keeping my tanganyika cichlids

[finnleyes]

I won a 75-gallon tank a few months ago, and it came with around 40 Cichlids. The setup included the tank itself, some gravel, a Marineland magnum 350 filter, and dual T5 Coflakeife 48" bulbs. However, the show that set it up didn't do it properly, so I've already prepared some sand for the Cichlids, and it's pre-conditioned to minimize pH adjustments. I've lost about 10 fish in the past, but that was a while ago, and I think it was due to improper feeding - I left food pyramids when I went to Kansas for a week, which led to bloat issues.

I've got around 80lbs of sand ready to go in the tank, but I'm waiting for my next paycheck to order some new plants. I'm thinking of getting various Anubias, Java fern, and maybe some Dwarf hairgrass, despite the pH range not being a perfect match - I figure it's worth a shot. I do have a couple of "assorted Cichlids" that look like "red Zebra" from Lake Malawi, and they love digging. I'll also be setting up my Marineland C-360 when I get the plants, and I currently have an Aqueon 75gal hanging filter running. Unfortunately, my Marineland 350 just died - not sure what happened.

As for my current stock, I've got:

- 35+ Tanganyika Cichlids
- 1 Rainbow shark
- 2 "assorted Cichlids" that resemble "red Zebra" (although they're orange and yellow)
- 1 Common Pleco
- 1 Green Spotted pleco
- 2 Convict Cichlid fry (hopefully still alive somewhere)

I was thinking of getting some snails and clams when I had plants, and I saw some clams on Live Aquaria. Any suggestions or ideas would be great - Cichlids are new to me, and I'm really enjoying them, but I still appreciate the variety.

[finnleyes]

Here's the picture of my current setup. I'll get more pics up later, but for now you can see the tank's basic layout. The two rocks in the middle and the one on the far right, I actually found on my road trip to Kansas and bleached them before adding them to the tank. The other two on the left were just random ones I picked up from a pet shop. I'm having a tough time getting daytime pics, so bear with me on the nighttime photos for now. Any help or suggestions you guys have would be awesome, thanks in advance.

[floriks]

You're dealing with a mix of Tanganyika and Malawi cichlids, plus some convicts - that's a recipe for disaster down the line if you don't know what you're working with. Those Malawi cichlids, they're herbivores for the most part, can't handle high protein foods. Tangs and convicts, on the other hand, they'll appreciate a meaty snack now and then.

Problem is, fish are greedy, and they'll eat whatever they can get their fins on. I'd seriously consider sticking to one type of fish in the tank - Tanganyikans, maybe. Get rid of the Zebras and convicts, they'll find new homes easy enough. You'll want to get your fish identified, take some photos, get them looked at - you've got a mix of Tanganyikans in there, and they all have different needs. Shell dwellers, julis, frontosas... they all require something different.

And let's be real, a "rift lake cichlid aquarium" usually means you're sticking to cichlids from the same lake. They need that high pH and hard water, which your plecos and rainbow sharks aren't gonna appreciate. Snails will get harassed, clams will starve - it's just not a good mix.

Freshwater clams, they're a whole different story. They need perfect water conditions, and they're prone to starving. Boisterous cichlids will just make it worse. They filter through a ton of water every day, feeding on microscopic organisms and algae... they need huge aquariums to thrive. Your 75-gallon tank just isn't gonna cut it.

And the Tanganyikans, they're not fish you can overstock. 35 is a lot, even for a 75-gallon tank. You're gonna need to prepare to rehome some fish, so the ones you keep can live healthier lives. It all depends on what you've got in the tank, but I'd be prepared for the worst.

Filtration-wise, your aqueon HOB just isn't gonna be enough. You'll need a quality canister filter to run alongside it - cichlids are messy fish, and you've got a lot of them. I've been told even a fluval 406 would barely cut it for a 50-gallon tank.

Decorations-wise, you'll want more rock work, or even shell work. Your zebras and tangs will appreciate caves to dig in. Driftwood can cause pH fluctuations, and that's just asking for trouble.

[finnleyes]

You're dealing with a mix of Tanganyika and Malawi cichlids, plus some convicts - that's a recipe for disaster down the line if you don't know what you're working with. Those Malawi cichlids, they're herbivores for the most part, can't handle high protein foods. Tangs and convicts, on the other hand, they'll appreciate a meaty snack now and then.

Problem is, fish are greedy, and they'll eat whatever they can get their fins on. I'd seriously consider sticking to one type of fish in the tank - Tanganyikans, maybe. Get rid of the Zebras and convicts, they'll find new homes easy enough. You'll want to get your fish identified, take some photos, get them looked at - you've got a mix of Tanganyikans in there, and they all have different needs. Shell dwellers, julis, frontosas... they all require something different.

And let's be real, a "rift lake cichlid aquarium" usually means you're sticking to cichlids from the same lake. They need that high pH and hard water, which your plecos and rainbow sharks aren't gonna appreciate. Snails will get harassed, clams will starve - it's just not a good mix.

