150g mbuna setup

[STATMATT]

I have a 150 gallon empty tank. For a mbuna biotope, I'm going for an unreal amount of rockwork. I did lots of research on the foam backgrounds so I'm going to attempt doing the background myself.
First I went rock collecting to find the types of rocks I want to use. I found a granite rock outcropping on a nearby road, pulled up the truck and loaded up. I'd say I picked up at least 400 pounds of rocks and boulders. Went home and cleaned them with a vegetable scrubber and a rubbermaid tub. I stacked them outside to see what I liked and didn't like and then took pictures to make sure I rembmebered what I wanted it to look like and what order the rocks need to go into the tank.

I did some research to see how much weight the glass will hold lets say I'm going to push the limit on that youtube vid for tempered glass.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgEwEiTyYcs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aupoGfnvScs
I'm also noting that I found no online stories of an aquarium bottom breaking because they used too many rocks. Using an unverified online quote...
"A glass tank that is fully tempered will break at 15,000 PSI. If you want to add 100lbs of rock to your tank you must (if my math is correct) make those rocks contact at least .007 square inches of your tank bottom."
I want to ensure that I don't have that miniscule pinpoint pressure on the tempered glass bottom. so I placed polybutaline piping in loops along the bottom of the tank. The rocks can sit on these and I can semi-easily slide the rocks around. In a few places they didn't seem to have the coverage I wanted so I used the lids of the sterlite bins that you get from ContainerStore I set those on top of the polybutaline piping.

 

[STATMATT]

Here is the tank when it is full of rocks...

None of the rocks touch the sides front or back and there is enough space between the glass to get the magnetic algae scrubber in there to clean the glass on the front sides and back.

Any thoughts comments or suggestions?

 

[STATMATT]

I went through today using
http://malawicichlids.com/
http://www.fishbase.org/

and following the guidlines of chichlidrecipe I want to come up with a Mbuna fishlist. So, for a good biodiversity, I picked a few possibles out of each Genera. My understanding is that it is OK to mix between genera and not within genera, so tat means Maylandia aurora is ok with Pseudotropheus ater not in terms of agression, but in terms of interbreeding. I don't want crossbreeds!!! but I do want biodiversity. I'm anticipating lots of fry with this many nooks and crannies inside my DIY rock background!

Cyathochromis
obliquidens

Cynotilapia
afra

Gephyrochromis
lawsi

Iodotropheus
sprengerae

Labidochromis
gigas
lividus
maculicauda
pallidus
textilis
vellicans

Labeotropheus
trewavasae

Maylandia
aurora
cyneusmarginata
greshakei
pyrsonotos
thapsinogen

Melanochromis
interruptus
kaskazini
perileucos

Petrotilapia
microgalana

Pseudotropheus
ater
crabro
cyaneus
flavus
longior
saulosi
williamsi

Tropheops
lucerna
macrophthalmus
novemfasciatus

Any suggestions on how to go about finding a species from each genera. I'm cool with taking any one of the subsets mentioned. For example if I found T. novemfasciatus first, then that would mean I cross out the T. macrophthalmus and the T. lucerna.

If I need fry control I figured 2 Synodontis Multipunctatus will do the trick.

Any suggestions from those with more experience than myself would be appreciated.

 

[cmcpart0422]

you weren't lying when you said unreal amount of rock.

 

[fischfan13]

What I can help with.

Cynotilapia
afra
White Top Hara Breeding Group


Labidochromis
maculicauda Breeding Group

Pseudotropheus
williamsi 6" males and 1" juvies

 

[creepyoldguy]

Hey, get some eggrate and cut it to fit your tank bottom. Use sand as a substrate so it will fill in all the spaces. THen, when you fill it with rock, the weight of the rock will be distributed evenly acroos the tank bottom.

 

[davidhusker]

Tips:

I would remove the rocks, put down eggcrate, replace rock. For a 6ft tank and all that rock, its worth the $18 doing this.

Also i would advise against any species of tropheops due to aggression.

What are your filtration plans?

 

[mscichlid]

Unreal! VDOT is missing some rock for sure. I like the look.

Yes you must distribute the weight and to eliminate the chance of a grain of sand to come between the rocks and the glass.

 

[Reel Addiction]

Thats alot of rocks!

