46 gallon bowfront african tank.

This tank was obtained for free stemming from a compliment of the tank. I was installing a double-oven at a customer's house when I noticed a tank in her living room with the lights off, but I could see the silhouette of a featherfin syno and said "Love the african featherfin you have there". The lady seemed surprised that I was able to ID the fish. After brief conversation, I gathered that she wasn't a huge fish person but she did love them anyhow, and the same for her husband. She mentioned that she had two catfish and a pleco in the tank, and that she had tried to find them a new home a few times but never trusted the potential takers. Before I left, she asked if I was interested in taking the whole setup and fish. I told her I would ask the old lady at home if it was okay if I had another tank in the house, haha. I called back the next day and told her I could take it off her hands. Turns out, there was no pleco, it was the featherfin that she thought was the pleco and then two lace squeakers. She also informed me that they are all at least ten years old. One squeaker is obviously blind and battle tested.

This all happened around Thanksgiving of 2011. I picked it up and set it up at home and left the gravel as it was for now. Just last week, I decided to redo the tank. I picked up 40 pounds of salt and pepper cichlid mix and 25 pounds of lace rock. I also found a magnum 350 for 10 bucks at a garage sale that I repaired. I then bought a few juvenile african cichs and another African novelty.

So heres what I have swimming around:
2 lace catfish
1 huge featherfin catfish
3 electric yellow cichlids
3 red jewel cichlids
1 african butterfly fish

here are some photos:

 

That is a crazy good find!

 

Beautiful set up! Sleek.

 

It makes me want to re-setup my old african cichlid tank. The center piece rock is perfect for the tank. Very simple stocking, which isn't common for an african tank. Usually you see an overstocked crazy tank. It's a great refresher. What light are you using?

 

Its a super old t12 that was from an older tank. It has a pupleish tint, that's about all I know. I slide it half way back over the plastic part of the hood itself so it makes the back half darker for the cats.