Freshwater clams, they're a whole different story. They need perfect water conditions, and they're prone to starving. Boisterous cichlids will just make it worse. They filter through a ton of water every day, feeding on microscopic organisms and algae... they need huge aquariums to thrive. Your 75-gallon tank just isn't gonna cut it.

And the Tanganyikans, they're not fish you can overstock. 35 is a lot, even for a 75-gallon tank. You're gonna need to prepare to rehome some fish, so the ones you keep can live healthier lives. It all depends on what you've got in the tank, but I'd be prepared for the worst.

Filtration-wise, your aqueon HOB just isn't gonna be enough. You'll need a quality canister filter to run alongside it - cichlids are messy fish, and you've got a lot of them. I've been told even a fluval 406 would barely cut it for a 50-gallon tank.

Decorations-wise, you'll want more rock work, or even shell work. Your zebras and tangs will appreciate caves to dig in. Driftwood can cause pH fluctuations, and that's just asking for trouble.

I'll work on getting some better pictures, probably tomorrow night - my professional camera didn't cooperate, so I'll have to bust out my old reliable one. The Tangs seem to be doing just fine, and the Plecos are acting pretty normal too - the LFS said they should be okay with the Tangs. The Malawis are all getting along pretty well, they do chase each other every now and then, but that's about it. I do need to add more rock work, though - and I'm sad to say that I found one of my Tangs, a little runt with one eye, getting picked on, so I moved him to a 10gal hospital tank this morning.

I also had to move my Rainbow Shark out of my 37gal tropical tank about a month ago - he was getting too aggressive for the other fish. And, I need to find that filter tubing ASAP - I've got a Marineland C360 that's just sitting there, waiting to be hooked up. My Marineland 350, which was working great, just died on me for some reason - I have no idea what's wrong with it. So, for now, I've got 4 air bars cranked up and the 75gal filter running on the back until I can find that tubing.

As for decorations, I'll have to head over to the local quarry when I order my plants to find some nice rocks for the tank - maybe some that'll help keep the plants rooted. Thanks for the input on the hairgrass - now that I think about it, I did have a problem with my one-eyed Yellow Zebra digging it up in my 37gal tropical tank. And, yeah, I think I'll skip the clams for now - my 37gal tank is the only one that's dirty enough for them, but it's not big enough, so never mind.

I've read a lot about driftwood affecting pH, but if it's just a small piece with some plants on it, it shouldn't affect the pH too much, right? I just want to give my Plecos some wood to munch on every now and then - I'm only looking for a small piece or two. And, yeah, I'm thinking of getting a secondary canister filter for the tank when I've got the funds - two filters should give me maximum filtration.

Also, does anyone know anything about using metal decorations in the tank? I found some cool rusty metal parts that I want to sand down, paint, and coat to make them safe for the tank. What can I use to cover them - something clear and water-tight, or just standard aquarium silicone? And how many layers should I use?

[floriks]

I won a 75-gallon tank a few months ago, and it came with around 40 Cichlids. The setup included the tank itself, some gravel, a Marineland magnum 350 filter, and dual T5 Coflakeife 48" bulbs. However, the show that set it up didn't do it properly, so I've already prepared some sand for the Cichlids, and it's pre-conditioned to minimize pH adjustments. I've lost about 10 fish in the past, but that was a while ago, and I think it was due to improper feeding - I left food pyramids when I went to Kansas for a week, which led to bloat issues.

I've got around 80lbs of sand ready to go in the tank, but I'm waiting for my next paycheck to order some new plants. I'm thinking of getting various Anubias, Java fern, and maybe some Dwarf hairgrass, despite the pH range not being a perfect match - I figure it's worth a shot. I do have a couple of "assorted Cichlids" that look like "red Zebra" from Lake Malawi, and they love digging. I'll also be setting up my Marineland C-360 when I get the plants, and I currently have an Aqueon 75gal hanging filter running. Unfortunately, my Marineland 350 just died - not sure what happened.

As for my current stock, I've got:

- 35+ Tanganyika Cichlids
- 1 Rainbow shark
- 2 "assorted Cichlids" that resemble "red Zebra" (although they're orange and yellow)
- 1 Common Pleco
- 1 Green Spotted pleco
- 2 Convict Cichlid fry (hopefully still alive somewhere)

I was thinking of getting some snails and clams when I had plants, and I saw some clams on Live Aquaria. Any suggestions or ideas would be great - Cichlids are new to me, and I'm really enjoying them, but I still appreciate the variety.

The tangs probably won't fight until sexual maturity hits, depending on their species. I mean, think about it, if they all just killed each other as young fish, there'd be hardly any left in the wild or in the LFS. Getting them identified and rehoming the outcasts or bullied ones might be a good idea - that one with the missing eye might've been a victim, not a runt. Fish fights can get pretty brutal, with missing eyeballs or holes in the stomach.

I'm not sure about taking the LFS's word for it, they're in it for the money. The plecos might be okay, but if the pH is out of their range, I wouldn't keep them in there. Two large species of plecos is a lot of waste in a relatively small tank, if you ask me.

