# Obsidian's 100 Gallon Tank



## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Hello,
I decided I would do a journal about my 100 gallon tank. I think it will be the most concise way to ask for some advice and keep those interested informed. I will be taking pictures along the way!

First Questions:
1. What is going to be the most convenient and efficient way to heat this tank? I have noticed very few heaters seem to be made for a 100 ga. I am wondering about putting 2 300 watt heaters in, one at each end. Is this a good idea? Bad Idea? Not necessary?

2. Filtration: I do not have money for a canister filter right now. What would be recommended? Again I am considering 2 HOB, one at each end, to help with efficiency. 

3. What substrate would be best for Cichlid's? I am thinking Tanganyikan.


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## Guest (Oct 30, 2007)

Again, congrats on the find.

1. If you are going to have a sump, put it in the sump, if not, which I am assuming is the case, I owuld put one in both ends.

2. I would put a penguin 350(the one for 75 gallons) on one end, and a penguin 250(the one for 50 gallons) or another 350 on the other. But I would deffaintly save for a canister.

3. For cichlids, I prefere gravel, actually, for any fish, I prefere gravel, because it is so much easier to clean and much less hassel. But for just about any ciclid, I would say sand, aspacially for tangs.

Can't wait to see pics!

Andrew


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## Dr_House (Aug 15, 2006)

I recently set up a 100 gallon tank for a pair of Oscars. I'm using 2, 250 watt stealth heaters, one on either end of the tank and they are doing a fine job. The benefit to two undersized heaters is that if one "sticks" on, it won't be able to boil your fish.

As far as filtration, I would recommend going with the Penguin 350 on both sides. Typically it will only save you a few bucks to go with a smaller model, and the more filtration you have, the better off you'll be. A lot of people I know are very fond of the AquaClear HOB filters, too. I have no experience with them myself, but those who I know recommend them above the Penguins.

As far as substrate, I would agree with sand for Tanganyikans, especially if you plan on including any shell-dwelling species.


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## Guest (Oct 30, 2007)

I forgot about price, for me, a Pebguin 350 costs about 40-50 dollars, and the next size down, costs me about 30-40 dollars. And because you are going with cichlids, Deffaintly go with the 2 350's because they produce alot of waste. Also, African cichlids like the current.


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## Guest (Oct 30, 2007)

double post...sorry

and BTW, I am one of those people who recomend Penguins over Aquaclears..lol


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## flamingo (Nov 5, 2005)

If your going with two HOB filters, you might as well go the extra mile, and get a canister, etc. You'll be paying a little more, but not a great amount.
Though, if you do go with HOB's, I would suggest using an Aquaclear paired with an emperor. Good water flow and filtration


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## Guest (Oct 31, 2007)

I agree, if you are going to get 2 HOB filters, you might as well splurge on a canister. Big Als is selling Rena XP3s for $90. Which is a pretty good price IMO for a good filter. I would still add either another smaller canister or a HOB to the tank later on, but the single XP3 will be fine for awhile. You may want to add a powerhead with it though for more water movement.


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## neilfishguy (Oct 7, 2007)

I would run two emporer 400s


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Wow that is a really good price for the Rena, at my Petsmart I just priced the XP3 for 180 bucks.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Okay I ordered things from Big Al's which really helped a lot. I ordered a Rena XP3 and an aquaclear 70 HOB for the filtration. I ordered 2 visitherm 300 heaters, one for each side, and a python 25. I bought one from Petsmart but I am going to return it because the price difference is mega huge. 

I need to pick out what my substrate will be. They didn't have many options at Big Al's, but one option is a Cichlid sand they have. I will consider that. I need to figure out where to get some rocks from as well. I am thinking I can get those locally and boil the heck out of them. 

Now to wait for the goodies to arrive!


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Well the "goodies" have arrived! I have much work to be done as the stand has a closed off back. So now I have to get an opening for the filter hoses, then I have to figure out how the heck to put that filter together. Dang it's big! (Rena XP3). Next step will be to clean it out a little better now that I have the python. I will also perform a more effective leak test now that I can easily fill it up. I'd like the Tanganyikan tank but the fish are fairly expensive so I may not be able to pull that off. So I will have to look into that a bit more before I commit. I may look into Rainbows, but I am not sure of their costs. It is just another colorful option I am considering. Something will work out nicely


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## Guest (Nov 13, 2007)

IME, rainbows are pretty epensive if you get the good ones. At the lfs I work at, the sheapest rainbow we've ever had, is 5.99, for dwarf preacox. The larger species:yellow, turquoise, red irian, bosmani, splended, red tail, etc, are 8.99 for the small ones (1-2 inches in length), 18.99 for large ones (2-4 inches in length), and 28.99 for extra large (anything larger than 4 inches in length)

So they are expensive, but are worth it. We keep all of out rainbows in a heavily planted, with vals, wisteria, and crypts, 55 gallon. I love the tank, the rainbows are always swimming, and when you approach the tank, even if it's to catch them, they swim right up to the glass to greet you, then swim away as soon as the net enters the water :lol:

I highly suggest doing a rainbow tank, but if you do, there is one thing that you MUST to. Plant it.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

I am not really ready to plant a tank so I am not sure about what I will do. I have filled the tank 3/4 full for a leak test. So far so good! And finally I have some pictures 

Leak test








Pretty much the whole wall!








Before I cleaned it up


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## Guest (Nov 18, 2007)

Its a beautiful tank and setup! I can't wait to see what you do with it.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

I am hearing that Cichlids get aggressive when full grown and that it is likely for one or two of them to become dominant and kill off the rest of the tank. How common is this?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

> I am hearing that Cichlids get aggressive when full grown and that it is likely for one or two of them to become dominant and kill off the rest of the tank. How common is this?


 This depends on the cichlids. Mouthbrooding Mbuna and some tanginikans like Tropheus are best kept in large groups to spread out aggression. Keep only 4 P. Socolofi or M. Auratus and you will end up with 1 male. Most substrate spawning cichlids (Angels, apistos, Laetacara, Julidochromis, kribs, jewels, convicts) will stake out territory when spawning, the key to success is to have a tank larger than their desired territory. So do your homework on each fish you are considering as the size of desired territory varies. Some South and Central American cichlids (convicts among them) are aggressive when first spawning and simply get bigger and meaner with age. Fish like jack Dempsey and Red Devil earn their names. If you see a picture of two fish separated by an egg-crate divider, that is to let them mate without letting them kill each other. So what you were told is true for some cichlids but by no means all. Its a matter of getting the right combination of fish in the right environment. Mbuna should have a tank full of rocks (go buy river rock from Pike stone center they are going bankrupt because of the drought here), Flat fish like discus or severum should have a tank full of tall plants. And the right size tank is essential. The #1 reason cichlids kill is that the tank is too small for the unwanted fish to get far enough away. So you have a lot more options than most first time cichlid buyers. As to how common it is for cichlids to kill all the tank mates, its too common. Pet shops sell Venustus, a fish that grows to a foot long and builds 3 foot wide spawning nests to people with a 10 gallon tank. So its only to be expected. Some cichlids like laetacara dorsiger are really wimps, but all cichlids defend their offspring and therefore are more aggressive that egg scatterers or livebearers that ignore their fry. The also have some of the most interesting behaviors to watch. Cichlids communicate with each other and their fry by both changing color patterns and fin and body language. When threatened, a mother (or a father in some species) mouthbrooder opens wide and all the fry swim in. S. american substrate spawners call their spawn with a few shakes of the lower front fins (angels have long ones, apisto females have black ones) and the fry swim in formation like a flock of birds. I might hesitate to give a child in the "everybody is friends" stage a cichlid tank, but if I set up a 100 gallon, it would definitely be cichlids, though it would take awhile to choose which ones.

Read the toughest cichlid thread for what to avoid. Also avoid fish that are called "eye-biter", "scale-eater", "fin-nipper", "piscavorous". There are cichlids that make their living in the wild from eating parts of or whole other fish. They seldom make good tankmates for any other fish. Though dwarf-pike cichlids are very neat (fry-eating specialists, good for convict population explosions).


