I will be purchasing some type of aquarium. I was looking at tanks 30 to 35 gallons. I have some knowlage on fish, but not in so big of a tank. My question is what is the best set up? Tank? Filter? Bio wheel? the best cycle? what to add what not to add?I am looking due some type of cichlid
Starting new tank need help!!
- Thread starter CagIII
- Start date
CagIII said:
i would recommend the largest you can get..in this case a 35.
with tanks it's a matter of preference..you basically have two good choices
glass or acrylic.
I would recommend a rectangle shape.. depending on the species you prefer with cichlids.
ie angels , discus could use taller tanks.
I would suggest you research your choice in cichlids..foor the most part you have 'new world' cichlids and african cichlids..tho there are other regions for cichlids to include central am etc.
this may help determine what shape tank to purchase.(or aquire) if you are condiering live plants..you may need to consider lighting, substrates etc.
filter are a matter of personal choice..HOB and cannisters are pretty typical
they each have thier advantages...with cannisters edging out HOBs in planted tanks.
for HOB I prefer the aqua clear line.
don't forget a good heater (stealth are frequently used here)
also get a tesk kit to test the water..it may also help determine which fish to get.seach cycle here to get more info on that.
many prefer the fishless cycle
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If you do go with cichlids, don't forget to add salt to your water. Don't fear... its not a saltwater tank. Check your LFS for aquarium salt for freshwater tanks or cichlid lake salt. In my african cichlid tank and in my oscar tank I use about one tablespoon per 3 gallons of regular salt.... you'll get many opinions on how much salt to use and some may say to use the specific cichlid salt.
I do agree with star regarding tank size. The biggest tank you can get. The more volume of water you have, the easier the tank will be to maintain. Too many people think they should start with a 10 gallon tank just to get their feet wet but in reality, that is one of the hardest sizes to maintain.
My opinion on filtration.... If you go with a power filter, I HIGHLY recommend the Marineland Emperor for 50 gallon or less tank. If you go with a tank higher than 50 gallons, you'll definately want to look into a canister filter. I have a Fluval on my 55 gallon oscar tank and it does extremely well. You may want to consider a canister for a smaller tank as well depending on your financial situation. One nice thing about a canister filter is that it may be a little more forgiving on filter changes.... BUT this is NOT an excuse to slack off.
As for cycling, we have been selling the Bio-Spira product (http://www.marineland.com/products/mllabs/ML_biospira.asp) which has not failed anyone I have met yet. It is a bit pricey but, in my opinion, worth it.
Hope this helps
I do agree with star regarding tank size. The biggest tank you can get. The more volume of water you have, the easier the tank will be to maintain. Too many people think they should start with a 10 gallon tank just to get their feet wet but in reality, that is one of the hardest sizes to maintain.
My opinion on filtration.... If you go with a power filter, I HIGHLY recommend the Marineland Emperor for 50 gallon or less tank. If you go with a tank higher than 50 gallons, you'll definately want to look into a canister filter. I have a Fluval on my 55 gallon oscar tank and it does extremely well. You may want to consider a canister for a smaller tank as well depending on your financial situation. One nice thing about a canister filter is that it may be a little more forgiving on filter changes.... BUT this is NOT an excuse to slack off.
As for cycling, we have been selling the Bio-Spira product (http://www.marineland.com/products/mllabs/ML_biospira.asp) which has not failed anyone I have met yet. It is a bit pricey but, in my opinion, worth it.
Hope this helps
if you get cichlids that require minerals, then add the extra minerals.(buffers)
many cichlids do not require salt..even ones that do may not benefit with aquarium salt..Cichlid salts contain other minerals in a salt form(bonded with chloride molecules for instance) but may not be salt as many know it...ie table salt, kosher etc are mainly NaCl for instance I keep SA(new world ) cichlids..the ones I keep do not need aquarium salt(discus, angels, heyhole, rams etc)
many cichlids do not require salt..even ones that do may not benefit with aquarium salt..Cichlid salts contain other minerals in a salt form(bonded with chloride molecules for instance) but may not be salt as many know it...ie table salt, kosher etc are mainly NaCl for instance I keep SA(new world ) cichlids..the ones I keep do not need aquarium salt(discus, angels, heyhole, rams etc)
What I have learned is that actually, the larger a tank is, the easier it is to keep healthy. More water means a more stable environment- less dramatic temperature and condition swings.
I highly recommend that you cycle your tank with BioSpira. I used it and had wonderful results. I was able to stock my tank very quickly and my ammonia spike was really more of an ammonia blip.
