your way. At least you're not considering a saltwater tank... yet. 😰

Gene363 wrote:

Never again. Fish are 5x more expensive than years ago. A small yellow tang, if there is even one in stock, is like $75 bucks. If not, I'd be therre again. 🤐

rfenst
Herf-A-Holic Topic Starter

2 years ago

#14

Yeah. Beautiful to look at... a giant pain in the ass to maintain.

MACS wrote:

Just a five to ten gallon watter change ever 4 weeks or so. Maybe 10 minutes?

I always over-plumb, over filter and such. No problems with a large tanke (different than small tank) becuase the great or the gallonage, the more stable the tank.

I also use only the right substrate and rocks and keep different kinds of fish to make it as PH and water hardnes, and maintainance free, as possible.

Maybe 30 minutes per month maintenace. That's all.

MACS
Herf-A-Holic

2 years ago

#15

My next door neighbor has a big ass tank. He's got stuff in his garage for maintaining it.

RobertHively
Herf-A-Holic

2 years ago

#16

It's a good idea to over-plumb. That is a big part of keeping the maintenance time low. That and not putting too many fish in the tank. I run a filter and heater meant for 60 gal tanks in my 30 gal.

I still have the pet store gravel (kind of a brown natural) in my tank, plus some of the rocks I have collected over the yrs on top of the substrate. I boiled the rocks and then let them dry in the sun. Never had a problem with them.

I don't test water quality anymore. Kinda like once you get to a certain level of comfort, with cigars, you don't really care if you have a hygrometer or not. The only thing I add to the aquarium water is 1.5 tblsp of aquarium salt bout once a month, during a water change.

I have a weird mix of fish at the moment as I am in between set ups. For many years I had a Silver Dollar tank, and now I'm in the process of making a native tank. I figured that since I went native, so should the tank.

I have 1 Silver Dollar (9 yrs old), 2 Green Cory Catfish (5 yrs old) a Bluegill, and a big crawfish. Crawfish lives in a rock cave, does a good job cleaning up the bottom of the tank. They all get along too. Not what I expected.

Next spring, if/when I have time I'm going to try and trap another Bluegill fry or maybe a Smallmouth Bass. There are several different species of fish in my creek. Fished for and caught some decent Smallies and I've even seen Brook Trout in there... Ultimately, once they grow out, I'm going to upgrade to a 75 gallon tank.

rfenst
Herf-A-Holic Topic Starter

2 years ago

#17

RobertHively wrote:

For what it is worth, I am an over-plumbing adict. I even have a 98.2 page book on aquaium-plumbing engineering from like 25 years ago. Formulas for flow, drag, pitch, pump out-put, materials, and the like.

The new filter is going to be good for 750 gals./hr. That's filtering the water in the 65 gallon over tank more than 10x/hr. I won't over load it with big fish or more than like 10-15" in total (all fish lengths combined) to start so that when they grow, out they still won't produce much of a biological load. That's how I did my reef tank, which required very little maintenance for months at a time. This one should be crystal clear and biologically clean all the time. Did the same thing when I built my pool. Had EVERYTHING bumped up one size as overkill. Have zero pool cleaning chores as a result.

RobertHively
Herf-A-Holic

2 years ago

#18

^^^^

Yeah, I should have said I've doubled my water filtration and heating element. Bc I have one of those hang off the back pumps/filters. It has 2 filters within it and is rated for a 60 gal tank. No problems with it though, or with water clarity.

You are talking about actual plumbing, like one of those Fluval pumps. The bigger the tank the more something like that really helps.

Good luck with it man. Let us know how it goes.

rfenst
Herf-A-Holic Topic Starter

2 years ago

#19

RobertHively wrote:

Hope to order everything Monday!

MidnightToker( • )( • )
Herf-A-Holic

2 years ago

#20

Have you seen some of the Hybrid peacocks and haps they've bred in the last few years? Unbelievably colorful. More colorful than some marine species. Check out snakerivercichlids.com.

Users browsing this topic

Important Information: