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210 Gallon setup - Malawis
Setting Up a Big Lake Malawi Cichlid Tank 4/16/08
Hi Bob and crew, I thought I would run a few questions by you all. I've been more into the marine side of aquaria for the last 10 years or so but I'm quitting that side of the world and migrating my 210 gallon tank (7ft x 2ft x 2ft) into a Malawi cichlid tank in the next couple of weeks. I've found a new owner for all of my angels and big 12" Niger trigger, so they will be well taken care of in the future :-)
Main questions are focused and geared toward Nitrates (NO3) before I even get started. My main filtration on this tank on the marine side for over 4 successful years was 80% all skimmer (no carbon, nothing, nada) and 20% refugium (macro algae in Mud filters) because I learned the hard way that canisters were not for saltwater because they were nitrate factories, and I saw that first hand. Is this different in the freshwater world?
< As organics accumulate the nitrates always have the potential to increase. The best filter is one that is able to be regularly cleaned.>
I'll be using most of my existing equipment I have been running, and some stored in closets for years. (2) Amiracle Mud Filters (Medium sized), basically one for each overflow and both connected via 1" PVC bulkhead for equal water levels. I had bought 2 of these 4 years ago because I got them on clearance for about $70 each with everything included, lol. They work great, and I'll be replacing the live sand in there of course, with Eco-Complete plant substrate to grow freshwater grass-type plants and other stuff that will not grow high. Some idea of nitrate export anyway....
With a huge ASM G5 skimmer, that's about all I needed, but now with the skimmer gone, I'm scratching my head as to what to really filter this tank with. From previous years (back in my Mega-NO3 days) I have a Eheim 2229 wet/dry canister that's full of Eheim's pro-substrate media, Fluval 404 canister, and I think I even have a couple of Emperor 400 filters some where lying around. The more reading I've done though today it seems as long as I keep the pre-filter sponge clean (3x a week) the Eheim should not be that dirty inside and should only need cleaning about once a month, and shouldn't become a NO3 factory??? But then again, I've read conflicting information stating that my Eheim wet/dry canister filters were the only ones that were NO3 prone? I have a shower stall in my basement, so water changes are not a problem, but would love to have a plan for 30% - 40% water change every 2 weeks and maintain a nice "easy street" NO3 level for my Malawis? (10ppm, maybe, experts weigh in ??
< Nitrate levels will depend on the volume of fish and the activity of the fish selected. Less than 20 PPM nitrate will be just fine.>
I currently do about 50%-60% water change weekly in my 46-gallon bowfront that has my baby Malawis in there right now. and that tank stays about 2-5 ppm now, but only has a Emperor 280 hang-on filter on the tank and a sponge on a powerhead..more info on those guys later.....
Water circulation...whoa boy...my marine side of life for the tank is Tunze Turbelle stream pumps at each end of the 7-foot tank. I'm definitely pulling one out since I don't want my Malawis feeling like they are in a hurricane, lol. Even though Tunze's are not forceful and provide gentle currents Smile The return pump on the marine system currently is an Iwaki MD-55RLT, and I'm debating keeping that, or putting my original Mag7 pumps back in each of the AMiracle sumps for each return overflow connection.
Lighting...well the 6-foot, 3x250w 14k halides are definitely coming off to save money on my electric bill, lol. Probably will go back to old-school, all-glass triple tube lights...gearing towards the 50/50 and 420 actinics since they make my existing Malawis in my 46 gallon look so pretty.
The substrate in the tank will be Eco-Complete Cichlid gravel and maybe a little bit of natural gravel...probably about 75/25 ratio of the live Eco stuff. The tank will be 'cycled' initially with a Red Empress adult male (about 5 inches) and 2 beautiful male peacocks (about 3.5 inches, think they are called H-stripes???)
< Never heard of H-Stripes before.>
that my local LFS is holding for me. I chose these because they are supposedly a little more laid back, and they shouldn't just 'attack' my smaller guys that are waiting in the 46-gallon bowfront once the big tank is cycled and ready.
Ok..now for those existing Malawis in that 46g tank. A 3.5 inch male Borleyai? (definitely the Alpha boss right now), a 3 inch electric blue (2nd in command), 2 red zebras, and a 2.5 inch Venustus Nimbo (definitely want another one of him. pretty guy) Also have a 10 gallon tank with smaller guys: a 1.5 inch OB peacock, and (3) 1-inch golden labs.
I keep all water in those cichlid tanks at 78F, pH 8.3 with SeaChem's Malawi buffer.
Ok guys...give me some pointers on the filtrations...you kinda see what animals will be growing in there...and I have a lot of space. Kinda leaning towards using the Eheim as major bio filter, and using something S-I-M-P-L-E for mechanical like hang-ons; since I will be letting refugium work do some filtering as well with whatever plants I can grow in those Amiracle filters, and using either carbon or Purigen in the filter pads on the AMiracle...Just don't want to fight NO3 anymore since I'm leaving saltwater, I should have an easier life???
< Go with the two Emperor 400 filters. Easy and quick to clean. Add the canister if extra circulation is needed. Gently vacuum the mulm from the gravel when you do your water changes. Nitrifying bacteria will live on the Bio-Wheels so you don't have to worry about new tank syndrome.>
Is the Venustus Nimbo that I have pretty safe for temperament as far as cichlids go?
< Your Nimbochromis venustus will get about 8 inches long and will prey on smaller cichlids that will fit into its mouth. Not very territorial unless it is getting ready to breed. Then it will stake out a territory and chase all other fish away.>
I've seen pics of Nimbo Fusco...that no one ever has in stock. but I figure that might be for a reason? Meaning the Fusco is a pretty mean #%$& when he grows up?
< The Nimbochromis fuscotaneatus is a very beautiful fish that also gets very big. Once again a fish eater that will catch and eat other cichlids up to 25% of its body size.>
Thanks for any helpful info, I've tried this same text on cichlid-forum.com, and malawimayhem.com and just get reads and no replies. Larry
<The genus Nimbochromis is not very popular with other aquarists since they get too big for most commonly maintained tanks.-Chuck>

