Comments on my first Malawi setup?

[yhbae]

Here's the setup (33g, 3ft long tank):

<http/www.anzwers.org/free/jbreeder/Malawi2.jpg>

I am planning for:

- 4 x Lab C
- 4 x P Acei
- 1 x Albino Ancistrus

I am hoping I can do the following but some say it is too crowded:

- 3 x Lab C
- 3 x P Acei
- 3 x P Saulosi
- 1 x Albino Ancistrus (about 1 year old - I raised it from 1 inch)

I'd like to hear your opinions on my possible setups. If I go witht he first setup, do I have any room to accomodate some Synodontis species?

Other details:

- Heater: Ebo Jager 200w
- Filter: Aqua Clear 300
- Background: A black garbage bag!

Thanks!

 

[bunjiweb]

you need to make the code look like this for it to work:

 [IMG]http://www.anzwers.org/free/jbreeder/Malawi2.jpg[/IMG]

Looks great though, can't wait to see it with fish!

Ben

 

[JeremyD]

The tank looks great for a malawi setup!

Either of those stocking options should work well. The labs are really less agressive than the others, but the acei's and saulosi are generally some of the less agressive pseudotropheus species.

If you do go with the second option, you may want to look into adding more filtration. Big filtration is very important in most rift lake setups due to the high stocking volume.

 

[yhbae]

you need to make the code look like this for it to work:

 [IMG]http://www.anzwers.org/free/jbreeder/Malawi2.jpg[/IMG]

Looks great though, can't wait to see it with fish!

Ben

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll try that out. These anzers site s*cks big time - if you specify the URL directly as a link, they somehow redirect the link to another page that pretty much says nothing. So far, the only way I was able to reliably display it is to get others to copy/paste the link by themselves...

 

[yhbae]

The tank looks great for a malawi setup!

Either of those stocking options should work well. The labs are really less agressive than the others, but the acei's and saulosi are generally some of the less agressive pseudotropheus species.

If you do go with the second option, you may want to look into adding more filtration. Big filtration is very important in most rift lake setups due to the high stocking volume.

Another possible option is to go with the first option, and add ONE demasoni - some are having success with this scenario as they typically keep aggression within their own species which in this case, there are none...

If I do go with the heavy stocking option, what other filters should I add? As mentioned, I have AC300 already, giving me 9x turnover rate. I can see that the water is already flowing quite vigorously. Perhaps another AC200? I know you can never over-filter, but 15x sounds seriously too high...

 

[vantgE]

well it isn't really nine times as a 300 is for a 75 gallon max so thats about 3x and then the 200 is for a 50 max so that's say about 4.5X

the 300 should handle your tank but it definately soesn't hurt to buy more fuilters and AC's aren't to expensive they go onsale at petstera every so often

 

[smithrc]

Looks good

test

 

[yhbae]

well it isn't really nine times as a 300 is for a 75 gallon max so thats about 3x and then the 200 is for a 50 max so that's say about 4.5X

the 300 should handle your tank but it definately soesn't hurt to buy more fuilters and AC's aren't to expensive they go onsale at petstera every so often

Sorry, what I meant to say is that AC300 can handle 300g/min, hence it can filter 33g 9 times per minute. Adding another AC200 will bring that number up to 15x.

Typically (at least in non-drift lake species tank), 9x is already pretty high. Most of my 25g tanks are driven by AC200 with absolutely no problem so far. (that's 8x for these tanks). The only tank that I own that approaches 15x is the grow-up tank which contains over 50 fries in a 15g.

But this is my first malawi tank, so I don't want to take chances. I'll start off adding Lab C and P Acei. When it is turn to add P Saulosi, I'll add another AC200.

Thanks for the advice!

(I remembered something - when I was setting up the tank, my water level was about 1 inch off from the top of the glass. I left the tank running over night, and when I woke up, a good part of the tank at the corner was bare - all sands have been "blown away" by the current generated by AC300! When I filled up the tank completely, this "problem" went away. I can see there's huge difference between AC200 and AC300!)

 

[schzaam]

yes it looks like it gona be good keep it up and good luck

 

[vantgE]

the forums expert hasn't been around lately but it does seem great too me so goodluck

 

[yhbae]

One of my friend found "ammonia" and gave it to me...

Unfortunately, it is called Amox - "Tea Ammonia", the all purpose cleaner.

It says Foaming ammonia cleaner. Clean tea fragrance. No phosphorus.

Sounds like this one is not appropriate for aquariums, correct?

 

[Snuff]

Correct.

 

[yhbae]

Grrr Back to ammonia hunting tomorrow!

 

[vantgE]

do you have a safeway that is where i found mine in the cleaning aile labeled amonia hydroxide

 

[yhbae]

Unfortunately, I've never heard of that place (this is Canada, after all...)

I went through couple more stores, including Walmart. NONE of them carried ammonia or ammonium hydroxide...

I'm on the virge of giving up and just go for 5 juv Labs in the tank and transfer some new bacteria every day...