Who Gives A Fish Forums

Been a member for a bit now, and I'm already learning loads more than I did just browsing Google. So I thought, why not keep a journal of my tank and getting it up and running, and maybe you guys can give me some advice and keep me on the right track. I've always been into aquariums, ever since my best friend's grandparents had a tropical fish tank at the end of their dining room table - it was so relaxing watching the fish swim about while we ate dinner.

I've had the idea of a 100l tank with blue gravel and a no fishing sign for years, but as soon as I started researching, I came across some lovely planted tanks and then I saw cichlids - I fell in love with their colours and the natural beauty of the tanks. I decided on a tank built into my dining room wall, which is open plan with my living room and kitchen.

First purchase was the tank - it's a 50x18x26 385l tank from AC Aquatics with a black background and glass sliders. Then I started buying the bits and pieces I needed - still got some more to get, but here's what I've got so far.

Got 2x300w heaters, 4x bags of black moon sand substrate (only one in the picture), 2x digital thermometers, 1x Tetratec EX1200 external filter (going to get a second one soon), 1x algae cleaning rod, 1x magnetic algae cleaner (bit scared to use it in case I scratch the tank), 1x API water test strip kit and a liquid test kit, 1x 15m hose and connections for my DIY Python and some Eheim suckers to keep it in the tank and sink, 1x battery-powered gravel cleaner, 1x 120cm twin T5 lighting unit with 6k bulbs (came with it - might upgrade to 10k later?), and some egg crate for the bottom of the tank (not in the picture).

Recent purchases include a Hydor Koralia 1 Power Head 1600lph (got it cheap on eBay - not sure if I'll need it), a Eheim 2217 1000lph filter to work with the EX1200, and a Hydor 300w external heater to connect to the filter outlet.

Still need to get: 50kg of ocean rock and a Prime dechlorinator - might be other things I've forgotten. It'll be another week or two before I get the tank mounted and set up, but I'll post pictures once it's in the wall, and then I'll start cycling. Hopefully, I'll get some yellow labs 4-6 weeks later.

Thinking of getting Malawi cichlids, but haven't decided on the specific ones yet - can anyone recommend some bottom-dwellers? I love the zebra loach, but that's not suitable.

Looking forward to following your tank's progress, great start so far. Good to see you're using egg crate, definitely worth it for peace of mind. For ammonia, I'd recommend checking out Boots in the UK - £1.75 for a 500ml bottle is a great deal, and it's labelled as Boots Household Ammonia, usually found with the cleaning products. For a dechlorinator, I'd suggest Seachem Prime, available on eBay or Warehouse Aquatics - it's a cost-effective option as it lasts so much longer than other dechlorinators. There's a list somewhere on the forum of members willing to donate mature media, definitely worth looking into, especially if you can find someone local - it'll speed up your cycle significantly. Enjoy setting up your tank, and I'll be looking forward to regular updates.

thanks for the kind reply, i've got your journal on my radar now. heard great things about the boots ammonia, that's what i had in mind. spent ages reading up on prime vs other dechlorinators, but prime won me over once i did the maths - it's cheaper in the long run. got a question, though - will mature media go bad if it's posted and not kept cool? living on the isle of skye's got its drawbacks, no fish shops here and no members nearby that i know of. my LFS is a pets at home, 240 miles away, so getting stuff can be a trek.

You'll get some bacteria die-off, but as long as it's kept wet with tank water and sent special delivery, so it arrives next day, it can still help. I've sent some to a guy in Scotland before when his filter crashed and although there was some die-off, it did the trick. If I remember right, it cost about £15, though. If you get really stuck and can't find anybody closer, and you're willing to cover the cost of postage, I'd be happy to send you some. That being said, it's worth trying to find someone in Scotland first, if you can, as there'd be much less die-off.

cheers for that, i really appreciate the offer. i'll definitely get in touch with some of the scottish members and see if they can help me out. hopefully i can get some mature media from edinburgh or somewhere similar, it's only about 250 miles so it should be doable within 24 hours. if not, i might just have to make a road trip to collect it myself, stirling's only about 4.5 hours away from me so it's not too bad.

I think the scottish member I helped was called something like fishiwishie or lilfishy, might ring a bell. Good luck finding someone local, if not just give me a shout.

I'll be keeping an eye on your progress, great to see someone else drawn in by the vibrant colours and fascinating behaviour of the Malawi cichlids.

If you're still looking for some mature media, I think zenrow is based in Scotland - might be worth reaching out to him, he's been setting up some new tanks recently, so fingers crossed he's got some to spare. Mark's already given you some excellent advice, especially regarding Seachem Prime.

For the bottom dwellers in your Malawi setup, I've had good experiences with synodontis petricola and hybrids, as well as a few types of plecs - they all seem to coexist nicely. Unfortunately, loaches aren't really compatible with the more aggressive Malawi and mbuna species.

Feel free to ask if you've got any other questions, there are plenty of us 'Malawi enthusiasts' around to offer guidance and support.

I'm excited to see how this all unfolds, and it's great to see another member smitten with the colour and behaviour of the Malawi's. I think zenrow is in Scotland and I'm sure if he's got some media he'd be happy to help out, I do know he's been setting up some new tanks lately so it's possible he doesn't have any to spare, but it's always worth a try.

You've pretty much got everything covered, and Mark's given you some great tips too, especially about using Seachem Prime. Regarding the bottom dwellers for a Malawi setup, I have 4 synodontis petricola and 6 syno hybrids as well as 1 bristlenose plec, 1 rusty plec and 1 green phantom plec in my Malawi tank and they're all doing well. Malawi and mbuna are generally too aggressive for loaches to live with.

You've made an excellent choice, the Malawi's are truly stunning fish. I've found the synodontis petricola to be great additions to my tank, they're quite peaceful and live off a diet of small crustaceans and plankton. Once your tank is cycling, I'd be happy to help you research some compatible fish to add to your stock list. Thanks again to you both for your advice, this forum has been a fantastic resource for me.

Another cichlid enthusiast emerges, I'm loving the journey so far, and I'm excited to see where it takes me.

Malawi cichlids just have something about them, and I'm totally hooked now. Before discovering them, I thought a nice planted tank with tetras would be the way to go, but then I stumbled upon a photo of a Malawi mbuna tank and I was sold. I just need to be careful with my stock list, since I'm still learning about these amazing fish.

I've been doing some research on the synodontis petricola you mentioned, and they're absolutely gorgeous. What's their diet like? I'm planning to do some more research once my tank is cycling, so I can choose fish that'll get along.

Thanks again for the advice, it's been really helpful. This forum's been a great find, and I'm loving the community so far.