Lake Malawi cichlid questions, comp. mostly 3/23/08
Hey crew,
<Micah>
A few questions, on varying subjects. I've got a recently established (no ammonia or nitrites as of yesterday, woo!) 55 gallon freshwater tank in which I keep 5 similarly-sized (about 2.5 inches each) Lake Malawi cichlids. I haven't identified them all yet, though I'm decently sure that one of them is a Pseudotropheus crabro, and one is a red zebra -- they're all some variety of Pseudotropheus from what my research has told me. Unfortunately, the only label on their tank was "assorted African cichlids."
<Mmm, too often a bunch of hybrid junk>
I've had these guys in my tank for about 3 weeks, though this weekend, I added many cleaned river rocks that my boyfriend picked out while he was camping in the mountains, and built some cave structures out of them to add some variety. They've already starting making the caves larger by re-landscaping the substrate (a crushed coral aragonite type deal), and seem to be enjoying themselves. I feed them a few different foods, and I try to limit myself to feeding them once per day.
<Twice would be better>
Depending on the day, they get Spirulina-enriched brine shrimp, red bloodworms, pellets, algae wafers, or something called emerald entree, which is a frozen combination of krill, spinach, lettuce, and many other things. They seem to be doing well, and I've been watching them carefully since adding the rocks, and testing the pH regularly to make sure the addition didn't throw anything off kilter. If possible, they seem to be more active and more hungry.
I'm wondering if it's okay for me to be considering adding 3 more "assorted African cichlids." That would bring the total to 8 in a 55 gallon tank... I'm not sure whether I'm just being greedy or not, as there are no real aggression problems now since there's territory to claim galore (between the fake and real plants, various decor, and rock caves), but they're so fascinating to watch that I'm itching to add more. Insight?
<Should be done sooner rather than... as these fishes can become fiercely territorial... You'll read re the benefit of crowding or not...>
Second, I'm considering adding an algae eater...any recommendations?
<An armored South American... Loricariid... "Pleco"... of size, toughness. See WWM re>
Third, I'm disassembling a small aquarium which contains a few mollies and 3 ghost shrimp of varying sizes. The person that's adopting my mollies isn't interested in the ghost shrimp (they freak him out, apparently), and I'm trying to figure out which of my 3 established tanks to add the ghost shrimp to, in the hopes of keeping them not only from getting eaten, but from eating their companions. I have the cichlid tank, as described above, and I have a 20 gallon tank (also freshwater) with 5 dwarf Gouramis, 3 balloon body mollies, 3 Danios, and 1 lonely Otocinclus. I also have a 10 gallon freshwater tank with 3 male guppies, 2 Hatchetfish, and 1-2 Otocinclus plus a seemingly infinite number of common pond snails that I've given up on eliminating. Which of the three tanks would you recommend as a compatible home for 3 ghost shrimp of varying sizes?
<Not the cichlid...>
Finally, one of the cichlids has utterly stumped me in terms of identification. S/he started off a rich, chocolate brown, but some time in the last week, has started to show distinctly purple-looking vertical stripes. Any ideas? I haven't been able to get a good picture.
Thanks so much for all your help!
Micah
<A few choices... Need a good pic. Bob Fenner>