 

[Rasta Fish]

WOW! thats a lot of rocks
I would get some styrofoam under those rocks and the glass also

 

[STATMATT]

Unreal! VDOT is missing some rock for sure..

We laughed so hard I almost fell out of bed... I left plenty for VDOT, I'll take a picture of the outcropping to show everyone that there are still some rocks left.

Ciao!

 

[Tony]

Looking awesome Matt. +1 on the eggcrate though.

I'm no mbuna expert (don't even know some of those species), but from those I know, I would avoid Pseudotropheus crabro.. they get extremely large and aggressive.

Also, watch out for potential crossbreeding between Maylandia/Metriclima and Pseudotropheus. Maylandia and Metriclima are a new genus (the same genus known by different names by different researchers.. a long story). This genus was split off of Pseudotropheus. The fish in these groups are more likely to interbreed than others.

 

[UNCLERUCKUS]

DEF GET SOME AFRA IN THE MIX THEY HAVE SOME BEAUTIFUL COLORATIONS, THROW A VENUSTIS AND LIVINGSTONI PAIR IN THERE TOO THEY WOULD DO NICELY.

 

[STATMATT]

I typed up a post as to why I didn't use eggcrate last night and then lost it.. bummer...

But basically I have faith in my polybutalyne piping. None of the rocks are directly on the glass, all are on the PB piping or the other plastic pieces in the tank. If there is a grain of sand or small rock between the PB piping and the glass, the PB piping will absorb the deformity. I've used this method for years without any worries, my official recomendation for the books is to use the eggcrate, but I opted not to in this application.

I'm aware of the crabo being crazy aggressive, I like the fish and it was in my top picks for that Genus. but I'll drop it for the P. williamsi. out of all the fish in the list the williamsi is my favorite and I'm stoked that a local member keeps them.

I noticed that the reclassification of Maylandia/Metriclima and Pseudotropheus has been recent. It will be handled by selecting very different looking fish from each genus, if they do cross polinate I'll be upset, but that is the risk I take with prioritizing biodiversity.

 

[mscichlid]

Well definantly keep us posted. A nice video of you filling it would be sweet.

 

[STATMATT]

This tank is comming along, I'm still waiting for the fix on the cross strut for the eurobracing. A friend is helping me out and once that is fixed, it is ready for stocking. it is half full right now and running ammonia to keep the nitrogen cycle going.

 

[STATMATT]

I've reduced my wishlist down as well.
Cyathochromis obliquidens 15 cm
Cynotilapia afra (Mbenii or Cobue) 10.1cm (livefishdirect.com has the cobues)
Gephyrochromis lawsi 12.8 cm
Iodotropheus sprengerae 10.8 cm (cichlidstore.com and livefishdirect.com has them)
Labidochromis textilis or gigas 7.65 (cichlidstore.com has the textilis) (livefishdirect has the gigas)
Labeotropheus trewavasae 11.7 cm (red top / I don't want the blotchy/OB kind / bluegrassaquatics.com has them)
Maylandia (Metriaclima) pyrsonotos 7.66
Melanochromis interruptus 9.8
Petrotilapia microgalana 11.43
Pseudotropheus williamsi 16.5 cm (get from fischfan when I can arrange it)
Tropheops elongatus broadzulu 10 cm(reserve stock cichlids has them but I won't be in town to pick up for the group buy)

Anyone else know how to obtain those on my wishlist?

 

[Jumbie]

Nice job with the rocks, you should look in to a Fluval FX5 for filtration and a couple of large power heads to help create some current. Keep us updated!

With that size tank ...you sure you don't want to add some Geophagus, Vieja Regani/Bifasciatus, or some Crenicichla oppose to the Africans you listed LOL. (Just joking with you )

 

[STATMATT]

I didn't mention it, but I have an FX5 on it already and just installed 2 48in 10K bulbs. I'm looking into powerheads, I dont want to go overboard so I just bought one and am seeing if I like it or not. with the sand substrate, I typically use a 450gph pump and spray the top of the sand towards the filter intake. this seems to work well for me. Also the way the rocks are stacked and being as large as they are, there are not a whole lot of dead spaces near the sandbed. You can see along most of the surface of the sand from front to back along most of the tank. I'm really looking forward to this tank and all the turf squabbles the fish can have over the cracks and crevices.

 

[rich_one]

I am scared to DEATH to put that much rock weight in my tanks! LOL... Looks nice though!

-Rich