Tanganyikan community tank update

So I think I bought this tank around March and it's been sitting around and it's been bothering me been so busy with work,kids ,fiancé


So I finally got the substrate and rocks.

Moved the tank into the sitting room and put the sand in(I emailed the company that makes the sand and they emailed me back clarifying that the coral sand is natural sand so it does BUFFER the PH).

Wanted to make the tank look as natural as possible i wasn't putting much thought into rock placement didn't want it to look organised so only spent about 5 minutes placing the rocks.

Next step is get a good few shells to litter the bottom right corner for my multi colony.

And get a filter and a heater and then just fill the tank.

Here are some pictures if anyone has any suggestions feel free to comment.


Regards
Craig Coyle

Pics

Sorry guys having problems uploading the pictures

flic.kr/p/wyQCRc

flic.kr/p/whe6hG

flic.kr/p/wwvTnY

flic.kr/p/wwvTi9

Hopefully this works

Looks cool mate

Thanks Alan mate.

Should be filled and up and running in a week hopefully.

Been a long time coming tank just sitting there for months.

Might pop a few giant val s behind the big rocks at the back haven't decided yet

Craig

Please no plants!!! noooooooooooooooooooooo ha

I can't tell from the pics if there's a background on the tank but for me it's just gotta be sand,rocks/stones and a black background for a Tanganyikan set up.......each to there own though

Are you just stocking Shellies in it?

And i think i said this to you before but i have 10-15 escargot shells here if you want them for nothing? but if memory serves me correct, your out beyonder though?

Ger

ger310 wrote:

Please no plants!!! noooooooooooooooooooooo ha

I can't tell from the pics if there's a background on the tank but for me it's just gotta be sand,rocks/stones and a black background for a Tanganyikan set up.......each to there own though

Are you just stocking Shellies in it?

And i think i said this to you before but i have 10-15 escargot shells here if you want them for nothing? but if memory serves me correct, your out beyonder though

Ger

Hahahahahah yeah ger a bit to far although if you wanted to post them I could pay pal you the postal fee?????

Yes ger the backround is all black.

And I'm going to stock with some less known tangs I've done quite a lot of research and have picked what I think (hope ) will be the best mix.

I am really in 2 minds about the plants

The mix of fish I'm going to have in the tank I'll just have the multies as my shell dwellers

Looking forward to updates on this dude

PM me your address Craig and i should be able to post them tomorrow ok

I am with ger on the no plants I don't like any plants in African tanks but I spose everyone has there own taste

Hi Craig

Nice set up, I have Tanganyikans as well, and tried few plants with no success, even Vallis died on me ... I am trying crinum calamistratum and see how it does and this is going to be my last attempt ! I personaly do not mind plants but my wife and daughter likes them so democracy wins.
Have a 400 lt tank with 100 lt sump
I Had a 3 male 3 female group of leptosomas that I took to seahorse 2 weeks ago, I needed to reduce numbers as my fish are growing would have been nice to give them to you instead, they were breeding group and very nice colors.

Currently keeping :

6 Blue Zaire frontosas - Juveniles biggest one at 8 cms ( may need to move a couple soon )
1 Black widow frontosa
4 Paracyprichromis nigripinnis ( 2 male 2 female ) this is stunning fish and one of my favorites
3 Lamprologus ocellatus gold ( 1 male 2 females ) breeding all the time but not successful to raise fry due to predators
7 Altolamprologus calvus black pectoral, Zaire - a pair bred but I think I have more males and they are currently fighting and disturbing female. They are pitch black with white spots ... stunning fish and my favorite, I had them all since very small and they have slowly grown to beautiful specimens
2 Ophthalmotilapia nasuta gold ( Male and female ) they are around 8-10 cms - male started coloring
2 Cyathopharynx furcifer not sure if male of female they are both juveniles.
1 Julidochromis ornatus or regani can't really tell but I used to have 2 of them and the bigger died ... I think it was killed by the other but not sure ... I can give it to you if you help me catch it :-P

Are you based in South ? I am in Sandyford

Cheers mate and let me know when you get some species in tank

Regards,

Santiago

That sounds like a serious set up mate upload some pictures

Rest of the message don't write out.


Yeah mate I'm just down the road in ballybrack.

I love fonts but as my tank is only 260 litre I thought best not to keep them and go with smaller fish in small groups.

I have decided to go against plants in the set up so it will just be coral sand rock work and shells.

Regards
Craig

Some more updates have put finer coral sand in the tank and added the multies and added another filter as I am not impressed with the ehiem Ecco 300 very bad flow and doesn't seem to be up to much so i will have to look for a stronger external in the near future.

Hopefully getting some leptosoma next week.

Regards
Craig

Added some fish to the tank

Regards
Craig

Little video of feeding time

Nice job - I especially love that you used natural rocks and didn't go for tufa or Texas holey Rock - looks much better this way !

Very nice mate ! your tank looks pretty cool

Thanks lads I'm really happy with it at the moment.

Yeah Jim I have always preferred natural looking rock.

Thanks Santiago I'm quite happy with it at the moment.

Picture of the whole tank

Regards
Craig

Really nice natural looking tank.

What's the tank volume? Tanganyican cichlids live in calm waters with nearly no current, so unless your tank is more than 500l you should be ok with Ecco 300.

Tom

helix8008 wrote:

Really nice natural looking tank.

What's the tank volume? Tanganyican cichlids live in calm waters with nearly no current, so unless your tank is more than 500l you should be ok with Ecco 300.

Tom

The tank is 260 litres it's a Fluval Osaka.

I just want to get a spray bar for the filter I put a little internal filter into the tank aswell to improve water clarity.

Thanks for the kind words

Regards
Craig

If its only water clarity you might want to try replace one filter bio media with Fine Filter Wadding. They sell cheap in seahorse but their site is down atm. Also I would replace the plastic rings with blue sponge, they dont do great job.

Tom

Tom's right about the filter balls & the wadding - the plastics balls are nearly useless - I actually got a tank with a sump full of these and ended up throwing them all out. If you;re using an internal as well as external. I'd fill the internal with fine filer flooss & change it regularly.

As for the Eheim 300, my expreience of it has been poor. I have one and found it incapable of properly filtering even a 200l tank with only a pair of small cichlids in it. I replaced it with a JBL e1500 - the difference is just incredible - the Ecco 300 is relegated to a 70l tank .