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

*Update!*

Well this project has been on hold for several reasons. The biggest ones being technical issues that had to be dealt with, starting with the fact that the cabinet is solid all the way through! That means that I had to punch a hole through the back so I could have the filter connected. I have now done this and need some advice. There is a small crimp in one of the hoses because I didn't go high enough with this hole (and enlarging it is a huge deal since I am working from the front, which means I am at full arm extension... major PITA). I need to know if this crimp is enough to be a problem or if things should be okay. It is a Rena XP3.










Here is the hole I punched with a drill and a jig saw in a tiny space








And the whole filter, right where it belongs 









If its not going to be some huge problem I would rather wait on enlarging this hole. I will likely be moving this summer and would rather enlarge the hole then, when I can do it from the back where I will have easy access. The backing is like 3/4 inch thick, which is a lot! I thought it was just for show.... WRONG!









Now I have to fix the electrical outlet that this will all be attached to. There is a short in there and I am hoping it will be an easy fix. If not then this project will likely not happen before the move. The problem is I don't know for sure if I am moving and if so if it will be local or across state lines. I am trying to stay hopeful about staying local, which would not hinder me from starting the tank. If it looks like I have to move out of state I will have no housing guarantee and would not be able to keep the tank running. That would mean having to give any fish I put in there back if this happens. So that makes me wonder what I will do with the tank as well. I would like to at least get it running and put a gibbicepts (sp?) in it. It may not be much, but the lighting alone would add to the flavor of the room. The decorations would be nice, and the gibbi would have a place to hang out. I am going to ask for the gibbi in return for my zebra danio fry, so if I do have to give him back it wouldn't be a true loss financially.


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## Guest (Jan 1, 2008)

I can't believe the project is on hold! JK.  I know you wouldn't want to set the tank up just to have to take it down shortly after. 

I think the small kink in the hose of the filter will be fine. It doesn't look like its bent too much, so it shouldn't affect the water flow much and I really doubt you'll have any problems with it like that. I'd just make sure the clamp is as tight as you can get it though.......better safe than sorry.

As for the Gibbi.........they get huge, just like Commons. Someone on another forum had a picture of one from a local aquarium.....it was atleast 2ft long. I know 100g tanks are huge, but I don't think that would be big enough for a 2ft long pleco. You'd have to make sure you could provide it with an even larger tank or find a new home for it when it got that large. I'd be scared of pleco that large....lol. Would be something trying to move that thing..... I'm sure you know they get huge though, but I just thought I'd share. I'd personally get something else that doesn't get quite that large. Atleast then you'd know if you couldn't get an even larger tank or rehome it, that it would be fine in your tank forever. And maybe it wouldn't get that large in an aquarium, but they have the potential to get huge and may be stunted eventually. Thats just one of those fish that shouldn't be in the aquarium trade IMO...like Common Plecos. 

What about a Watermelon Royal plec.....they are supposed to get about 15": http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/species.php?species_id=337. Might be a little expensive though.....not sure how much they go for. Or a regular Royal Pleco would be fine. They'd need some driftwood to chew on though (same with the Watermelon Royal).  But atleast it would get quite as large as the Gibbi.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Wow I was told Gibbi's stay at about one foot, which is why I wanted the gibbi. Sigh. I will keep looking.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

GRAVEL!!!!!!!!








Silk plant that is suction cupped to the bottom of the tank, I know I am so clever!








Getting Exciting! WATER!!!!!








PYTHONS ARE AWESOME








TA DA!!! 3/4 Full to leave room for decorations. There are rocks just waiting in that creek behind my apartment. Come to mama!!! (I have some clay pots and shells for added decos as well)


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## flamingo (Nov 5, 2005)

1. Love the tank.
2. Your my hero


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## Guest (Jan 2, 2008)

Wooooot! She has water! Can't wait to see the decor in the tank and maybe some fish!


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## Kribensis12 (Jan 1, 2008)

Any more pic's? Very nice by the way!


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## Chaos553 (Apr 2, 2007)

love the plant idea ;D

looking good!


