Returning to it - big community tank ideas pls - what's out there these days?

Thinking about getting a large tank again after 15+ years out of it.
I've previously had a bunch of tanks and bred a bunch of stuff including wild caught tropheus and julis, peacocks, haps, apistos, bristlenose cats etc etc

I was always partial to the idea of a big 6x2x2fter with Featherfins and Cyp Leptosomas. But I'm not sure whats available these days. Or even some of the more colourful Otopharynx varieties? Whats available now? Have any of the colourings improved in the past 15 years?

I could be convinced to jump over to south americans like some of the nice smaller geophagus's but I do still have a soft spot for the behaviour of the Africans.

Show me what's out there!

What is your GH and the tank dimensions? Then fish can be suggested.

It's a blanks slate - I don't even have the tank yet. Water will be whatever it needs to be.
But it will be a 6x2x2ft tank, so thats about 600L from memory.

Vicko said:

It's a blanks slate - I don't even have the tank yet. Water will be whatever it needs to be.
But it will be a 6x2x2ft tank, so thats about 600L from memory.

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I stock my 500l with South American’s .. I know you want African rift lakes but in my opinion there’s nothing more beautiful than south’s , iv saw a few nice peacocks and haps about but buying them as juvenile is always a risk weather they will colour up nice

Vicko said:

Thinking about getting a large tank again after 15+ years out of it.

Show me what's out there!

Click to expand...

What seems to be a big change, aquascaping. I am still working on my "little nipper tank", Tiger & Odessa barb with some Serpae Tetras, you can see it in the contest of the month link. My tank has the big wood pieces in it. The next big tank I want to setup up will be a Mbuna tank, love those guys. For inspiration, here a couple tanks from the Biotope Aquarium Design Contest web site.

For my Mbuna tank, I have access to a source of rocks but they are boring looking and I not going to spend $500 for rocks at my local fish store.

I read on another forum that the polyurethane Gorilla glue is safe for aquariums once it has fully cured (1 week). So my plan is to cover the rocks with Gorilla glue then toss it in a bucket with sand, fully covering it. The rocks should be damp/wet and the Gorilla glue will foam up as it cures. Below are some test sample, the one on the left is a boring rock from a drainage system, second to the left is covered with pool sand, the 2 on the right was a fine gravel from Petco.

To create caves, I may try to put a layer of smaller rocks with sand first then stack larger rocks on top. The Mbuna will dig out the sand to create caves.

Of course you were asking about fish and I went off on a tangent, sorry about that. I just wanted to pass along some ideas.

Mark