African Cichlid Habitat setup in my 55gal. tank. What should i do?

Question

I have established that the Blue Mbuna species i am wanting to stock with does not like real plants as the true habitat in Lake Malawi doesnt have many plants but rocks. I need to know the best way to set up a rock formation but it cant be to heavy for my tank already weighs around 400lbs. Right now the tank has no fish, 2 1/2 in. of medium size gravel, a few artificial plants. There is plenty of room. I just need something nice and preferably inexpensive. I went to Petsmart and for a large rock formation with caves was $60. Any help????????????

Answer 1

The best thing would be to buy 75-100 lbs of lace rock for around $200 and stack it into caves with cheaper rocks. It would provide ph buffering from their natural habitat.

Second best would be to use crushed coral in the substrate to buffer the tank up & use an artificial cave setup like those bought at pet stores, or made from DIY materials. Most projects involve pvc pipe or styrofoam & concrete. Here are a few examples of cheap diy projects to make caves. The last link has more links in it.

http://www.thekrib.com/TankHardware/janne.html

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/diy_background.php

http://www.aquariumlife.net/projects/diy-decoration/17.asp

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/diy_list.php

Answer 2

The rocks will definitely add more weight to your aquarium - your aquarium can handle it (I have yet to see even the most rock-worked aquariums crack from the weight) but if you're concerned about the floor, you might want to check and see how much weight your floor can support.
Anyway, you have gravel down already, but if you feel ambitious, remove it, and find some egg crate (http://www.collins-consulting.org/orchids/eggCrate.jpg). Lay that down on the bottom of your tank, it will spread out the weight of the rockwork evenly. Then you can put your gravel back overstop of that.

AS for the rockwork, you can go in more or less 2 directions - making one, or buying rock with holes in it. I think the latter is probably easier - you can get some big pieces of texas holey rock, for example, which is great for cichlids to hide in because it has lots of holes, and it has the added benefit of increasing your water pH and hardness.

The other option is to use slate rock and stack them to make a wall at the back of your tank. These rock works can be really nice and great for mbunas, BUT they are dangerous, because that can topple over. You can silicone to hold them together, or build them in a pyramid-like format (wide at the bottom, small at the top) to lessen the chances of the whole thing falling.

Anyway, the set up will definitely cost your money, but try to find a local fish store where you can buy rock and not ornaments. Ornaments are way over prices and personally, I don't like the artificial look that many of them have. If you can find actual rock sold by the pound, you'll get more bang for your buck.

Answer 3

I disagree with the first person's answer. I think that is perfectly fine the way you have it, Just add some plants and stuff for them to hide in as well. They are pretty cheap. I have a 30 gallon and probably have maybe like two caves in it. I mean there are other spots where they can go but only a couple caves. i also have about 10 african cichlid in there. These fish are territorial but usually are ok with each other, if they do fight a good way to stop it is change the arrangement of the tank.

Answer 4

Save money by shopping smart. Rocks are rocks, so the best thing to do is consider where else you can purchase rocks. I wouldn't throw my money on them at a fish store, the amounts they charge is obscene. I went to a rock supply place near me that mainly supplies to landscaping companies. I assembled a 90 gallon tank loaded with lava rock and it cost me a whopping $12.

You don't need to buy rocks with holes in them either, stacking up solid rocks randomly create the caves and tunnels you are seeking to provide.

Remember to lay the rocks on the bottom glass of the tank, not on top of the substrate, that way the cichlids can't dig under them and cause it to collapse. It's true that the tank is strong enough to hold any amount of rocks you'd want, but falling rocks are a different story.

Answer 5

I actually use texas holy rock(expensive) in most my tanks. Dont worry about weight, as I've had 55's with over 200lbs of rock alone. For a cheaper route, try a landscape center. You can find river rock or slate for very inexpensive($0.25 a lb). Its winter here(Chicago area), but if your in the south this should be an easy task. Make sure your rocks are secure as you stack them. Maybe thin out your gravel a bit also(1-2" is all you need).

Answer 6

Here is a link that will help you out a lot. I have a 55 gal. tank with peacocks and mbunas in it, a total of 8 fish, and they have been in there for about 5 years. You will need to spend the money, but petsmart is not your only option. Search on the net, or find local fish stores, they usually have the same or better stuff for less cost.

http://badmanstropicalfish.com/afcichlids_setup.html

Good luck, and do your research.

Answer 7

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Answer 8

for your fish to be truely happy you will have to spend the money and set up the tank like their natural habitat. in the long run you and your fish will be happy. I spend tons of money on my rats and i couldn't be happier when i see them enjoying what i've gotten them.