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Okay, I cleaned some local rocks. This is just the first batch of them, so there will be more added and depending on what I get they may move around a bit. I also put in the rest of the silk plants. THese are all just along the back wall because I am using suction cups to attach them to. This way I don't have to worry about the fish moving them around  I am excited because it is starting to look like "something" more than just a big tank-o-nothin!

Rocks Waiting to be Scrubbed Then Soaked:








Rocks Soaking In Sink








Silk Plants OOOOOO AAAAHHHHHHH!








More Silk Plants --- UP CLOSE *Getting snuggly*








OMG THEY ARE LINING UP TO JUMP IN MY TANK!








And they are IN!








This is my favorite corner, it probably won't change much. Granite is awesome!








Center of tank (For Now)









I would love to find some driftwood that is long so I can kind of drape it over the caves once they get built up. I think that would look really nice in the long run. 

Off to collect more rocks!


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## guppyart (Jan 22, 2005)

looking good ob


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## Chaos553 (Apr 2, 2007)

AHHH I love it!! These were the silk plants/rocks you were talking about last night in chat right? Looks absolutely stunning!


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Yes Chaos these are what I was working on last night. I now have 2 more buckets full of rocks, one soaking in bleach water, the other I just got back with, and it about killed me! The bucket got too heavy for me to carry back up. Not that this prevented me from doing it anyway! 

And what is most awesome is that I found a huge piece of white Quartz that I will put in there. Wooo Hooooo


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## Guest (Jan 6, 2008)

looks awesome!

did you go out in the rain to get the rocks last night like I told you?? :lol:

No offense or anything...but that's just not saying lake tang. to me...but it's looks amazing.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

And some more rocks from today's collecting and cleaning bout 

This is my dog Kayla dreaming of helping me with the tank








The Tank After Recent Additions








The Right Side:








The Middle!!!








The Left Side 








My Nice White Quartz









There are two more that I forgot were still soaking so I have those to add. I may add a few other rocks besides those but this is most of them. I want to find some flat ones for the tops that will not be easily disturbed or anything. I think it looks pretty decent so far! Hopefully some good driftwood will dress it up a bit more


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

*All Set Up*

Well I have completed the set up of the tank. I am just waiting on the tanks temperature to finalize so I can be sure it is where I want it at. My friend had a bunch of river rocks so I added them to the tank. Now I feel like there are lots of caves and hiding places  (I hate this camera as it has no way to manually focus it, and it has taken to not being in focus very well. Someday I can get a new one).

The Left Side








The Middle








The Right Side









It is still not cycled. I am going to think about what I want to do. I am still not positive if I will be moving or not, so I am hesitant to stock it with expensive tanganykian fish. So I am thinking about what might be the best thing to do that would not be really expensive should I have to take things back to the LFS. Even turning off the heaters and just putting in 2-3 fancy goldfish would be better than staring at a tank with nothing in it LOL.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Why not move your danios in for awhile? or the barbs? I know goldfish would be a lot easier to catch when its time for them to go.


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## Guest (Feb 19, 2008)

If you have a place to give the goldfish to if you move or if you don't and can stock the tank, then go for that idea.  I agree, goldfish would be easier to catch than danios or barbs, for sure! *imagines trying to catch some 1" fish in that huge tank........*


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

I thought about collapsing my other tanks into this tank. I have also thought about breeding my cherry barbs in there. ROFL I think that would be hilarious. I know they would look great in it!

If I bought the goldfish I would get them from the LFS and then just give them back for store credit. I would tell my friend what I was doing up front so she would know that they would eventually be coming back. She has some nice fancies right now, but I have to check them for disease signs etc. Sometimes the fish that come in there are not so good. 

They also have 2 huge tinfoil barbs that I thought about homing for a while. They would be impressive  Its a big tank, I have options LOL.

When I know for sure where I will be I definitely want the Cichlids. It is just a question of when it becomes what it is meant to be! The idea of transporting all those rocks around makes me laugh as well. I decorated that tank for less than 25 bucks  (The silk plants and suction cups, and the shells). I wish the equipment was that cheap! But overall I'd have to say its not bad for a 100 dollar tank and stand


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## Guest (Feb 19, 2008)

I forgot to say that the rocks look awesome! I love the layout of the tank.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Thanks Kristin  I appreciate that. 

