New Tanganyikan set-up

[dustybryn]

Hi,
I have just purchased a Juwel Trigon 190 (190 litres) tank with the intention of setting up a Tanganyikan cichlid environment. I've read quite a bit of conflicting information on the internet so I would be grateful if anyone could answer any of the following questions with regard to initial setup.

1.) Is the filtering equipment which comes with my Juwel aquarium sufficient or do I need to purchase any more hardware?

2.) Is coral sand the best substrate to use and if so to what depth should I fill (should I put gravel down under the sand)?

3.) I intend on building a wall of rock on two sides of the aqaurium. I've been told lava rock is the best option but the stuff in the shop looked pretty un-natural. Are there any better /more attractive alternatives?

4.) Is it true that bog-wood and other driftwood should not be used, and if not why?

5.) What is the best option for cycling my tank. Some people are recommending to me to leave the heater off and cycle using goldfish. Surely there is a better option using a hardy Tanganyikan cichlid or two, if so which are best?

Many Thanks

Dust.

[aharris]

First off, good luck with your tank. I love Tangs.

1.) You can never have too much filtration. You want to make sure that all teh water in your tank goes through filtration as many times per hour as possible. I'm not familiar with the brand you mention, but if you bought a kit, the filter will likely be the minimum for a tank of that size. I'd recommend buying another filter like an Aquaclear or an Emporer for a couple reasons: both these move a lot of water, both are reliable and recommended by many people here and on other forums, and if one of your filters ever quits on you, you will then have a back up to hold you over until you can get it up and running again.

2.) I've heard mixed reviews on coral sand. Depending on the fish you'll be getting, it could actually irritate the mouths and gills of fish who continuously move sand through their mouths because it's still fairly sharp. A lot of people here use pool filter sand that has the added advantage of being a lot less expensive to buy than coral sand. The main reason many want coral in their tanks is for the pH buffering ability. If maintaining the proper pH is hard for you, you can always add crushed coral into the media compartments of your filter. This will work as well as coral sand.

3.) I use native limestone in my tanks along with shale (none oil). Visit your local rockyard/landscaping store. They will have all sorts of different kinds of rock for much less than you could ever buy it at an aquarium store. If you're worried about your pH, limestone is a good choice, btw.

4.) It's not that you can't use bog wood, but bogwood does tend to lower the pH of an African tank over time. Sometimes, depending on your maintainence schedule and the size of the wood relative to the volume of the tank, this effect will be neglibale, but at other times, you may have to fight to maintain a healthy pH for your fish. Aside from that, using wood ornaments is purely a personal aesthetic choice.

5.) Exposure to high concentrations of poisons like ammonia can permanently damage a fish's health. I wouldn't recommend cycling your tank with any fish. Try reading this article instead.

http://www.tomgriffin.com/aquamag/cycle2.html

This will help you get your tank started without damaging any fish. :wink:

[super]

Hi
I own a Juwel Trigon 250 and this is how i set up my tank

1)I use Juwel Filter median and synthetic filter wool made by Intapet. I place it on top of all the sponges. I also use ;clear water' this is the name of the media-it's a sack with granules which cleans the water and makes it crystal clear. It works really well.

2) I use coral sand as a dubstrate it's around 3cm wide and i find it doesnt irritate the fish and makes a stable high PH.

3)I use ocean rock, i build two walls on both sides and leave an open area with shells in the middle. I also have lava rock but find that ocean rock works best.

hope this helps
super

[afishguy]

1) filter filter filter....the more the better

2)use silica sand....its cheap and parasite free

3)use limestone if you can get it,its a calcium carbonate which will help the buffering capacity in your tank as well as the PH

4)try not to use wood in a tang setup....it can leach tannic acid over time, thereby lowering the PH , making for a fight.

5)turn your heater to 79F , add a cuople of danios or tetas after one week.NO GOLDFISH!!! they can carry disease.NEVER CYCLE WITH TANGS!!!!they are too expensive, not at all hardy for the cycle, and a bad move.these fish, contrary to some are sensitive.Danios and the like are very tolerant of high ammonia and nitrite concentrations.and cheap. If you lose one ...GET ANOTHER ONE! and dont bother with the fishless method.This isnt PETA.If it was, We wouldnt keep fish, right? most likely at the end of the cycle your LFS will take them back if you dont want to toss them. They also make good dither fish. Good Luck. Ask More questions.