Re: lake Malawi cichlid questions 3/26/08
Oh, and one more question.
Would my mbunas be interested in the little pond snails that are attempting to hijack my smallest community tank? I'm more than happy to scrape a few off and offer them up, I just want to make sure that no harm can come of feeding small mbuna common pond snails.
Thanks again!
Micah
<Snails are a fine food for many cichlids, either whole or squished. HOWEVER, you do need to take care they don't transmit diseases. Obviously if the tank donating the snails has whitespot or whatever, don't use them. But more seriously, you want snails that have been in captivity for a long period of time (many months, if not years) and haven't been collected from a pond that contained goldfish or similar. Snails are notorious parasite carriers, even for humans. In aquaria, the parasites can't finish their life cycles so quickly die out, but it is certainly possible for snails in goldfish ponds to carry viable parasites. Unlikely, but possible. But with this caveat mentioned, snails can be used safely if the snails have lived their entire lives in aquaria. Cheers, Neale.>

Re: lake Malawi cichlid questions 3/26/08
Thanks so much, Bob! <Uhh, Neale... RMF>
I think I'm going to put the ghost shrimp in the dwarf Gourami tank...the fish in there are big enough/fast enough that I'm not terribly worried that either one will bully the other, and from what I've read the lone Oto in there would be happier back in my smallest tank with his friends, anyway.
<Otocinclus certainly are schooling fish.>
As for the brown cichlid, I've done more research and have more or less positively identified him/her as a rusty cichlid (a/k/a Iodotropheus sprengerae).
<A lovely fish. Generally peaceful and non-territorial. Often called the best Malawi cichlid for beginners being hardy and easy to keep. Take care not to mix with Mbuna (tends to get pulverised by them). Gets on well with Yellow Labs though, as well as open water things like Aulonocara.>
Apparently the variety in diet has encouraged the little guy to show off his true colors. Only 2 more to go, identification-wise. Then on to gender! Heh.
<Good luck.>
Your site and assistance has been invaluable, as always.
-Micah
<Cheers, Neale.>

Mbuna aggression. -03/17/08
Hello there.
<Lisa,>
Just a quick question. I experienced a horrible encounter with introducing an Mbuna to an established tank yesterday. Despite rearranging décor and shutting off the lights, about a half a dozen Mbuna went after the new guy. They ripped him to shreds.
<Happens with Mbuna, unfortunately. Why you need to select species super-carefully, and ideally introduce them all when young, and the most aggressive last.>
Poor guy. I immediately isolated him to a 10 gallon hospital tank and added Melafix (I also see you made this recommendation for an individual with the same problem).
<Not I said the Little Red Hen. Melafix is not something I'd personally recommend/use for this sort of damage.>
Is there anything else I can do for his damaged fins and open wounds?
<Industrial-strength anti-Finrot/Fungus medication of your choice. Maracyn for example.>
I cannot see any gashes but I know the mbunas' teeth are sharp...
<Indeed so, for scraping rocks.>
Should I raise the temp to high seventies?
<I assume this is degrees-F! Yes, Mbuna should be maintained at 25C/77F regardless.>
I have plenty of filtration and using an established sponge filter for bio and aeration purposes.
<Good stuff.>
Thank you. Lisa.
<Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Mbuna aggression. 03/19/2008
Thanks Neale. I have Maracyn-2 on hand. I have about 1 tsp of Melafix in the tank. Is it okay to add the Maracyn to the Melafix? Shall I do a 25% water change first?
Thank you. Lisa
<Hi Lisa. Water changes are always good when finish one course of medication and before starting a new course of medication. Melafix and Maracyn can be used together without problems.
Cheers, Neale.>

