I have a 75 gal tank with 7 african cichlids. I am wondering if thats enough or if it would be ok to add more. I am also wanting to redo my setup . I want to make a huge rock formation in the middle of the tank with tons of caves and decorate around that. is there any way to take rocks and permanently adhere them together to make one huge formation without hurting the fish? any advice is appreciated!
2007-06-16 19:19:18 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Fish
First of all I dont know where u got african children from. This is for everyone else who gave great info. I have 1 albino socolofi, 2 acei, 1 ruby red peacock, 1 yellow lab, 1 cobalt blue, 1 red zebra, and one more that i havent identified yet it. they all get along great and i havent had 1 fish die since i got them all 6 months ago. I think they should all be around 5 inches. If im adding right then that means I could add more? Thanks for the advice on the glue and I liked the idea with the lava rock,
2007-06-17 08:28:34 · update #1
try the silicone glue they use to repair aquariums with. just be sure the rocks are well balanced. also, try glueing them one at a time so they are secure. :)
2007-06-16 19:24:17 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
try a vinegar based silicone this will not leach out like glue and kill the fish, most fish tank are done with this type of silicone. try to put the rocks lengthwise not build them up, as it gives a reef look to the tank and is safer, volcanic rock can be purchased in very small pieces and is not so heavy but can be built up into caves to look quite spectacular, try putting some aquatic plants onto the rocks anchored with rubber bands till the root system adheres to the rock this takes about 6 weeks and looks amazing, otherwise the cichlids will just pull them up. another way is to get some plastic mesh and non lead plant ties and place the mesh under the rocks with about 1 inch not covered at the back tie the pants to the mesh to give you contrast behind the rocks. wait till you re do the tank before adding any more fish you may find that the new setting gives you everything that you need a great balance between the rocks, plants and fish. enjoy the project
2007-06-17 10:08:43 · answer #2 · answered by ann s 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As mentioned, you must provide more information for any real advice on stocking. 'African cichlids' comprise fish that range from 2" to 2', and from completely hostile to very mild. Not all of htem are rock dwellers either. It's unfortunate that they are always generalized as if they were one species with one need. However, since you most likely have mbuna considering how you want to decorate, then you should be able to add more fish, but most of it depends on your filtration and maintenance habits. I keep about 15 in my 75 gallon in addition to 6 synodontis multipunctatus, with tons of rockwork. I also have a pair of large cansiter filters to take care of waste and am very diligent in maintenance. Of course, even with mbuna we don't know whether you have Crabro, which grow to 8" long, or Demasoni, which only grow to 2" long - naturally the stocking numbers would be quite different.
As for rocks, silicone is your best bet, but I don't use anything and just stack them up, that way I can easily remove them or rearrange the tank at whim. I place the bottom rocks on the bottom of the tank, rather then on top of the sand, so that the fish can't dig and undermine them.
2007-06-17 12:10:21 · answer #3 · answered by Ghapy 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I like this for keeping rockwork together: http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=AS4711 It's made for aquarium use and cures underwater. I use it in reef tanks to connect pieces of live rock.
One word of advice - if you ever think of having to clean or move things around in the tank, don't connect all the rocks to each other, just do them in groups of 3-4 to make the structure more stable. This way you can take them out if you need to.
As far as the number, it would depend on the species, temperment, and the adult sizes on how many you can keep together.
2007-06-17 02:51:00 · answer #4 · answered by copperhead 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It depends what type of cichlids you have whether you can add more or not,maybe you could update this post with the types if you know them.Some African cichlids are very aggressive such as auratus and kenyi and others like yellow labs are more mild.You also need to look at the adult size of your fish to determine how many could go in your tank.
2007-06-17 09:02:41 · answer #5 · answered by Jackp1ne 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
the aquarium sealent or rock glue would work great, just dont glue all the rock together, make it in several large pieces so you can remove it easily to remove a dead fish or clean. i use the same principal in my saltwater aquarium, also a powerhead through the rock can help keep detrius from collecting on it. that is going to be on sharp tank!
2007-06-17 03:05:43 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
i think you should be able to add more o usually stick the inch rule just caculate how big they will be as adults and go from there. To answer your other question i think ive heard you can use aquarium glue the one for the glass to hold rocks togeter and it wont be poisionis to the fish. That would be my guess
2007-06-17 02:24:14 · answer #7 · answered by mike a 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
those fish are just going to kill each other.. my sister husband loves those type of fish and he would buy alot of them and they would end up killing each other..i like seeing the fish fight..i would put all kinds of fish in and have like a gladiator match up and see who is the last one standing :)
pam am i wrong for that?
2007-06-17 02:28:28 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
u keep 7 african children in a tank how dare u
2007-06-17 02:21:29 · answer #9 · answered by footballxfan 2 · 1⤊ 3⤋