# Possibly new to African Cichlids Need some help with learning !!! & post pix of tanks.



## fishfrenzy (Jan 20, 2005)

*Possibly new to African Cichlids Need some help with learning !!! & post pix of tanks.*

I might be setting up a 75g bow front African Cichlid tank. I just need some help getting started/ learning about ALLLL the different types of cichlids there are, which ones can live with which, what the Male to Female ratio(s) should be. What the water parameters should be etc etc etc etc etc. Also, I want to decorate the tank with nice large rock formations with lots of caves etc. However I am a little hesitant to do so being I dont want the glass to break, and I dont want the rocks falling over etc. I have heard just to stack them to where they Definitly won't/cant fall. I have been told to glue the pieces together, (how the hell do I do that). I have been told to use cut up plastic milk crates as supports?!?! So as of right now I am a little on the LOST side of things. All i DO know as of right now, Is I want to use sand as the substrate, or some other nice looking fine substrate. And I have been thinking about doing an UGJ "Under Gravel Jet" system. but am also having second thoughts b/c what if the sand or substrate eventually falls into the PVC so much it clogs the piping?? 

Please help me out in anyway shape or forum!! Advice, pointers, links for me to read up on certain areas of cichlid keeping........

Also, could yall please post pictures of your cichlid tanks for me, I like to get ideas by looking at other tanks. Thanks alot for the help!!!! :fun:


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## malawi4me2 (Jan 18, 2005)

*Re: Possibly new to African Cichlids Need some help with learning !!! & post pix of tanks.*



> I might be setting up a 75g bow front African Cichlid tank. I just need some help getting started/ learning about ALLLL the different types of cichlids there are, which ones can live with which, what the Male to Female ratio(s) should be. What the water parameters should be etc etc etc etc etc.


All of these factors depend on what type of African cichlids you want to keep. There are many different types of cichlids from Africa's rift lakes (Malawi and Tanganyika), from Lake Victoria and it's surrounding lakes (Lake Edward, Nawampasa, etc.), and from Africa's tropical rivers. I keep Haplachromine-type cichlids from Lake Malawi in my 120g tank. 



> Also, I want to decorate the tank with nice large rock formations with lots of caves etc. However I am a little hesitant to do so being I dont want the glass to break, and I dont want the rocks falling over etc. I have heard just to stack them to where they Definitly won't/cant fall. I have been told to glue the pieces together, (how the hell do I do that). I have been told to use cut up plastic milk crates as supports?!?!


Any of those are good suggestions. Many cichlids dig, but as long as you stack them securely so that they won't fall into the glass or on top of your fish. You can glue them together with aquarium-silicon (like glass is sealed with), if you want to. Some people use egg-crate or pieces of acrylic in the bottom of the tank to help even out the weight of the rocks, but I've never done this.



> All i DO know as of right now, Is I want to use sand as the substrate, or some other nice looking fine substrate. And I have been thinking about doing an UGJ "Under Gravel Jet" system. but am also having second thoughts b/c what if the sand or substrate eventually falls into the PVC so much it clogs the piping??


Sand is a great substrate! I don't know much about UGJ systems, or how they work with sand.



> Please help me out in anyway shape or forum!! Advice, pointers, links for me to read up on certain areas of cichlid keeping........


http://www.cichlidforum.com is another good forum to visit.
Here's a pic of my tank:


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## Cichlid Man (Jan 19, 2005)

*Re: Possibly new to African Cichlids Need some help with learning !!! & post pix of tanks.*

This is my Auratus tank.


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## fishgfish (Jan 19, 2005)

I like the look of just keeping one nice group of auratus!!!


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## Osiris (Jan 18, 2005)

*Re: Possibly new to African Cichlids Need some help with learning !!! & post pix of tanks.*

as usual malawi beat me to the thread  

I would suggest peacocks and haps, some of the most coolest colors IMO. some of the most colorful FW fish are african cichlids. Look into pics at www.exotic-cichlids.com or www.aquabid.com has lots of peacocks there just type peacock in the search engine there.


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## Osiris (Jan 18, 2005)

*Re: Possibly new to African Cichlids Need some help with learning !!! & post pix of tanks.*

Well ok so i should show my lil thing off nothing special:


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## malawi4me2 (Jan 18, 2005)

*Re: Possibly new to African Cichlids Need some help with learning !!! & post pix of tanks.*



MalawianPro @ Wed Feb 09 said:


> as usual malawi beat me to the thread


LOL!

Here's a few more pics of mine:


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## Osiris (Jan 18, 2005)

*Re: Possibly new to African Cichlids Need some help with learning !!! & post pix of tanks.*

we have the same tastes!

That lithobates is coming along very nicely, looks like he will have a full blaze too.


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## malawi4me2 (Jan 18, 2005)

*Re: Possibly new to African Cichlids Need some help with learning !!! & post pix of tanks.*



MalawianPro @ Sat Feb 12 said:


> we have the same tastes!


Yep! :mrgreen: 



MalawianPro @ Sat Feb 12 said:


> That lithobates is coming along very nicely, looks like he will have a full blaze too.


Thanks! Yeah, his colors are showing a lot better since he's gotten used to his surroundings.


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