I went to the store today and told my friend my dilemma. She tried to talk me into taking a ??Clown Knife?? I am not positive that is what it is called. It can't even turn around in its' display tank. I didn't ask its' story, but that she was trying to get me to take it tells me it is likely something someone could no longer house. 

I had to say no to that fish LOL. 

I am going to get some shrimp and start a fishless cycle while I think about solutions, and get used to the noise. It is a loud tank. If I make a decision before it is fully cycled I will throw in media from one of my other tanks.


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## Chaos553 (Apr 2, 2007)

The tank is looking very gorgeous. Good job Obsidian, keep up the good work


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## Clerk (Nov 22, 2006)

Just remember to not add any seeded media unless ammonia is in the tank 

Keep the shrimp in a sock or something, it will keep the majority of the goop contained.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Okay now that it is dark in my house, I could get pictures without any reflections in the glass. So here are some more


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## it4lian (Mar 4, 2008)

Thats a nice looking tank you got there. If you do tanganyikan cichlids you could put a school of jumbo cyprichromis in there as well. Their pretty expensive, but they look awesome. Their also great at bringing other fish out. I'm not sure how hard they are to take care of, but heres a place that sells a few different species of them as well as many more tanganyikan and malawian ciclids. http://www.reservestockcichlids.com/home.php?cat=4


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## oliesminis (May 7, 2007)

have to say.... thats pretty darn amazing, looks fantastic with a lot of thought in the setup

im dead jelous now

-olie


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## karazy (Nov 2, 2007)

looks great.cant wait to see it with fish


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

If you wanted Malawians, you could prob. put an ad up and craigslist and collect all the 'mixed cichlids' that have outgrown their 10 gallon homes.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Well I have added fish to the tank!!!!!!!!!!!

I have 5 giant danios in the tank right now. They are probably all I will have in there for a little bit since I put them in and I put the sponge from my 20 gallon filter in the HOB to cycle the tank (and I just put a new sponge into that filter since it is very well established). I want to make sure that the tank keeps up with the bioload before I add more. 

My friend at the store suggested keeping severums with the danios, so I am going to do some research about those. She also suggested chocolate cichlids, so that is another one to look up. She said that both are more peaceful than many other cichlids  She had both in the store and they looked pretty nice. I think I would be happy with them. 

The danios seem to like the tank. Right now they are only about 2-2.5 inches and boy are they great schoolers! I don't know if it is just a reaction to the new environment but I certainly hope they keep it up. They are glued to each others sides! I hope that raising all the fish together (for the most part) will help with any future aggression issues. 

I received some really awesome news today as well: My apartment complex will let me bring a greyhound into my apartment! The picture on here of my precious Kayla was one of the last pictures I got of her. I lost her in mid January and have just been having a hard time since then. This means that I will likely not be moving in July! So that helps with putting fish in the tank as well. These danios are a joy to watch!

I cannot post pictures right now because of whatever is wrong with my viewer, but as soon as I am able to I will get some up.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Also look at Uaru. http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=627. Another neat, peaceful, compressed, south american cichlid.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Wow that is a nice looking fish! I see that he stays closer to 10 inches, which I like better than how big the other 2 get. I don't want huge fish, but I don't necessarily want small ones either. What do you think in terms of numbers?


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Well after doing some research and seeing what is actually available in my area I went with 2 firemouth's and 1 green terror. I am not sure how many firemouth's to get for the long run so if anyone knows a good number that would be appreciated. The information that I have on them is that they are good in community tanks and that the green terrors don't do well with more of their kind, which is why I only got one. 

So right now in this tank I have:
5 Giant danios 2.5-3 inches long so far
2 Firemouth Cichlids- Small one is maybe 2 inches larger is maybe 2.5 inches. 
1 Green Terror Cichlid- About 2.5 inches long. 

That is all I can put in there for a while so the biological filter can keep up. I would love to know what kind of catfish I might be able to keep in this tank. I love the pictus so if thats a possibility that would be great.


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## oliesminis (May 7, 2007)

sounds like its going along well, do you know if your moving yet?


