I Have Some Fish Tank Questions

[RichardR]

Thanks...

Since I'll already be buying 2 large tubs, should I put as much of the previous water I can carry or are you saying it really doesn't matter either way?

Doesn't matter.

Also, I'm not a huge fan of the light-colored sand in the tank...When I get around to replacing it with a darker or brighter color, will the bacteria on the rocks and filter media be enough to maintain the balance?

Once the tank is cycled it shouldn't be any problem to siphon out the sand & replace it with another color of sand, there should still be plenty of bacteria colonies established in the tank if you wait a week or so before swapping out the sand, oh btw I highly recommend Python siphons, they make doing water changes & vacuuming sand/gravel so much easier & way less time consuming - they are worth every penny.

Dang, I had another question, but I had to do something and lost my train of thought...I'll have it in a second.

No problem, if you think of anything else feel free to ask.

 

[Benny]

No problem, if you think of anything else feel free to ask.

So is sand heavy enough to not get siphoned up through the vacuum?

I'll look into the Python...The one I have right now(don't know the brand name) works great for gravel.

 

[RichardR]

So is sand heavy enough to not get siphoned up through the vacuum?

I'll look into the Python...The one I have right now(don't know the brand name) works great for gravel.

You can adjust the amount of vacuum with a Python.

 

[Benny]

You can adjust the amount of vacuum with a Python.

Ahhhh, gotcha...Stay tuned to this thread, I'm sure I'll have some more questions soon.

 

[woundedyak]

Becareful when adding new sand. It can get very messy and wipe your filters out if you don't clean it first. Search "how to clean sand" on Cichlid-forum

 

[Benny]

Becareful when adding new sand. It can get very messy and wipe your filters out if you don't clean it first. Search "how to clean sand" on Cichlid-forum

OK thanks.

I'll probably wait a few weeks before I change it anyway...I'm sure these fish will go through enough stress from the move.

I talked to the owner and I'm going to pick it up tomorrow evening.

 

[woundedyak]

Sounds good! Pics or it didn't happen

 

[Benny]

Sounds good! Pics or it didn't happen

Will do!

I'll probably go ahead and start a new thread for it and have this one closed, since I'll want the pictures in the first post and this thread is 125+ posts deep.


Anyone know where I can get more aquarium rocks similar to these? I want the rock setup to be a little larger than what's currently in the tank.

 

[RichardR]

They look like chunks of lava rock, I am not exactly sure where you can get more but my guess would be maybe a landscaping or gardening supply store or maybe online.

 

[woundedyak]

Lava and coral can be spendy. I love the way it looks, but I have had fish get injured due to the rocks being so sharp. I try to stick what's in their natural environment. Round granite and flat limestone. Which can be found in just about any creek bed in the state. Here is a quick shot of some I picked up 5min from my house. Once you get farther into the hobby, you can make DYI rocks and backgrounds. Super labor intense and messy as hell, but you can make anything you want.

Female Pseudotropheus saulosi

Male Pseudotropheus saulosi

DYI rock and background

 

[Benny]

That background is awesome!

All the fish survived the trip and the water levels are right on target. I'll post some pictures here in a bit.

 

[RichardR]

Groovy, I am looking forward to seeing your new setup Joe.

 

[Benny]

I just went out and bought another 350 GPH power filter making the total 700.

I also bought some additional rocks and 2-35 inch bubble tubes to create a bubble curtain in the back.

I just got the camera card(s) working so I'll have pics once I get everything set up.