Making over my 75g.

[Jefft]

I like most folks when entering the hobby did so in an uninformed manner. I wish, I had known about CCA prior to purchasing and decorating my tanks but I didn't. Like most folks who take the LFS route I paid an arm and a leg for plastic decorations, which have faded over time. I was further misled into purchasing Argonite brand crushed shells "specially" made for African Cichlids. The jagged edges of the shells would catch and accumulate waste products making clean up a rather tiresome process. Hence, and finally a tank make over.

I rid myself of an imitation grey lace holey rock formation. I shoved out the argonite crushed shells and put in 50 lbs of Mystic White Pool filter sand. This sand ran me a whole 9.00 a bag. The rock formation I replaced with real rock purchased from the local rock store for less than 10.00. So here are some shots of the before product and the after.

Before

Ok so you can see the two tree trunks and you can see the plastic center piece as well the crushed shell. It didn't take as long as I thought it might. Here is a look at the finished made over tank.

I used several different types of rocks for the lower formations. River jack, lava, coral a little bit of everything stacked here and there to give females a safe place to spit fry even in a crowded tank. Then I set a secondary and upper tier of rocks. My thoughts were as I posted in the past I was not utilizing the upward space of my tank I was spreading out across the bottom but not up. So my fish were not getting maximum use of space in my theory. I thought of my tank and space kinda like a set of choir risers. You know a lower row and then a upper row. I kept the tree trunks to keep my corners filled but I moved my piles of rock to the front of the tank and then went to the center back to stack my larger formation. Next week I will be using aquarium glue to stick the rocks together. The lower piles will be all one piece and the larger stack will be set together in three pieces to make taking them out and putting them back in easier.

Let me know what you think... Hope you enjoyed.

 

[zackcrack00]

The tank is BEAUTIFUL, Jeff! Looks like your yellow labs (L. Caeuruleus) love it!

 

[Jmoore]

Looks great!!

 

[Avatar]

No substitute for the real thing

Better, yes?. Makes me imagine that a big clump of barnacle encrusted mussel shells might look/work in a rift tank, or at least as well as plastic thingys. Bet the fish like the new set-up as well - any indications as such?

So where and what is the "local rock shop"? Anyone else cottoned onto local suppliers of semi-precious stones, minerals, geodes and the like?

 

[Andrewtfw]

Tony told me about "The Stone Store". I checked out their site. They have exactly what I am looking for. Thinking of making the trip in the near future.

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[jonclark96]

What is this "Stone Store" you speak of? I've been to Irwin Stone and gotten a few pieces of rock that they sell by the ton for peanuts.

 

[chriscoli]

What is this "Stone Store" you speak of? I've been to Irwin Stone and gotten a few pieces of rock that they sell by the ton for peanuts.

+1. Please share!

 

[verbal]

Tony told me about "The Stone Store". I checked out their site. They have exactly what I am looking for. Thinking of making the trip in the near future.

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If this ends up in his fish tank:

We know where it came from:

http://www.thestonestore.com

 

[Jefft]

LOL.. yup it is called "The Stone Store" and it is over in the Glen Burnie area.. They have everything and every kind of rock all the way down to petrified wood. The guy that helped us gave us a bit of flat rock that had several fossilized sea shells in it.. So I have a piece in my tank now that is no less than 50 million years old thank you very much.. I'm special..winks.. They have "bargain bins" you can sift through and pick up some good flat shelf rock for pennies. Most of their stuff is palletized and cant be broken into pieces but they have HUGE bins of river jack and enough stuff even in large pieces in the bargain bins you can put together something nice.

So hot tips for the day..

1. The Stone Store.. http://www.thestonestore.com

2. Mystic White II Pool Filter Sand, made by US Silica. Call the home office to get the name and number of a distributor in your area. My area (Glen Burnie) its W W Adcock Pool Supplies Warehouse.

 

[chriscoli]

Interesting. I'm a pretty regular customer of Irwin Stone but I'm always interested in other options.

 

[JasonC]

I've used the stone store before... Asked the guy at the front desk about what they had, and he ended up giving me the armload of stone I wanted for free.. Said it was too much trouble to ring me up for something they sell by the ton. Good folks over there.

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[Jefft]

Had to give it a little time Sam..

Better, yes?. Makes me imagine that a big clump of barnacle encrusted mussel shells might look/work in a rift tank, or at least as well as plastic thingys. Bet the fish like the new set-up as well - any indications as such?

So where and what is the "local rock shop"? Anyone else cottoned onto local suppliers of semi-precious stones, minerals, geodes and the like?

I had to let things sit and stew for a little bit of time before I could really answer how the fish seemed to like it and how they are settling in.. So far the answer would seem to be yes they like it a lot more than before.. and the new set up has provided both bottom space territories as well as vertical territories to be established.. I thought I might show you what is and has happened in the tank since the makeover..

The center of the tank both vertically and horizontally has been taken by the Alpha Red Empress male "Red" and he has been in a breeding frenzy ever since the new digs went in.