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## Blue Cray (Oct 19, 2007)

If you want a peaceful and beatiful cichlid I'd go for a gold severum.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Cray: Will the severum get along with my other tank inhabitants? I am trying to be careful.

So far the new fish like my rocks. I was hoping at least a few of them would use them  I went with American's because they are more peaceful. Eventually I will switch it over to Africans.


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## Blue Cray (Oct 19, 2007)

I'm not to sure I have never owned one so you'd be better off asking someone else. All I know is they are more peaceful than most cichlids.


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## Guest (Mar 17, 2008)

I believe that gold severums would be okay with the firemouths(my favorite SA cichlid) but I"m not sure about the terror.

We have a pair of breeding firemouth cichlids at my work....they had their first batch yesterday....there must be 500 of them(the fry). I'm going later this week to get pics.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

> American's because they are more peaceful


 I'm not sure I agree with this. Africans chase constantly, but IME Americans are more likely to beat/kill their spouse.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Thanks for the feedback emc  When I was looking around at the profiles there were a lot of American's that come up as peaceful with other tank mates and mildly aggressive conspecific. Many also said specifically if they could be kept with others of their kind, which is why I only bought the one green Terror. The profile said they will not do well with other GT's. All the recommendations I could find for the Africans were aggressive to everything. That might work out too, but I am new and just mostly guessing so for now I have to believe the profiles. I also am going with fish I can find locally, which narrows things down considerably, and ones that are not so expensive I go broke, which narrows things down even further.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Okay I may not be keeping these but they warrant a place in my journal 

I think these are Jack Dempsy's









And the bigger one coming to greet me while I take his picture (I really like him!)


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## karazy (Nov 2, 2007)

they look like dempseys to me, but thats just my opinion


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

After searching through the Cichlid forum for the last couple of weekends I have narrowed it down to Mbuna. So at least now I have an idea of what type of Cichlid i will put in the tank. They have a number of those that are fairly common and are only mildly aggressive. 

So my next step will be to find out how to make sure I get the right ones. So many of them look similar that I am afraid I will fall prey to miss labeling again. I am hoping that since they are fairly common I can get a decent looking tank for a decent price.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

I wouldn't have Mbuna, all are extremely agressive and attemp to kill every new fish. What has happened to your green terror?


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## it4lian (Mar 4, 2008)

That's why you keep large groups and add tons of rocks to make caves for them. Sure they'll be aggressive, but in a 100 gal you could have a ton of them which would help with the aggression.


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## oliesminis (May 7, 2007)

great pictures, they are great looking fish


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

The Green Terror hid too well and died. I am pretty sure that was the problem anyway. He would not come out, even to eat. 

I cannot catch the JD's. I even tried seeding the net with food, but they are too fast and there are too many places for them to hide. I have no idea what I am going to do. I stood over them with the net for an hour. There was just no way.


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## trashion (Aug 24, 2007)

Try two nets? Then you can kind of herd them with one, and catch with the other.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Well they run and hide in the rocks, no herding can solve that. Then they swim around the back of the rocks to the other side of the tank. Something will work out eventually. So far they are being gentle so I am not massively concerned ATM.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Well the Honeymoon is over. The big JD is already terrorizing the little JD and won't let it eat. The little one is now hiding. He leaves the danios alone though. 

What does it mean when a JD tilts almost completely on it's side to another fish?


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## HTML.Coder (Aug 6, 2008)

Obsidian said:


> Okay I ordered things from Big Al's which really helped a lot. I ordered a Rena XP3 and an aquaclear 70 HOB for the filtration. I ordered 2 visitherm 300 heaters, one for each side, and a python 25. I bought one from Petsmart but I am going to return it because the price difference is mega huge.
> 
> I need to pick out what my substrate will be. They didn't have many options at Big Al's, but one option is a Cichlid sand they have. I will consider that. I need to figure out where to get some rocks from as well. I am thinking I can get those locally and boil the heck out of them.
> 
> Now to wait for the goodies to arrive!


hey! 'big al's' i ordered MY HEATER from there, it worked good!