When I was researching my 75 gallon setup for tanganyikan fishes, I was told to keep it pretty simple - a few julidochromis, some multifasciatus shelldwellers, a calvus, and some leptosoma. That's a pretty small bioload, if you ask me. I ended up deciding to go with a smaller tank, but 35 unidentified tanganyikan fish in a 75 gallon tank? That's a lot, especially considering they're not all from the same lake. Malawi and tanganyika are pretty different, and tanganyikas don't really form colonies like mbuna do.

As for using metal in the tank, I'd say it's not a good idea. Metal can rust and decompose, even if it's coated. If there's a chip in the coating, it'll start to rust and that's just asking for trouble. I've seen it happen before - a little water and the metal just starts to break down. It's not worth the risk, if you ask me.

[finnleyes]

HELP, got some pics of my tank, finally got my phone working. So I have a Citrus Pleco, I think, and a Common Pleco, and I'm pretty sure that's what they are, lol. Anyways, my tank setup as of yesterday, and I rearranged some things this morning to try and bring the aggression down, I'll try and get some pics tonight but no promises, probably tomorrow night though.

[floriks]

The first two look like tropheus moorii cichlids - large groups are best for these, 1-3 males and 15+ females. They're super prone to bloat, so a steady diet of herbivorous foods is a must. Plus, they love algae, so I think removing the plecos would be best for these guys to get their algae fix.

The second pic is another type of tropheus, maybe moorii, but could be something else.

Next down, almost looks like a young frontosa, but I'm not 100% sure - got a feeling I'm wrong on this one.

Then the next looks like a juvenile tropheus bushboy.

And the last two are big plecos - not sure what the first one is, but the second one is almost definitely a common.

Looks like you've got a mix of some pretty cool fish in there, but it's also a bit of a concern with the plecos and the potential for bloat with the tropheus.

[finnleyes]

I've got some updates and pics to share. So, I caught the little guy with one eye getting picked on last night, and I had to act fast. I moved him to my 37gal tropical, but my shark started bullying him this morning. Luckily, I had my 10gal hospital tank ready to go, so I quickly set it up and transferred him there.

On a separate note, I've been feeding my tangs a mix of Omega One Algae tabs every other day, along with cichlid flakes and pellets. I think it's been helping, but I'm always looking for ways to improve.

I also wanted to share a pic of the medicine that helped clear up the fungus and mouth rot issues I was having last month. It's been a game-changer, and I'm glad I was able to get everything under control.

And, just for fun, I'll throw in some pics of my neptunes and pleco. They're always a blast to watch, and I'm glad they're doing well.

[floriks]

I'd say the moorii would love some veggie tablets and flake with high spirulina content, you know, the stuff that's actually good for them. Not those cichlid pellets, they're too protein-heavy. Throw in some lettuce and spinach, they'll be in heaven.

[finnleyes]

You're dealing with a mix of Tanganyika and Malawi cichlids, plus some convicts - that's a recipe for disaster down the line if you don't know what you're working with. Those Malawi cichlids, they're herbivores for the most part, can't handle high protein foods. Tangs and convicts, on the other hand, they'll appreciate a meaty snack now and then.

Problem is, fish are greedy, and they'll eat whatever they can get their fins on. I'd seriously consider sticking to one type of fish in the tank - Tanganyikans, maybe. Get rid of the Zebras and convicts, they'll find new homes easy enough. You'll want to get your fish identified, take some photos, get them looked at - you've got a mix of Tanganyikans in there, and they all have different needs. Shell dwellers, julis, frontosas... they all require something different.

And let's be real, a "rift lake cichlid aquarium" usually means you're sticking to cichlids from the same lake. They need that high pH and hard water, which your plecos and rainbow sharks aren't gonna appreciate. Snails will get harassed, clams will starve - it's just not a good mix.

Freshwater clams, they're a whole different story. They need perfect water conditions, and they're prone to starving. Boisterous cichlids will just make it worse. They filter through a ton of water every day, feeding on microscopic organisms and algae... they need huge aquariums to thrive. Your 75-gallon tank just isn't gonna cut it.

And the Tanganyikans, they're not fish you can overstock. 35 is a lot, even for a 75-gallon tank. You're gonna need to prepare to rehome some fish, so the ones you keep can live healthier lives. It all depends on what you've got in the tank, but I'd be prepared for the worst.

Filtration-wise, your aqueon HOB just isn't gonna be enough. You'll need a quality canister filter to run alongside it - cichlids are messy fish, and you've got a lot of them. I've been told even a fluval 406 would barely cut it for a 50-gallon tank.

Decorations-wise, you'll want more rock work, or even shell work. Your zebras and tangs will appreciate caves to dig in. Driftwood can cause pH fluctuations, and that's just asking for trouble.

I'll keep the every-other-day feeding schedule going, sticking with the flakes and veggie tabs. I'll finish off the pellets I have left, but once they're gone, I'm switching to a higher spirulina content food. I've been soaking the pellets and tabs a bit before feeding to avoid any issues with them expanding in the fish's stomachs.

I'll try to get some new tank photos up tonight, I rearranged things a bit to reduce aggression - the other fish were getting picked on pretty badly, and the mbuna were chasing a few, so hopefully this helps calm things down.