Setting Up A 125 Gallon Malawi W/pics-going To 75 Usg Now

[kj23502]

I'm trying to find bigger pieces of slate atm. I figure I'll silicone some small ones to make support pilars and then I put the longer ones on and stack them like caves in that fashion. Then, if I go cleaning and bump them they won't fall over hopefully. I'm pondering on how I could do this.

Hell, I should probably just go buy a few huge pieces of texas holey rock (limestone) and call it good

I've been informed that my current tank "looks like a scrap yard". I kinda agree, althought not quite as bad as a scrap yard. I'm trying to make it loads better for the 75 gallon. We'll see. I'm debating on painting the back of the 75 gallon black. Either way I'm going to have a black background.

 

[Ace Of Spades]

"looks like a scrap yard".

Lol I didnt mean it like that mate, I just meant it as in builders scrap yard theres lots of disgarded rock etc laying about, Those bits of slate are way too small for your tank.

I agree Id replace EVERYTHING and just fill it up with alot larger slate////granite, I think it looks the best. Not to big a fan of ocean rock tho ....

I loved Darells tanks before he went all Ocean Rock...(was one of the best tanks id seen)

 

[aaronnorth]

i woiuld just buy a black background, getting paint of is a pain in the backside, especially if you want to do it when the tank is set up.

 

[kj23502]

I can't make up my darn mind
I'm now thinking of doing a demasoni, yellow lab tank. I'd like to keep my afra and nyererei. I'm thinking of 3 afra, 4 nyererei and about 12 or so demasoni. What does everyone think about that?
Oh yea and I'm thinking of keeping my bumble bee too. So I'd have:

3 afra
4 nyererei
10 demasoni
1 crabro
6 yellow labs

Is stocking like this plausible? What are are all your thoughts? My75 gallon is 48"x18".

I'm pretty sure my nyererei and crabro could hold their own against the demasoni. I've read that nyererei are really aggressive and after having them, I believe it. On "the other site" someone said they rank them up there w/really aggressive ones. My male is always chasing others. Even at feeding time. And I've heard the crabros about just as bad. I don't know for sure b/c it's still in QT all by itself. I'm going to add it when I get the 75 up and running.

Ferris, I remember you saying you've had afra and demasoni together before? What size tank and did you do anything special? I'm definitely going to upgrad my rock works, as it's laughable right now

Ace has suggested I exchange my afra for metriaclima greshaki. But I really like "king" my main dude for my afra colony.

 

[Ferris]

I've kept single male Afra's (Cobue, Mbenji and Likoma) and Demasoni (single male) in one of my all male tanks (55 gal) but never mixed them on a species scale. No special treatment - plenty of rockwork providing hiding places and all fish added as juvies.

Certainly an element of risk involved but something worth trying provided you accept that you may have to return some fish.

 

[tangokitty]

Nice pictures!

 

[kj23502]

So, it always sounds as though damasoni go look for a blood bath sitution. Are females and males like that or is it mostly the males? If it's the males then I'd think King would be alright if I just kept him and a few of his ladies, maybe?

I actually found a local fish club in my area and I could sell them to the members if I needed to. I already have a home lined up for the other ones I'll be parting with.

 

[Ace Of Spades]

So, it always sounds as though damasoni go look for a blood bath sitution. Are females and males like that or is it mostly the males? If it's the males then I'd think King would be alright if I just kept him and a few of his ladies, maybe?

I actually found a local fish club in my area and I could sell them to the members if I needed to. I already have a home lined up for the other ones I'll be parting with.

Sounds good, Id go for it as you have a back up plan sorted!!!...Nice work sister xD

 

[kj23502]

Well, actually I should say Musho that hangs out in the saltwater section found the club for me. I didn't know about it and he dug around online for me and found it

 

[Ferris]

Demasoni don't exactly go looking for trouble - they are just extremely territotial and don't like other fish coming near "their space"

This is why, despite their small size, bigger tanks often work better. Sounds like you have some good options so i'd say - give it a go.

 

[kj23502]

Thanks Ferris!!

If I really up the filtration, nearing 10x to 12x turnover, what's the highest # of fish I could keep in there?

Well we had a power issue. We woke up this to find half the house w/out power It was the weirdest thing. The upper half of the house had power and the lower half didn't except for 2 plug ins. The basement didn't have power either. It was really crazy. We were hoping it wasn't a short somewhere. I really didn't want to have to tear the house apart looking for it Yes, both fish tanks weren't working I ran an extention cord from a "good" socket and powered just the filters. I did find one dead female nyererei, but she was missing her lower jaw so I'm assuming there was some good fighting action or something and it wasn't the power outtage.
It turns out out there was one bad wire (out of the two wires that feed electricity to our house) and the electric company came out this evening, found it and fixed it. So all is back to normal. The temp in the tank only got down to 73 F so it's not bad. I've had my 29 gallon go down to 65 F when I did a water change and forgot to plug the heater back in afterwards

I'm going to do water tests now to check for ammonia and nitrite. My guess is that they are fine, but I'm going to check to be sure. I'll post the results when I get them

 

[kj23502]

Looks pretty good to me, eh?

I put the crabro in the main tank when all this bs happened so I only had to power one tank.

 

[kj23502]

If I really up the filtration, nearing 10x to 12x turnover, what's the highest # of fish I could keep in there?

Just to clarify, this will be for my 75 gallon tank. I'd say 22, but the majority of my fish are small (afra & demasoni) so I'm curious if I could get away with about 28 or so fish. The extra fish would be the average 4-5" fish. As for extra filtration, my thoughts are adding a large penguin bio wheel filter.

 

[katatoniq]

LOVE your thread Kj.

I have been given 6 pundamilia nyererei (2 males, 4 females), and 3 cuckoo catfish, and have been keeping them for the last week. The nyererei are tiny! Can't wait for them to get a bit of colour and look great like yours.

Thanks for the super-detailed journal. I appreciate it!

 

[kj23502]

Hey, to the forum Katatonig. I see that was your first post too!! I feel honored Thanks for the kind comments!!

I'd be careful having 2 nyererei males together w/so few females, but since they are so small it should be ok for now. From from I've read one male should suffice for the female group as those males need 3 or 4 females to themselves My nyererei is really aggressive. Ferris once posted that the only time his fish are "nice" is when it's time to eat...my male nyererei still picks on the others then too (practically in mid bite on the food take a bite and then chase someone and then another bite, etc.)