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## HTML.Coder (Aug 6, 2008)

trashion said:


> Try two nets? Then you can kind of herd them with one, and catch with the other.


good idea...!!!


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

*Putting it back on*

Well after the roll back I lost a bunch of the pictures i had placed on this thread. I am putting those back up now. 

Starting with catching my Jack Dempsy's. That was an undertaking let me tell you!


















HELLO??? HELLO?? IT SEEMS MY TANK HAS SHRUNK? COULD SOMEONE HELP ME OUT?


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

*Manzanita!*

And moving on to what the tank has become 

My Manzanita before be prepped to go into the tank:




































For size reference:


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

*Manzanita In Tank*

Floating Manzanita:









A little dark, but here it is once waterlogged.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

*Some of the stock *

Well the stock has gone up and down a bit as I have had some trouble with getting fish to make it past acclimation. Most of the problem probably comes from my high Ph, which is created by all those pieces of awesome granite. I have taken to using the majority of an entire day raising the Ph in the container I use before putting fish in the tank. That seems to help but is an awful lot of work. They are worth it 

German Blue Rams (These are just not going to make it. I am down to 2 now)









Some horrible but functional pictures of my giant danios:

























My Rosy Barbs:









My mystery snail (who didn't make it, but once I find a way to supplement calcium I will try again. I loved this little guy)


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

*More German Blues*

Here they are 


























No comments on horrid photography please. I know it's bad. I need a camera that can focus in the tank. It either does not focus or it washes out or it makes it too dark. It has no manual settings. Between my horrid skills and a POS camera for fish tanks this is the end result. (The camera does work well outside, so at least it is not a total loss).


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Okay it has been forever since I posted in here! But I am kind of excited by what is happening with this tank. Most folks know by now that I went with a community tank as I wanted to avoid aggression. I feel more equipped to deal with that now, but it's already a community tank so it will stay that way. 

I am wanting to increase the cherry barbs and the black neons. I tried to increase the black neons when Petsmart had a sale but I had massive ich breakout in the QT tank and even treating the tank didn't work. So I ended up loosing 2 sets (20 total, RIP  ). I do not know if they came in with it, or if there is ich my 100 ga that came with it when I used some of that media to insta-cycle the QT. I think if the problem was in the 100ga someone would be showing signs of it by now. So in the long run I don't have those yet. I am now nuking the QT and will try again once it's cycled. 

In the meantime I went to Phoenix today and went to a really nice fish store. They specialize mostly in salt but have recently added some freshwater. I came back with 5 bleeding heart tetras and 6 lemon tetras. I am way excited! They report no diseases for at least 2 months when they lost some Discus. They are not sure what it was that got them sick and that is all they lost, no other fish seemed affected. I am hoping they are right because I just dumped them into my tank. They looked like they really know their stuff and I didn't see even a single fish that was clamped or stressed. What a nice change! My friend and I are going back in 2 weeks. 

So I added those 2 sets and they have some really awesome ice blue Rams. I am wanting to know about the rams. They were expensive (22 bucks a piece). When I tried the German blues they died inside 6 months of introduction. I would like to get a pair of these ice blues but not if that is what is going to happen. Does anyone know much about them and ways I can keep them happy? I have hard water which I know is difficult but I don't know how much of a problem that would create. The Ph is 8 and has been since I started the tank, so it's been very stable that way. 

Any input would be helpful!

I am going to be so excited when I get it how I want it  I want about 20-25 black neon's and 15-20 cherry barbs. Then I have to decide if I want to increase any of the shoals for the Bleeding Hearts or the Lemons.


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## Guest (Mar 28, 2010)

Icy Blues are the newest color variations to the GBRs OB. delicate if they are shocked with pH diff but if done right they will live a long time. personally, i had my GBRs for well over 8 months before i lost the tanks to the crash. i lost 1 GBR when i had my 15 running and that was due to aggression but after that not a single one popped it. i guess it was just luck. i dunno. they do make very pretty fish. 

i never did do anything special. i just kept up the water changes, 40% weekly. gravel vac every 15 days. lucky for me my water temp rarely goes below 76 or above 80. well planted. GBRs love planted tanks and are happiest in that.


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