Cichlid setup

[Sunny.C]

hey guys what type of lighting is good for a cichlid setup(4foot) also what type of rocks should i have in there to make it a nice look?

 

[fish_r_great]

Just normal flourescent strip lighting. Rocks from out side work great. Just wash them off and boil them.

 

[modernhamlet]

This article will tell you all of the basics on keeping mbuna. One of the best pinned topics here at TFF...

The Mbuna Aquarium:
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=27706

 

[Sunny.C]

So it doesn't matter about the lighting output for cichlids?
what kind of filteration should i be looking at, i have my eye on
aquaone cf-1200 model.
http/www.vinhstank.com/index.php?show=cf1200
will that do the job for me?

 

[modernhamlet]

So it doesn't matter about the lighting output for cichlids?
what kind of filteration should i be looking at, i have my eye on
aquaone cf-1200 model.
http/www.vinhstank.com/index.php?show=cf1200
will that do the job for me?

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More light is only going to cause more algae in an unplanted tank. Some algae (on the rocks, for example) is good because then you get to watch your fish graze, which is what many of them do naturally. Lots of light = green water.

I have that exact filter (branded as ViaAqua) on my 75g along with an AquaClear 500 HOB filter and an undergravel jet system run by a small submersible pump. The ViaAqua seems to do the job, but as the reviewer says, the filter output isn't anywhere near the 1000 or 1200 l/h the pump is rated. Still, it's WAY cheaper than the better filters on the market (Eheim, etc.) and according to my research, among the best low budget filter available. The instructions do in fact SUCK (as the reviewer also points out), so if you're not good at "figuring things out", go with another brand.

How many gallons is your 4ft tank?

 

[fish_r_great]

His tank is 58 gallons.

 

[modernhamlet]

Ok. Then I'd say that aquaone cf-1200 external and an Aquaclear 200 or 300 for polishing would do the trick.

 

[Sunny.C]

Never heard of Aquaclear, is it some sort of a filter or something you add in the water???

 

[modernhamlet]

Never heard of Aquaclear, is it some sort of a filter or something you add in the water???

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Aquaclear are the among the workhorse hang-on-back filters in the aquarium hobby, at least in North America. They're cheap. They're effective. They're reliable.

They look like this:

Not sure what the Aquaclear equivalent is in Australia, but that's what you're looking for. A hang-on-back filter with 700-1000 liters/hour throughput.

 

[Sunny.C]

You guys mean that one filter won't do the job?

 

[freddyk]

One filter may do the job, but mbuna tanks are kept pretty crowded, plus the tank is 4 feet long - having two filters will ensure good filtration and water movement, plus you can stagger filter maintenance and never have to worry about losing your bio-filter.