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One more advantage of sumps, the water level in the tank is constant. I am old school, I like framed aquariums with a cover. I don't like seeing the water line, sumps are great for my needs.

Sure. Ignore the sponge filters, that is a bad idea in my opinion. So notice the dividing wall next to the siphon tubes. When you turn your main pump off, the ends of the siphon tubes are in water. When you turn the pump back on, the siphon will restart automatically. Since the siphon tubes...

Yep. All the work involved in setting up a sump filtration system would be a down side for most people, it may be a multiple day project. A canister or HOB filter can be setup in 15 minutes. I personally like building things so sumps are fun for me. It is a trade off, do the work up front and...

Yep, I call them bio-macaroni.

My logic for this project, I always vacuum the gravel when making water changes. So cleaning a gravel filter adds no additional work. But Aquarium Science says I shouldn't vacuum. Anyways, this now gives me the best of both worlds. I now have a low maintenance undergravel filter with a huge bio...

I prefer a sump with just an air powered fluidized bed with K1 media and filter socks which can be cleaned in a washing machine. The fluidized bed is self cleaning and tossing filter socks in the washing machine is so easy. Sumps using huge foam filter blocks are a pain in the a** in my...

Just want to point out, the ability to adapt to changing environments is a critical factor for evolution. Alot of the aquarium fish we buy are highly adaptable to different environments which means they can adapt well to our aquarium environments. Case in point, Hillstream loaches which come...

Use a can of spray foam to build up in the corner. You can also wrap a rock in plastic, hold it up using a small piece of pvc pipe and spray foam under it. I use polyurethane gorilla glue, cover a surface and put substrate over it . So the foam will have a thin layer of substrate over it.

Interesting. I am in the very long process of setting up a 75 gallon Mbuna tank, it will have a sump with a fluidized bed filter. The K1 media is currently in a 5 gallon bucket, it's been cycled 3-4 times with ammonia. It was seeded from an established tank. My goal is to fully stock it with...

What I may do... Put my bio-media and some substrate in a 5 gallon bucket with a heater and air stone, I will dose it with ammonia to establish my bacteria colonies. This way, I can get my filter conditioned while I am working on my tank. I plan on ordering my Mbuna online. I prefer to get them...

I agree with AlexT. With ammonia, you can accurately dose your tank and you can accurately measure the amount of ammonia. You can repeat this process a couple times or use ammonia to maintain your bacteria colonies until you start stocking the tank. My planned 75 gallon Mbuna tank will use a...

One issue with Fritz Zyeme7 or any bacteria in a bottle, you don't know if the bacteria is still alive. First I would take a handful of gravel from your daughter tank and put it in your filter. Second, I would make a nice Gin&Tonic and just be patience.

If they eat Lamprey eels and zebra mussels, they got my vote! You do raise a good point with the Great Lakes as they heavy stock the lakes with Salmon to control the alewives population. I still remember the crunchy Lake Michigan beaches with the mass alewives deaths. LOL, clearly that's not a...

Just to be clear, when I say screensaver tank, I am referring to the overstocking with no caves type tanks. This summer we visited the Mystic Aquarium. The Mbuna tank was ~8'x8'x3' and must of had over 1,000 Mbuna in it. It was just depressing, from top to bottom was just pack with docile Mbuna...

Back to my idea, artificially raise your large base rocks and allow sand to go under them, Now your Mbuna can safely dig under them. This can be easily done with small pieces of PVC pipe. Just a suggestion

Thanks for your feedback, I fully understand and appreciate it. I plan on having two layers of rocks, the first layer can be removed but not moved. The second rock layer can be moved around. On researching Mbuna, you may be the only person who says " always one cave per fish". The vast majority...

Trying to stock a new tank all at once. I would like a couple Peacocks but I fully agree with you with aggression and dietary needs. QuebecCichlides on YouTube hung some plants (OK, they are plastic) down into the tank. I thought that look cool. But no real plants for me, these guys will just...

Your tank looks great! I am at least a month away from filling the tank. I still have to reseal it, it developed a leak. I resealed two tanks this summer so I got some experience. So just Mbunas? No Peacocks? My stocking plan is risky but it should work if I do it right. I will seed it from...

A 93% success rate. It was not tempered glass and the first hole was perfect. The second hole has a minor chip out but I should be OK. I had too much pressure on the drill as it broke thru the glass at the end. I will put some silicone caulk on the rubber seal for the thru hull fitting...

I prefer not to buy any wild caught fish, I am good with buying from breeders in the USA. I would be OK with requiring permits to import fish, only certified breeder could buy wild caught fish. And I would ban the importation of many fish such as the Snakehead which could survive in lakes in...

The US government failed to properly regulate Lionfish, now they are devastating fish populations in the Caribbean. The US government failed to properly regulate Burmese pythons, now they are wiping out native wildlife in the Everglades. The government failed to properly regulate Asian carp...

Thank you. I hate to break this to ya but the above 75 gallon tank started to leak and had to be broken down. After resealing the tank, it will be converted to a Mbuna tank ie: lots of rocks. One issue I did have with the wood pieces, they turned an ugly brown and could not be removed for a...

That's what I want to do but, I will not be able to rearrange the bottom layer of rocks. This may not be an issue for me as I want to buy all my Mbuna's when I start up the tank. It will have a sump filter ready for a big bio-load. I want to buy the Mbuna online, just make sense to buy a bunch...

I am also working on a Mbuna tank. The fundamental issue, the aggressive territorial behavior of Mbunas. I don't want what I call a screen saver tank ie: an overstocked stocked tank with few caves for the Mbunas. I find these tanks to be quite depressing, the Mbuna just swim back and forth...

Well this is a sad story but... My neighbor owned chicken, quite beautiful. Some animal was able to dig under the chicken coop and had a feast, killed and ate all the chickens (3 of them). So if building a chicken coop, put rust resistant wire mesh under the coop.

I got a Request for Proposal from the MRO (Mbuna Rock Owner) Association for the construction of condos in a 75 gallon tank. From the request: Running water??? Since I own 75 gallon tank currently under being resealed, I decide to make a bid. My first proposal was small cubicles using 1/2"...