Ngara cichlid, repro. of Aulonocaras – 03/10/08
Hi all,
I have a trio of NGARA peacock cichlid which I would like to breed. I have them in a 90 gallon aquarium. Is it possible to add additional cichlids to add life and color. I do worry about hybridization so I know other peacocks are out. If the answer is no, could I add additional NGARA to the tank? What cichlids would be appropriate based on the low aggression level of the NGARA's? Thank you in advance for your help.
<Greetings. Hybridisation should always be considered when stocking cichlids, and I am very pleased that you are doing so! Aulonocara stuartgranti "Ngara" is only at risk of cross-breeding with other Aulonocara spp., so provided the other fish in the tank were from other genera, you'd be fine. Obvious choices for tankmates would be yellow Labidochromis caeruleus and Iodotropheus sprengerae, both peaceful and hardy Malawi cichlids. Avoid mixing Aulonocara with Mbuna; Aulonocara are simply not aggressive enough to do well. One possible exception might be Pseudotropheus 'acei', a reliably docile member of the Mbuna group. To some extent this would depend on the design of the tank -- the Pseudotropheus 'acei' like to hover above piles of rocks, whereas Aulonocara will utilise open sand areas. Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Ngara cichlid, sys. 3-11-08
One additional question if I may. I have eheim 2026 canister filter and still noticing particles in the water column. Do you suggest additional filter or am I just being overly critical?. Thank you and have a great day. Phil
<Yes, you likely need additional filtration. For cichlids, anything less than 6 times the volume of the tank in turnover per hour is likely to be disappointing, and there's no harm in going up to as much as 10 times the volume of the tank in turnover per hour. Malawian and Tanganyikan cichlids both love strong water currents. It's a good idea to have a pair of filters, one optimised for biological filtration (sponges, ceramic noodles) and the other for mechanical/chemical filtration (filter wool, fine sponges, crushed coral). That way you can regularly clean or replace the mechanical/chemical media without worrying that you're losing biological filtration. Cheers, Neale.>

Filtration For A 90G Malawi Cichlid Tank 9/6/07
I have a 90g freshwater cichlid tank (mostly Malawi with a large Pleco) with 28 fish of small to med size. The tank is 4 months old now and seems to have properly cycled. I have one 250W heater, a Fluval 405 with the recommended media (Foam screen, bio rings and carbon pouches) and two bubble stones. pH is good (7.5 to 8+), no nitrites, the LFS says my phosphates are somewhat high but not to worry about it unless I have a big algae problem, which I don't. Plus I do 33% water changes once a week (I don't always take all the decs out of the tank, but still agitate and python much of the exposed gravel. I am wringing my hands as to whether I should get an additional filter (It would have to be a canister because I have no room behind the tank for a hang-on) which would likely be the Eheim 2126 for the following reasons:
1) I have never achieved what I would characterize as crystal clear water (only briefly after doing a diatom filter of the water)
2)These are dirty fish
3)I have a tendency to overfeed (albeit they only get fed very other day)
4) It might be appropriate anyway given the size of the tank and type of fish
5) We will start to travel weekends in the winter, so the redundancy of the filtration and heater might make sense
6) It might reduce on going maintenance
7) When I have changed the carbon, or rinsed out the foam (but not the rings) I get cloudy water for 3 or 4 days which I think is a bacteria bloom. What are your thoughts? Thanks in advance for your help.
Thomas
< For a 90G tank I would recommend that the filter turn the tank volume over at least 5 times per hour (450gph). Your 405 is rated at 340 gph without any of the media being clogged. The 2126 is rated at 275 gph. When running unclogged both your filters will run 615 gph. A little overkill but well worth the investment in keeping your fish healthy. You still need to service the filters on a regular basis. Just because the waste is out of the tank it is not out of the system. That only happens when you clean the filters. I would recommend that you alternate cleaning the filters so you don't lose the biological filtration.-Chuck>

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