If you are a beginning aquarist (like me), and you are planning to get a 35 gallon, I'd really encourage you to investigate dwarf cichlids like German Blue Rams, Bolivian Rams, or Keyhole Cichlids. They are less aggressive than many African Cichlids and stay small enough for a tank the size you're talking about.
I have german blue rams and I just love them. I find that they have a lot of personality and are very pretty. Another nice thing is that because they are not very aggressive, I can also keep community fish with them. I have diamond tetras, harlequin rasboras, a pleco, loach, and two types of shrimp (all in a 30 gallon tank).
Though not as colorful, Bolivian Rams are known to be hardier than GBRs, and grown a bit larger. The males have lovely long pointed fins tipped in bright red. I have seen some that are very striking.
Kribensis are another very attractive dwarf cichlid, though I've heard mixed feelings about how they are in community tanks.
If you do decide to get cichlids, it's very important that you match them with proper tankmates.....for example, yellow lab cichlids should probably be in a semi-aggressive, exclusively african cichlid tank.
As far as water conditions, that will depend on what kind of fish you pick. African Cichlids do well in relatively hard water with a high ph compared with South American Cichlids like rams.
When choosing tank shape, go with a longer, wider tank over a taller, narrower tank. It makes sense, there's more surface area on the bottom for hiding spots and most fish spend more time swimming back-and-forth than up-and-down.
Speaking of hiding spots.....it's really important to provide many. Cichlids are territorial (partially because of their responsible parenting behavior) and happy, healthy cichlids need hiding spots to stake out and claim as their own. You can do this with rocks, plants (or a combination of the two), driftwood (which you should know tends to lower the ph and make the water a little yellowish for a while), and also I've seen lovely tanks done with ceramic pots that have been cut in half and partially buried into gravel.
In terms of plants- I understand that sometimes cichlids like to tear them up....it's never been a problem for me, but I have little guys. I keep a lot of amazon swords in my tank (as they like low-lighting conditions). Plants are very good for the tank, as they clean out toxins, oxygenate the water, and provide more cover for your fish.
I've attached a few pictures of my tank to give you an idea of what it looks like and of what my rams looks like.
Good Luck!! Keep us informed!
I highly recommend that you cycle your tank with BioSpira. I used it and had wonderful results. I was able to stock my tank very quickly and my ammonia spike was really more of an ammonia blip.
If you are a beginning aquarist (like me), and you are planning to get a 35 gallon, I'd really encourage you to investigate dwarf cichlids like German Blue Rams, Bolivian Rams, or Keyhole Cichlids. They are less aggressive than many African Cichlids and stay small enough for a tank the size you're talking about.
I have german blue rams and I just love them. I find that they have a lot of personality and are very pretty. Another nice thing is that because they are not very aggressive, I can also keep community fish with them. I have diamond tetras, harlequin rasboras, a pleco, loach, and two types of shrimp (all in a 30 gallon tank).
Though not as colorful, Bolivian Rams are known to be hardier than GBRs, and grown a bit larger. The males have lovely long pointed fins tipped in bright red. I have seen some that are very striking.
Kribensis are another very attractive dwarf cichlid, though I've heard mixed feelings about how they are in community tanks.
If you do decide to get cichlids, it's very important that you match them with proper tankmates.....for example, yellow lab cichlids should probably be in a semi-aggressive, exclusively african cichlid tank.
As far as water conditions, that will depend on what kind of fish you pick. African Cichlids do well in relatively hard water with a high ph compared with South American Cichlids like rams.
When choosing tank shape, go with a longer, wider tank over a taller, narrower tank. It makes sense, there's more surface area on the bottom for hiding spots and most fish spend more time swimming back-and-forth than up-and-down.
Speaking of hiding spots.....it's really important to provide many. Cichlids are territorial (partially because of their responsible parenting behavior) and happy, healthy cichlids need hiding spots to stake out and claim as their own. You can do this with rocks, plants (or a combination of the two), driftwood (which you should know tends to lower the ph and make the water a little yellowish for a while), and also I've seen lovely tanks done with ceramic pots that have been cut in half and partially buried into gravel.
In terms of plants- I understand that sometimes cichlids like to tear them up....it's never been a problem for me, but I have little guys. I keep a lot of amazon swords in my tank (as they like low-lighting conditions). Plants are very good for the tank, as they clean out toxins, oxygenate the water, and provide more cover for your fish.
I've attached a few pictures of my tank to give you an idea of what it looks like and of what my rams looks like.
Good Luck!! Keep us informed!
WhitneyGail said:
great post..and when considering the dwarf cichlids the rule of longer is better is a good rule.`
the caveat to this is if you consider angels( also a cichlid)...then you need to consider taller tanks. the 35 is a bit too small when considering discus(cichlid) as they should be in schools of at least 4 with more being better.