Advice for Aquarium

[landonw]

Hello,

I’m looking to start an aquarium with my young sons. I’ve been a casual fan of SA Cichlids since college but am essentially new to this.

I know we will eventually want a 500G+ display based on the space we’ve selected. We’ll need to have some plumbing run, but the space is flexible and would accommodate probably 1K gallons.

Anyway, I don’t know what dimensions or even what fish we’d settle on. So my inclination is to buy a used 200g display locally so we can learn the ropes, and build the surrounding system (sump etc.) to support a much larger display. When the system stabilizes, we might add a JD and/orTexas and upgrade the display after it/they grow out.

Does anyone have any advice? Should we just do a 125-200g setup and upgrade the entire system later? I would reseal the display and initially setup the tank in the garage to ensure it doesn’t leak.

 

[RedRaven]

I agree the best would be to start off with a used aquarium of a larger size like you stated ideally 180+, you wouldn't really get the full experience in something much smaller and would experience the growing pains of keeping semi/aggressive species in confined quarters maybe even leading to losses and potentially turning you or your boys off from the hobby. Watching the cichlids grow well and maintain a somewhat decent territory is extremely rewarding. My introduction was similar with a close family member buying me a used shop display 6x2x2 for my 6th birthday and spending time together maintaining it a couple times a week. One common mistake you've made is thinking the species you mentioned are SA rather than CA, where temperaments and requirements can be vastly different. Is there anything you have planned in terms of stock? Is it going to be a community of medium/large centrals or a more natural setup including a variety inhabitants?
Having a standard system will help you get to grips with the hobby and reduce the chance for disasters. You are doing something great for your kids.

 

[0wen_96]

One common mistake you've made is thinking the species you mentioned are SA rather than CA, where temperaments and requirements can be vastly different. Is there anything you have planned in terms of stock? Is it going to be a community of medium/large centrals or a more natural setup including a variety inhabitants?

I think you flipped it. JDs and Texas are Central American no?

 

[duanes]

Yes JDs are from Mexico, and the Texas cichlid, is from either Mexico to Texas.
Both are perfect if your water is hard, with a pH.

If your water is soft with low pH actual south Americans would be better.

Good way to get in a couple geography lessons for your sons.

 

[RedRaven]

No I was saying that both JDs and Texas are not South American in my previous post. Not sure how I gave you the impression I said the opposite sorry.

 

[landonw]

I guess I was under the misimpression that SA and African were the two primary types. Thanks for pointing that out.

In terms of stock, I’d planned on initially adding a JD and/or TX to grow out in the 200g. We would select stock for the final system right before ordering the new display in say 12-18 months. The final display will be between 500 and 1k gallons and dimensions would be influenced by the stock selection. I suppose we’ll design the sump and support system for a 1k gallon display to be safe.

I’d honestly assumed we’d regulate ph and temperature, etc. via the sump. I need to research sumps and the ancillary equipment. But my plan is to purchase a premade sump, as opposed to building it. Perhaps you guys could recommend a vendor for that?

 

[RedRaven]

Depending on what your mains water is you might not need to adjust any water chemistry these are pretty robust and adaptable cichlids even being successful invasives. Duanes has some good pictures of DIY sumps, setups and built many things with what he has to hand. Using a lot of live plants is something I would suggest the results speak for themselves and have the handy bonus that they require far less maintenance while achieving better results. If it isn't something you have on display (hidden in the cabinet etc) it doesn't need to be pretty and buying a used aquarium may well be your cheapest option. Simple sumps are better imo and I'm sure there's plenty of videos you and the boys could watch together out there. Overcomplicating the design or buying these plug and play kits is unnecessary in all but the few cases where the owner finds pipework, baffles etc satisfying.

I wouldn't just add two cichlids in the aquarium that usually asks for trouble and allowing one to claim the territory alone makes adding others at a later time more difficult. Is it individuals of a species or pairs you would like eventually? This will also decide on how you should add inhabitants. I'd say to add five or six initially and see how you feel in a few weeks/months time this will help spread out the aggression rather than one fish being harrassed.

 

[landonw]

Depending on what your mains water is you might not need to adjust any water chemistry these are pretty robust and adaptable cichlids even being successful invasives. Duanes has some good pictures of DIY sumps, setups and built many things with what he has to hand. Using a lot of live plants is something I would suggest the results speak for themselves and have the handy bonus that they require far less maintenance while achieving better results. If it isn't something you have on display (hidden in the cabinet etc) it doesn't need to be pretty and buying a used aquarium may well be your cheapest option. Simple sumps are better imo and I'm sure there's plenty of videos you and the boys could watch together out there. Overcomplicating the design or buying these plug and play kits is unnecessary in all but the few cases where the owner finds pipework, baffles etc satisfying.

I wouldn't just add two cichlids in the aquarium that usually asks for trouble and allowing one to claim the territory alone makes adding others at a later time more difficult. Is it individuals of a species or pairs you would like eventually? This will also decide on how you should add inhabitants. I'd say to add five or six initially and see how you feel in a few weeks/months time this will help spread out the aggression rather than one fish being harrassed.

Thanks; that’s helpful. It looks like we’d likely do a Central American tank. We can add as many juveniles as makes sense. Are you saying adding 5-6 Central American fish with aggressive temperament at same time balances out the aggression? I suppose you would remove problematic fish on as needed basis. Previously, my impression was that Umbis and jags couldn’t be in same tank. And Doviis had to live alone.

 

[duanes]

Many people mistakenly do break down cichlids into only old world (Africa) and new world (the Americas)

But, the reality is there are different water type regions within any of the continents where cichlids live
North (Central America) is a mainly hard water region. as far as cichlids go.


South America has a number of water parameter regions.
Amazonia, is generally a warm water, neutral to low pH water parameter region for cichlids,
.
Note the difference between the cichlid collection areas in south and northern area of the Americas
Southern S America is a temperate water region, with neutral pH, and fishes need slight winter cool downs.

Above a winter shot taken in Argentina
Uruguay, Argentina and southern Brazil fit in here.

West of the Andes is another different region where waters are slightly alkaline, varying pHs, and minerals because water flows down shorter distances from the Andes, and can be slightly cooler than, the Amazon region.

The large continent of Africa is no different,
although the rift lakes are hard water, high pH, inland seas, many of the riverine cichlids, and those from small lakes in the western section of the continent , are endemic to soft waters.

Many Tilapines of northern Africa and cichlids of the mideast are also quite different

The cichlids of Madagascar and India are more closely related to each other, than to Africans, and quite different

And because all these different regions have their own distinct evolutionary characteristics, cichlids have developed different strategies to live in them.

Cichlids from Amazonia have not needed to develop resistance to pathogens found in the hard waters of N America.
Cichlids from brackish waters in the Mideast or some northern saline lakes such as Lake Turkana, or the more saline waters than the ocean of Lake Natron are also resistant to different Pathogens

When it comes to cichlids, one size, or 2 sizes (maybe more) does not fit all.