jprime84

I might be able to get my hands on a 55g tall hex style tank for cheap. Would this be a suitable home? If I could go smaller that would be helpful considering the size of our apartment right now. What about standard dimension 55g?

bolivianbaby

Hex tank won't have enough swimming space for Malawi africans. However, the standard 55 is great for them.

jprime84

I will keep my eye out. I love the colors on those species. They look almost like saltwater fish.

Shawnie

I sooooo agree..its the closest I can ever get to the salty colors..

btate617

A hex tank would be great for angels.

Brian

navyscuba

If you get the tank I send you the fish. I have tons. Just pay shipping.

bolivianbaby

And you know Navy's fish will be healthy, too! There's a few of us that can vouch for that

jprime84

Oh yeah? What species?

jprime84

Well right now I am thinking about getting a 55g standard dimension tank, some Eco-Complete cichlid substrate (http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...fm?pcatid=8976) which btw, how many lbs will it take to coat the bottom of a 55g?

I also have a bottle of SafeStart that I bought for my 20g, but at this point its ammonia is zero and the last little bit of nitrite will be gone inside a week, so Ill use it for the new tank.

Ill just have the gravel, water, and filter + safestart in place and work on a fishless cycle. That will give me time to decide on decor and fish. Sound good?

namehater

better watch those public offers... you might up getting a PM from me lol

Shawnie

I used the same ecco for my tank...its fabooo and worth the money.....I used 60lbs for a 75 ...safestart has to be used with fish ..so if you are going fishless, do not bother with it...if you go with safestart, you add your fish the same day....and make sure its the 8.45 oz bottle...you want more not less than your tank size..and you add the entire bottle!! I know they make one for up to 30 gals then I think it jump for up to 75 gals....not sure if there is one in between..if not, use the bigger one and use it all not a partial bottle...make tons of rock caves and such for hiding ...and if you decide to go with it, I can share some pics of how I set mine up ..

jprime84

Did you get the fine sand stuff or the gravel?

Shawnie

gravel

jprime84

How much should I expect to pay for a 55g tank? Id like to stick with a HOB filter, and I would not necessarily need to have a light at first.

eiginh

I think the standard rule is 2 lbs per gallon...that'll cover at least 2 inches for your 55g.

I also found this on yahoo answers in case you live in the northeast "if you live in the north eastern USA, petland discounts has a sale for a brand new all glass 55 gallon tank WITH a double metal stand for 99 dollars.

Which is crazy low. i dont belive their are any petland discounts outside on the NJ,NY,CT area.

I have seen 55 gallons at my petsmart for around 125 dollars which is too much.
"

-Shawnie nice signature

Shawnie

I got mine on sale (so they said) at $20 a bag....IMO id go with a canister for these messy fish ...

jprime84

Where can I go to learn how canister filters work?

Shawnie

http://www.fishlore.com/ER_PennPlax_Cascade.htm those are the ones i use..but there are a ton of different ones out there....very intimidating for the first time user but once you do , you have a ton of space for extra media and IMO they work better for the heavy waste producers....im sure other canister users can offer advice as well on their types

navyscuba

Red Zebra, Red OB Peacock, Acei, Soon Kenyi, Bumblebee and cobalt blues.

jprime84

This weekend I am looking into an ad advertising a used 55g tank with hood, lights, 304 fluval canister filter, plus wooden cabinet stand, etc - all for $175

bolivianbaby

That sounds great! I've found deals from $50 for the tank, stand, hood all the way up to $150 for the same.

If this helps, you can check some of the "rural" listings as well. Usually, they're much cheaper, but not always

Please keep us posted. We're excited for you.

navyscuba

Sounds good to me too. Have fun and make sure they test the filter for you before you pay or take it home.