[afishguy]

By the way....Shale is a petroleum based rock. Bad Move.

[jonah]

Originally posted by afishguy
By the way....Shale is a petroleum based rock. Bad Move.

Not all shale is petroleum based. Some of it is sedimentary clay.

[aharris]

I was very careful to make sure. Mine is mud shale. It's not exactly pretty, but broke off into very nice plates for building with. I've been using it for over five years with my Tangs with no troubles, so I must have gotten it right.


GET ANOTHER ONE! and dont bother with the fishless method.This isnt PETA.

While we aren't PETA, I still think it's better not to just buy something alive with the idea that it's expendable. It would be like getting a kitten someone was giving free to a good home just to feed your boa. I realize most don't have compassion for fish like they do for cats and dogs and the like, but if I can avoid forcing even a "cheap" fish to live in poison, I will. It is, of course, a personal preference.

[crazyfishlady]

I just thought I'd chime in w/ my $.o2, because I think the amount of filtration you use depends on the type of fish that you plan to have. Bigger cichlids are messy & can deal with the current so yes, filter filter filter. But there have been so many times at the LFS or even at the fish show I went to recently that I've seen a little shellie swimming as hard as it can to keep from getting sucked into a too powerful filter, and getting nowhere...:(
I know there's a better rule of thumb for filtration than "as much as you can" I just can't think of it right now...
:oops:
Do you want all the water in your tank to cycle at least 5x per hour or is it 10? Someone help me out here...

[afishguy]

10x per hour seems to be the going rate.....

i wasnt trying to be crass, they were just opinions. the best way I found to cycle a tank is to use the existing filter from another tank,clean the crap off right in the new water, and run that filter on the new tank for a couple of weeks. not to mention adding some rocks and some substrate from the existing tank. after one week the ammonia is almost nothing if not gone. the danios had no adverse effectswhen I put them in at one week, and at two weeks the tank was cycled. then I added the Tangs two at a time every other day until I was done so as not to overload the bacteria and let it catch up. The Danios are now in with the peacocks as dither fish. So, no harm no foul. sorry if I gave incorrect info. I was told by quite a few not to bother with the shale no matter th composition, just in case. As it is limestone is better, and will flake in generally the same manner as shale. And no...no kittens to the boa....he prefers puppies. ;-)

[aharris]

Cycling with an already loaded filter is the best way, but not everyopne who starts has that option. Now that I have several tanks running with two filters each, I can pull one loaded filter off to start cycling the new tank and put the new filter on the established tank to cycle. It works well, and none of my tanks are so bio-loaded that doing so seriously effects the toxin levels so long as water changes are kept regular.

I went rock collecting for much of the rock I currently use while taking college geology. I have a good portion of native limestone in my tanks as well, but I did find one mud shale boulder that provided many of the "flat" pieces I use to help build structures in my tanks. Going to college in the Flint Hills of Kansas was a lucky break for my aquarium hobby. In one night of collecting, I got enough rock to pretty thoroughly landscape a 135, a 29, and my 55g.

[afishguy]

have you ever seen a black spot disease in tangs?some of my fish have a spot or two, and I havent nailed down where its coming from. they seem to have a spot for a day or two, then it'll disappear.if anyone has any thoughts on this and if theres something to remedy it, please let me know. thanks!

[aharris]

I've never seen that one. My big disease is piscine TB. Once you've seen that one, you never forget it.

[afishguy]

what in the hell is that? never heard of it and I dont think I want to again! The name scares me!

[aharris]

It is what it says. It's also called chronic wasting disease. Sometimes you have apparently healthy fish waste away to nothing. If you do a post-mortem on them, they'll have little nodules on their organs. More spectacularly, they can develop huge swellings that erupt into open weeping sores. They can heal from the sores only to have new ones form. Depending on what you read, it's incurable or at least extremely difficult to cure. It's contagious, but it can be controlled by maintaining fanatically good water quality, but one lapse will bring about a re-emergence. The real kicker is that you can catch it as a skin disease.

[afishguy]

has anyone ever seen a juvinile compressiceps that is a pale silvery pink? I assume its a goldhead thats about an F20. No idea. hes about one inch long. Seen him at a store today and got a little excited until I saw the color and left. Just thought Id ask.