50 ga tank for african cichlids

I will leave your main stocking question to our african hobbiest however I will say that you should be able to set the tank up for somewhere between 200-300 dollars. Shop around your local hardware store.

I wasn't figuring the price of the tank itself... however it wont make much difference.

Tank: 70
heater: 15
Filter: 36

now is where lowes/home depot come in handy
stand: 50 (a little more to paint.)
Hood: 20
(2) 48 inch shop lights: 20
(4) bulbs: 12
substrate: 5
rocks: 50 (should be less)

That should be about 260 bucks (it is a 48 inch tank right?) if not add a little more for lighting.

They are part of the shop lights.
Here is the stand and hood for my 75 gallon that was done for the cost listed(the doors have not been completed and I haven't got around to putting the trim on hood. The five gallon tankin the stand is there for the winter(girlfriends dwarf puffers) . Its previous location is getting to cold . Sorry to get away from you main post. Maybe we should move any continued discussion to the equipment forum.

If you want to be really successful w/ Africans do the following:

Get yourself at "least" a 48 x 18" tank. 72" long is even better.

Shop around for a used tank.

I just paid $125 for a 125g w/ glass tops and metal stand. I've also purchased a brand new 100g w/ stand and tops for $270.

I'm sure you could find a nice used 75g or up for a very competitive price. Even if you had to resilicone the seams ... it is still cheap.

If you want a fancy wood type stand .. just go build one. That is what I did for my 125g.

So ... considering you get a used tank for say $200. Filtration would be (2) Emperor 400's ... $80 for both @ bigalsonline.com. (1) Ebo Jager 200w heater is about $20 at the most ... same place as the filters. Lighting ... shop lights from Home Depot. Africans do not need fancy lighting and some do not appreciate bright lights ... we're talking $20 w/ bulbs.

Decorations ... go out hiking and find some river rocks. Different sizes and shapes .. flat and round ... small and large. They are the most natural looking ... as these are the type of rocks you find in the Rift Lakes. Best part ... FREE.

So now we are looking at around $320 for at least a 75g and up w/ filtration, glass tops, lighting, and heating. Toss in a few more bucks for building your own stand. What money you have left over can be for fish.

Best advice ... Africans should have at least 48" of length. A width of 18" is also preferable because it allows for better aquascaping. These fish can be pretty aggressive and the extra room makes a HUGE difference. If you can fit one ... try and go for a 72" long tank .. you won't regret it.

Shop around for a used tank .. it is worth it !!

For the $600+ dollars you were going to spend .. you could get a MONSTER setup.

can your mom really tell the difference between a 50gal and a 75gal? Just say that you are getting the 50gal but get somethign bigger. I doubt she will calculate the gallons