stocking 150gal malawi

[Sploke]

Alright time to have some fun. I think I'm going to be getting a 6' tank for super cheap, the lady is not sure if its a 125 or a 150 or something like that. I'm looking at setting up a malawi tank. This will be my first experience with africans. Filtration will probably be homemade sump and maybe 2 HOBs for mech. Will be doing some sort of crushed coral or similar for substrate (recommendations welcome) and lots of rockwork. Give me your ideal setup for this tank. I would like lots of color. :dive2:

 

[rosita]

Hey Sploke, sounds like fun!! I'm setting up much smaller (55g) Malawi, and got lots of good advice, esp. LoveMyKribs (she's the Malawi Wonder!!) and Stingray! Going with Yellow Labs and Blue Peacocks with rock--woo hoo!! My biggest tank--we're ramping up here!!!! Have fun--what an awesome tank!!!! :dance2: :dance2: :dance2:

 

[stingray4540]

Gee, thanks Rosita for the kind word. Yes, once lovemykribs finds this she will help the best, but, for now may I make some suggestions?

*First off, very cool that you are getting such a large tank! You have so many options. Personally, I like the sand in my tank for a substrate, the fish seem to really like sucking it into there mouths and spitting it out. I do have a little crushed coral mixed in but onlly like a handfull so you see it sticking out here and there. I did put a nylon stocking full of crushed coral in my filter though to buffer the water.

*And if you go with sand, buy the 50# bags of 30 grit from the hardware store for 3 bucks, its a lot cheaper than the lfs. And when you buy your rocks, get them from your local rockery/landscaping supply. They will have all the same rocks as the lfs but for 20 to 35 cents a lb. as apposed to the $2.00 a lb. the lfs charges. And seeing as you have such a big tank, you'll save a lot on decorating it. In fact they will most likely just give it too you if you get a little at a time.

*Anyways, what do you like? the haps and peacocks or the mbuna? You will probably have to choose between one or the other, unless you get some of the more docile mbuna like yellow labs, rusties, zebras. then you can mix haps with those. Also, the haps like more open water, wheres the mbuna dwell in the rocks and appreciate lots of rocks and caves.

* Hope this kinda helps get you started.
congradulations on the tank and be sure to post picks when it's all done.

 

[Sploke]

thanks so far. I like the yellow labs and the electric blues, but they're all so colorful. I figure with 6' of tank there should be enough room to maybe build up 2 really big piles at each end and one smaller one in the middle, and still leave a lot of open room in the middle region of the tank. I've been thinking about building some sort of PVC frame and covering it with rocks to get a bigger structure without 3 tons of rocks. I also might do the raingutter and rocks method for a background with lots of caves. More suggestions welcome!

 

[losthere]

um..peacocks

i am somewhat biased towards peacocks, their colors are just incredible. They have lots of personality and it is just so cool seeing a big pecock showing off his colors and elongated fins. They are somewhat less agressive than mbunas and others, but make a great display tank. Mbunas have some great color and personality too, but i am just a little partial to peacocks. With such a big tank and if you use a lot of rocks you may be able to do some mbunas and haps as well. I do have a few (1m,1f) yellow labs in my peacock tank and they do fine. Yellows are a little less agressive than some others. If you do want to do different breeds alunocara, mbuna, haps, etc. you should put the less agressive such as the alunocara in first so they have time to grow and establish themselves in the tank so they have a better chance on not getting picked on as much, make sure they are bigger than the others at first because mbunas grow very fast. anyway i hope i helped. Peacocks would make a sick display tank, full of color.

 

[stingray4540]

You know, at first I liked the raingutter idea, but then i think that some of the fish would stay back there too much and you would never see them. If I was going to do a background I think I would go with foam. You can carve it out how you like and add extra layers to create caves, the possiblities are endless.
If you do the rock piles like you talked about, then it would be pretty cool to have a bunch of male haps/peacocks for the open areas and like two groups of mbuna for the rock piles. like a good m/f mix of yellow labs, and rusties. that would be cool, but again it's all about what you like.

 

[~*LuvMyKribs*~]

There are so many possibilities with a tank that large!

First thing you should do is decide if you want mainly mbuna or mainly haps (you could get some beauitful large haps in that tank). That way, you'll know how to decorate your tank. Mbuna will like tons of rockwork, whereas haps only need some to feel secure and will swim in the open more- thus less is more.

Having an open space in the middle is a good idea, it will help break up territories.

I suggest looking through the stocking recipes here, just to get an idea of what you could keep in that size tank (pretty much any malawi):
http://www.malawimayhem.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2659


-Diana

 

[dallen]

Hi,

I too am somewhat partial to Peacocks for various reasons. I have a yellow lab with my Peacocks and they all do fine together and I've had a hap or two as well with no problems. The sky really is the limit with a tank that size. I would like to have a species tank with Frontosas which would do quite nicely in a tank that size. Good luck and be sure to send us some pics once you're up and running.

 

[DeputyChiefJR]

With that size tank it might also be easier to use a canister filter like a magnum which you can use to self clean the tank...I find its maintenence to be easier than a hang on filter....

 

[Sploke]

I'm planning on building a large sump/wet-dry system, which would basically act like a giant canister filter. The HOB(s) would basically be for mechanical filtration and water polishing.