A fresh beginning with aquatic companions

[greenfox]

Hi guys,

After seven years of keeping "normal" fish like neptunes plecs, I've decided to make the switch to Cichlids. I've always loved their colours and the tank set ups, and I feel I'm ready for the challenge.

I currently have sand substrate and was planning on keeping it, but I'm thinking of adding some ocean rock - about 25kg worth. I might also ditch the sand and go for a black substrate instead.

My main concern is algae - I've struggled with green algae and the dreaded black stuff in my current set up with normal fish and plants. If I get rid of the plants and bog wood, what are the chances the ocean rock will develop algae, considering I'll only have Cichlids in the tank?

Also, I've got a 180l tank - how many Cichlids would be too many, and what would be a good number for a colourful, easy-to-keep starter fish?

Thanks in advance for any tips and help - I appreciate it.

[flinta]

I've got to warn you, the ocean rock will likely go green with algae, and to be honest, it doesn't look great on it. I've found that natural stone or river rocks can pull off the algae look, and the fish will even snack on it, which is quite neat. Tuffa rock is another option that seems to work well with algae growth. For your tank size, I think smaller species like Salousi would be a good fit.

You'll probably need to upgrade your filtration system as well, just something to consider.

[greenfox]

I've got a Tetratec 1200 running at the moment, seems to do the job pretty well. Is there a way to prevent the ocean rock from going green, or is it just something I'll have to live with?

[flinta]

To be honest, I'm not aware of any method to completely prevent the rock from going green. From my experience, a biotope setup might be the way to go, it's worth considering.

[flarix]

You can stop the rock going green, just keep the lights off permanently. But let's be real, that's not exactly the solution you're looking for. If you're going for an African or Malawi setup, you've got to accept that algae is just part of the deal - it's a food source for the fish, and it's actually beneficial. Instead of ocean rock, why not try some nice big river rocks instead, they look way better with a bit of algae on them.