My new 180g African setup.

[Jim2982]

Here she is. Thanks for all the advice I got on the sump and for everyone's ideas and suggestions on the setup in general. Thanks to Andrew for coming over during the move and answering questions and everything. I really appreciate it.

Here's the initial incarnation. I can't decide if I should add another plant on the right side to even things out or just leave it the way it is. I'll probably experiment with moving rocks and plants around later. Oh well.

Pics...

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/Jim2982/Sump%20and%20180g/DSCN1200.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/Jim2982/Sump%20and%20180g/DSCN1202.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/Jim2982/Sump%20and%20180g/DSCN1208.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/Jim2982/Sump%20and%20180g/DSCN1211.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/Jim2982/Sump%20and%20180g/DSCN1216.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/Jim2982/Sump%20and%20180g/DSCN1217.jpg

[rolloffhill]

Looks like it turned out good. Nice looking tank. :)

Just a tip, if you copy the [img] tags from photobucket you can hotlink them and have the pictures show up here...;)

[supersmirky]

Looks really good!!

BTW - How much light is on your tank?

[Jim2982]

Oh it's way underlit. It's just a single 48" florescent light right now, but I have other lighting that's attached to the canopy. I'm waiting until Christmas to take the HOB biowheels off and let the sump work on it's own. Then I'll put the canopy on with the better lighting.

[tsunderl]

Love the background! My vote is to keep the plants the way they are. But, I go for more of the asymetrical look anyway. My whole tank is unbalanced. LOL

[biggin]

Looks nice, I like rocks.

[bra8ndy8]

Looks great! You might want to add some more rock for hiding places....IMO

[mike]

i like the background ,, did you make it ? or buy it like that ?

[EAST_TX_RN]

Yeah, tell us about the background! I love it! Is that Kenyi fish I see in there? I recommend adding more rocks and plants, but I like it the way it is too.

[lellison]

looking nice!

[Jim2982]

Yes there are two Kenyis in there. One male and one female. The background was already in there when I bought it. It's carved styrofoam covered with cement. The sump also came with it, along with two nonworking pumps (replaced with a Mag 9.5), and 3 T5 lights, of which only one works, and it's not just the bulbs. :( But, I'd been looking for a bigger tank for a couple of months, so I jumped on it when I found it.

I kinda wanted to put more rocks in, too, but I was afraid it'd look to cluttered. I'll probably experiment with more rocks and plants after Christmas, we'll see. Thanks for all the compliment, btw.

[AndrewH]

You're very welcome, though I feel like I just mostly watched :cs:.

Dang, it cleared up beautifully!!!

I was thinking another plant on the right would balance things out, but it's totally preference. I'd also suggest trying to find some sand stone or any other rocks that more closely match the color of your background. I think it'd make the tank (well background anyway) look more natural. But of course that's just my opinion.

I've seen some tank completely full of rocks and they still looked great! One biotope/tank aquascaping book I was reading said to plan out the decor in such a way that the viewer's eye isn't drawing between two sections of the tank. Basically, saying, make the decor flow from one side of the tank to the other. Maybe have a few smaller piles of rocks on the left-hand side and then gradually work up to larger piles on the right-hand side, etc. Maybe have the plants both on the right-hand side to help cover up the overflow (which in your case isn't needed), but using designs in this manner to help the viewer look across the tank (starting at one side then moving all the way through to the other side) instead of having focal points all over the tank which makes the viewer's eyes want to bounce around. Or in the longer tanks (like yours), you can make a focal point on each side of the tank then draw the viewer's eye to the center (kinna like having two smaller tanks).

[supersmirky]

What colors of quartz did you use? Keep posting pics when you rearrange. It's an awesome tank

[Jim2982]

I don't think it's quartz, actually. The substrate came with the tank, also, and they said it was 'cichlid sand'. Not sure what that really means, but it's just mixed black and white. They guy from Exotic Aquatics, where I bought the tank, said this substrate is tumbled so it's extremely smooth. He said cichlids love to sift through substrate, and since I moved them to this tank, they've all started picking it up and moving it around and sifting it through their gills. One of my fish, I think a male Auratus, always waits until I come up to the tank and then he picks up a mouthful of sand, swims up to about eye level and spits it at me, lol. It just hits the glass and falls back down but it's hilarious. And I'll definitely post more pics as things change in there.

[supersmirky]

Ha...that IS funny that he does that. Wonder what is going through his head when he's doing it?!

[AndrewH]

LOL, yeah none of my community fish do that.

I wonder if it's a "dominance" or "warning" or "hey look at me" or "hey feed me" thing.

[Haiven]

Since it's an auratus, he's definitely saying, "Just come a little closer and I'll chew you up and spit you out like this!"

[Shayman10]

Yeah Auratus are mean little buggars!

I love the tank! The background is awesome! More rocks couldn't hurt....then again I am a rock nut!

[fishyjoe24]

nice,awesome and sweet tank Jim. it looks good,what type of cichlids are those in the tank.

[Jim2982]

OK, well I added more rocks and moved the plants around, and as I was trying to take pics to post on here my camera crapped out. :( Oh well. Joey, here's a list for you of the fish in the tank, and I'll try to get some more pics posted soon. Thanks again for all the compliments.