To the left bottom and forefront "Napolean" the Alpha Metriaclimia Elongatus Cherwe male has established his territory and breeding grounds in the tri lava rock formation. Everyone slips through his area when he isnt in it and "visits" his digs but all scurry away quickly when he is back home so to speak. He too has been in a bit of a heated frenzy of fish porn appetite. I might have to call him John Holmes if he had not already been labeled with the moniker of Napolean.

The right bottom front lava rock was originally claimed by a Met. Elongatus Cherwe and the little sandy path leading to the door was landscaped by him or her. "It" has since moved in with Napolean as the left front lava rock pile is most often covered with various Met Elongatus Cherwes. Noe the right lava rock and its sandy pathed entrance is a stop over for a yellow lab female.

My Alpha Cobue male who showed incredible color the day I put him in the tank and little since has been barring up quite a bit lately and he does his thing in the top center of the main rock pile. I have even seen mating dancing behaviors from him and hints of the orange colors I originally fell in love with him and the breed for.

The left back of the tank mid height in the water center hole of the tree has been claimed and is unconditionally the territory of the Alpha Yellow Lab. He is a relentless defender of the tree hole and more or less spends all his time hovering in the hole to make sure no one else gets it..

That is Napolean in the front anyone have any idea whats up with his nose? Behind him is the tree and Yellow Lab male hovering in his hole in the tree.

The Metriaclimia Cobalt Zebras are gone in the auction so I wont even begin to venture into their habits..

As you can see there has been quite a bit of "digging" and "landscaping" since putting the sand in. This is a behavior I wasnt able to witness to much of previously as the shells we not something the fish could easily move. Since putting in the white pool filter sand I have seen displays of sand spitting to rival cowboys and the spittones of old. In my opinion and this is an uneducated opinion the sand spitting is a precursor to mating dances as inevitably it seems to follow once a female swims in close enough.

The back left tree truck is kinda like a hotel.. It is the spot fish-folks run to when big boy is flashing his goods and dancing.. HE cant fit in there with ease..BUt they can and I imagine quite often they sit in there and call neener neener on him.


The sub- Dom Red Empress male has established himself a quiet little habitat on the right hand middle to back side of the tank and has landscaped a good bit himself. He ventures forth quite often to display only to be hustled into the background once again by Red.


Top left of the rock pile is typically a resting spot for the smaller yellow lab females and Metriaclimia elongatus females. They chill and rest as none of the males can easily fit in there.

So here again are all the pictures I took tonight in no particular order..

 

[Avatar]

Not to rain on the parade but...

Might be the light, but the blue fish in lower right foreground third picture from last looks to have hexamita (hole in the head) - or am I just imagining a big crater along the right side of his snout?

 

[Jefft]

No no holes in the head.. I was in bed when I saw this post Sam and had to get up turn all the lights on and sit staring for more than a few minutes. LOL.. I counted up carefully to the third from the last to make sure I was looking for the right fish.. that is a Metriaclimia Cobalt Zebra there are 3 males and all will be going in the ECC auction. He does not have a hole in the head in fact it must have been the light as I didn't see anything on the fish or in the picture that struck me as a hole in the head. Just discoloration. A hole would be like black wouldn't it and the only mark I see on him is a lighter shade of blue on his nose. You are talking about right next to his eye right??

If that is what you were seeing then look at all three pictures featuring the Metriaclimia Cobalt Zebras... starting at 2nd to last up to 4th from last and you will note each of the fish have that same "Indention" or marking right beside their eye and on the snout. In the picture you mentioned look at fish in foreground right as you indicated and then the one right behind him you can see both have the same deal. It isnt a deformity or a hole in the head. They all came from Dave's Rare Fish as fry all are as far as I know perfectly normal.

I am however concerned about the mark Napolean has on his snout just above the upper lip and center.. care to venture a guess as to what this is???

Personally and my guess is.. this is Napolean's battle wound from the scrape in which the other younger Metriaclimia Elongatus male lost his eye. If it were me I would end up crossed eyed from looking at it all day..

 

[chriscoli]

I can't tell from the pic, but my fish sometimes get white-ish snouts from lip locking with other fish (both males and females will do it). Yours looks more like a scrape from an injury, though. I had a similar looking uninfected white patch show up on the top of the head of one of my Mainganos recently. Upon closer inspection she had scraped off a patch of scales and some skin. I can imagine she might do that from swimming through the hole on one of the decorations in the tank while being chased (or chasing).

I dosed with some pimafix and melafix and she healed-up right away.

 

[Jefft]

Thanks!!

I can't tell from the pic, but my fish sometimes get white-ish snouts from lip locking with other fish (both males and females will do it). Yours looks more like a scrape from an injury, though. I had a similar looking uninfected white patch show up on the top of the head of one of my Mainganos recently. Upon closer inspection she had scraped off a patch of scales and some skin. I can imagine she might do that from swimming through the hole on one of the decorations in the tank while being chased (or chasing).

I dosed with some pimafix and melafix and she healed-up right away.

Yeah Tea Tree oil 1 drop pure essential oil per 10 gallons is part of my "mix" for water changes. So Melafix is always in my water.

 

[Jefft]

The biggest boon of the tank make over..

So far and as far as I can tell the biggest asset of my tank make over was a revived interest in the keeper to get his iphone handy and ready to snap pictures. I also have found I watch behaviors more than I did previously.