My Planned Mbuna Stock

[elisew]

my caribsea eco complete cichlid substrate just arrived, hope its worth the 50 quid i paid

got a question, bag says DO NOT RINSE should i rinse lol?

Sounds like you setup is coming along nicely

I`ve just done some googling on the Caribsea substrate and found this on another website and it indicates that there is no need to rinse the substrate:

"There is a CICHILD SAND out there....it's called ECO-COMPLETE AFRICAN CICHLID SUBSTRATE.....It by CaribSea. It contains aragonite to help maintain the high PH that africans need without having to add chemicals. Also adds calcium, magnesium, and carbonate. Its a really good substrate for africans...Its also a darker color,a black & white mix, it helps to enhance the colors of the fish. I have used this product in the past and had really great results with it. You do not need to rinse it either! Its packed in a live water -purifying bacteria"

Hope this helps

 

[creg]

thats good news i hate washing all that sand

 

[elisew]

lol I don`t think any of actually like doing it but sometimes there`s no real choice in the matter

Whilst googling I also read that although you shouldn`t rinse that substrate, you will probably find the tank will be a bit cloudy for a couple of days but it`s nothing to worry about apparently

 

[creg]

thats no problem i cant afford the fish yet anyway so im gonna have an empty tank up and running for a couple weeks, think im gonna have a look at tangs in the meantime you have me intrigued

 

[elisew]

thats no problem i cant afford the fish yet anyway so im gonna have an empty tank up and running for a couple weeks, think im gonna have a look at tangs in the meantime you have me intrigued

I was initially going to go for the Malawi/Mbuna setup but after reading loads about them I felt it was likely to be a more aggressive option than I realistically wanted. I didn`t want to be risking the chance of lumps being ripped out of placid fish just because they look good with their colours (if that makes sense?). One of the guys at my local MA described the Malawi/Mbuna fish as something like 'Bad tempered Goldfish' which appears to be a spot on description

I ultimately wanted a peaceful but interesting setup, that`s what I now have with the Tangs. They`re funny but interesting and they actually give me hours of entertainment, I`m really glad I opted for them and to be honest I can`t see me getting bored of them like I did with the Tropical community fish I had before.
I do personally think though that the Tangs either 'grab you' or they don`t, I don`t feel that they`re something that will just grow on a person and if you don`t have that initial spark there for them then they`re not for you....if you know what I mean

 

[creg]

im going to shirley aquatics b`ham this weekend hopefully, heard they have an excellent range of all kinds of fish and are very knowledgeable. i will have a look at their tang selection and have a chat with them if possible i am super interested and excited to see what my options are

 

[elisew]

Quoted from your thread so it`s easier for you to refer back to:

the ones with the yellow fins, saw one in the video with the syno catfish which i also love

i know its a vague question but what kind of tangs are suitable for a 180 litre tank?

The ones with yellow fins are the breeding pair of Neolamprologus caudopunctatus otherwise known as 'Punks'. They are so entertaining from the way they patrol the tank with their fins erect to the way they attack my hands when I`m doing a clean around the sand, they really are so feisty.
They breed readily too when they are an actual pair, mine have spawned since I started keeping them, unfortunately the fry didn`t last long....I think the parents ate them


All but the punks were in stock at my local Maidehead Aquatics, I got the punks from one of the lads who works there but they do have them in stock now. MA have started to order more Tangs in because more people are beginning to show an interest and keep them. I`ve found so far that they do tend to be a bit more expensive than standard everyday tropicals but they seem to be much hardier so need to be replaced less often. (I did have some bad luck with my cyps but that`s not a common occurrence from what I`ve read).

I`m not 100% on what you could definately keep but my initial thoughts would be that in a 180L you could possibly look at having 1 pair of punks, some 'shellies' i.e mutifasciatus (multies) and possibly one of the smaller julidochromis. Not sure about the cyprochromis leptosoma (sardine cichlids or cyps), someone else might be able to advise you better on that one
kiriyama, doresy and bullit seem to have a better idea than I do on stocking and sizes so it`s probably better to ask them

 

[creg]

my tank so far...need a filter and fish now

too much rock?

just added rock, sand and water thats why its very cloudy

 

[Skins]

Looking good to me already

keith.

 

[creg]

had a look at the tangs at my lfs today (saw a pair of punks which were cool) but not really my cuppa tea so mbuna it will be.

made a big mistake not washing the slate, my tank is now filthy

 

[elisew]

The tank will clear soon enough, looks pretty good and will be fine for Mbuna

 

[creg]

thanks for your help and advise elise, sorry to have wasted your time but i just cant resist the colourful mbuna

 

[elisew]

thanks for your help and advise elise, sorry to have wasted your time but i just cant resist the colourful mbuna

No apology needed and you`ve hardly wasted my time, it`s much better to ask and research to ensure you make the right decision. If you feel that mbuna is right for you then go for it and enjoy them

(still reckon you`d love the Tangs though )

 

[bullit]

yeah looks smart buddy.

 

[creg]

yeah looks smart buddy.

well smart is my last name thanks, re-arranged the rock since then and put it all against the back wall of the tank. too bad i cant afford my external filter and fish for a few weeks.