5 Kigoma Frontosa (Thanks Gary)
3 Brichardi (Thanks Michelle)
2 Red Zebra
2 OB Zebra
1 Zebra Obliqueden
1 Venustus
1 Livingstoni
1 Auratus (male)
1 Iceberg Hap (male)
1 female Hap
2 Sunshine Peacock (1 male, 1 female)
2 German Red Peacock (1 male, 1 female) (Thanks Nancy!!)
1 Julidochromis Regani
2 Kennyi (1 male, 1 female)
1 Bumblebee
1 White Top Afra
1 Dimidiochromis Compressiceps
1 Gold Sexfaciatus
1 Leporinus Faciatus
1 Synodontis Ocellatus
1 Synodontis Eupterus

[fishyjoe24]

wow that's a lot of cichlids.

[Jim2982]

OK, here are the new pics finally. Enjoy!

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/Jim2982/Sump%20and%20180g/DSCN1242.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/Jim2982/Sump%20and%20180g/DSCN1241.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/Jim2982/Sump%20and%20180g/DSCN1240.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/Jim2982/Sump%20and%20180g/DSCN1239.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/Jim2982/Sump%20and%20180g/DSCN1238.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/Jim2982/Sump%20and%20180g/DSCN1237.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/Jim2982/Sump%20and%20180g/DSCN1235.jpg

[tsunderl]

Very nice!

[bra8ndy8]

Looks good!

[AndrewH]

Dang Jim, the tank is looking awesome!!!!

The overflow is hidden very well. The substrate, rocks and background with plants all flow very well together. The water is looking crystal clear and the fish look grrrrreat! The lighting and canopy look very at home and perfect for the tank.

It's coming along very nicely. You should be very proud :D

What'd the fam say when they came in for the holidays?

[EAST_TX_RN]

Those stacked rocks and plants really make it. Nice photos of your tank. Makes me want to go out and buy a huge tank!

[fishyjoe24]

wow you made your tank look really lovely jim.

[Jim2982]

Thanks everybody! My family loved it Andrew. My uncle pulled a chair from the kitchen table and sat right in front of it the whole time they were here, lol. And I love it, too! I sat there the other night after work watching it and didn't even realize how long it'd been until the automatic timer shut the lights off! I'd been sitting there for over an hour, lol. Am I the only huge dork that does that? Haha.

[rolloffhill]

I've done that, I have a big comfortable chair next to my tank and I have fallen asleep there watching before...

[tsunderl]

I think my hubby watches the fish more than he watches tv. Finally got water in the 180 today and we were both watching bubbles float to the top of a fishless tank. Now that's dorky!!! lol

[fishyjoe24]

I've done that, I have a big comfortable chair next to my tank and I have fallen asleep there watching before...

oh yeah but is your tank 240 gallon and in your bedroom, where you can lay on your bed watching fish. then where you can fall asleep. :brandy::tease:mine is.

[rolloffhill]

Nope you got me there Joey, mine is only 215g next to 2 pinball machines, a pool table and really comfy chairs...oh yeah almost forgot about the kegerator in there......:)

[AndrewH]

Nope, my wife complains once a week that all I do is come home and watch my fish after work. My standard replies are "the fish aren't gonna watch themselves" or "if you would swim around in a big glass box without any close on I'd watch you" (neither of which get the reaction I was hoping for) or "it's very relaxing and soothing after a long day of work".

I have a big comfy chair next to my tank as well, and often fall asleep while watching the fish. Heck most nights when my wife need the computer for school stuff, I'll sit in the living room with all of the lights out and just watch the fish all night long, sometimes having to turn the tank lights back on because the timer cut 'em out and I wasn't finished watching them. Maybe I need some moon lights :D.

I love it!!!

[EAST_TX_RN]

My 50 is close to my desk, so when I get frustrated or get strained eyes, I watch the fishies for awhile. I also pull up a dining room chair and watch my fish in the 55 there. The moonlights are very soothing to see the fishies with.

[Jim2982]

I agree with the moon lights. I have some lunar LED's on mine. They were pretty cheap, I got em at www.drsfostersmith.com. They're like strip lighting, but for moon lights, lol. I recommend them, especially if you have any catfish in there. My syno's hardly ever come out with the lights on, but when the moon lights come on they're out on the prowl, swimming up the sides of the tank all the way to the top. It's really cool.

[fishman76092]

Nice looking tank--the new photos are very nice!--down the road, youll need to decide on whether or not to keep the mbuna or the fronts. They wont mix much longer. Also, your 'auratus' is a male Mel. chipokae...the much meaner, larger brother of the auratus.

[Jim2982]

A Chipokae? Wow, thanks for the info, I had no idea. He hasn't really messed with any of the other fish in the tank. All I ever see him do is swim around and dig in the substrate.

[fishman76092]

Just wait....they are brutal. You might get lucky with a mellow one.

[Jim2982]

Well I hope so. I sure don't feel like trying to catch him if he does start terrorizing everyone else. Hopefully I WILL get lucky and have a mellow one. Thanks for the heads up, though.