Ideas for a 36 gallon!

[crazy42bmx]

So you going to paint it ?
And have u looked into some fish for stocking.

[Timshel]

So you going to paint it ?
And have u looked into some fish for stocking.

Yes, I'll probably get it painted in the next few weeks for sure. I'm comparing methods of the concrete and drylok methods and it seems like Drylok is better to use in the fact that it doesn't alter your pH as much...Then I'll miss a few different cement pigments to give it some nice color.

I also decided against the riparium for now, but am thinking about doing it on my future tank, I love the look of them. :)

Still not too sure on stocking, I'd really still love to do a dwarf mbuna colony but I know it's impossible in a tank this small so it's somewhat disappointing. I love tangs for their personality, but am really looking for some nice color. But again, the tank won't be up and running until mid-August so I'll have plenty of time to think it over and make a decision. Definitely wanting cichlids though, love all of them!

[Timshel]

Alright, I've come to the conclusion that I'll give it a go with some tangs. I've watched a few videos to learn their behavior and they seem rather interesting! I've kept all kinds of Africans, but never any from Tanganyika. Looking into stocking options, still doing a lot of research on these guys since I honestly don't know much.. But I'm thinking:

　

4x lamprologus ocellatus (Gold if available)

2x Julidochromis (Not sure which variant)*

　

Still thinking on an open water swimmer, really don't want to spend too much (College student budget, ha!) and though I love large groups of cyprichromis, I don't think I could afford them. But we'll have to see..

　

Still working on stocking, any suggestions here? I'll be reading more in my free time.

*(If I can't get gold Ocellatus I might switch the julies for some lelupi for color)

[crazy42bmx]

If u wana go budget wise. Beat bet is to buy stock from people who breed the fish. Cause any shops gona have huge markups. I do breed a few shellies and probably have the best looking leleupi fry in town.

[mnemenoi]

Does TangoMike have Gold Occies? I seem to remember him having some awhile ago... they can be a bit tough in any smaller tank as the Occelatus group are not exactly 'communal'. They are pretty, but the communal shellies are a bit easier and their social dynamic is great fun to watch. Brevis, Multis and Similis would be my recommendation. I know Daves Rare fish usually has them and shipping is not too terrible. I know I see julies fairly regularly, but not sure of anyone actively breeding them. Someone on here is sure to have some, the smaller the better in that regard. I'd say cyps were doable. Just avoid the jumbos, my colony is breeding and in a 29, soon to be moved to a 75. We started with 6 and are up to 10 now. I have a feeling they'll breed far better once we get them a bit larger space. The micros are smaller and would likely work. Otherwise rainbows are great upper reach fish that do terrifically in hard water. Maybe some furcatus or neon dwarfs, even some madagascaran would look nice in a tank like that.

[Ballinxalex]

+1 on what Donovan said . Who said u can't ball out being a college student lol

[aquabee]

Mike did have gold occies and I believe he got them breeding too... PM him for more info.
Real nice job on the background!!


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[aquabee]

If u wana go budget wise. Beat bet is to buy stock from people who breed the fish. Cause any shops gona have huge markups. I do breed a few shellies and probably have the best looking leleupi fry in town.

No kidding. And I speak from recent experiences! Grrrr. So yeah, I'll support Donovan's shameless plug. He's got some great tanks, fish, and tons of fry!!


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[Timshel]

Thanks guys! Will look into it. :) Also, here's the first layer on the background!

[crazy42bmx]

Loos really good man! Are u gona add different shades to give it a natural look, kinda a splattered rock

[Timshel]

Definitely. Just got a base coat on now, the second I might add color, but the third for sure will have several colors and details added in!

[Timshel]

Alright, here's the second coat! Played around with colors to see how they will look once dried. I bought Buff and Terra Cotta colors because the rock I purchased is (I hope) similar in color. I might even add some color to some of the rocks to ensure it all matches well. In 2-3 days I'll add the final coat, clean it up a bit, and paint it to look like realistic rocks. :)

[morpheus]

Looks great so far! I am coming late to this thread, and may not work with 36 gal, but I used to breed Lamprologous Brichardi (Fairy Cichlids). The Neolamprologous are even more colorful. They tend to spread out and breed like crazy, and I had a few breeding pairs. When I moved here I sold off about 100. It was like an invisible wall in my tank. Half the tank all brichardi, other half was other fish staying away. Always found it neat watching multiple generations raising/protecting eachothers fry.

[crazy42bmx]

So what are the filter plans ? Lighting ect ? Just curious

[Timshel]

Well, I finished the cement layers, but found it didn't fit just right in the tank, and had to shave some off. In the process, some of the cement layers flaked off down to the styrofoam. So now, I'm going to silicone the pieces in, and do another layer or two of colored cement once it is in the tank, which will also fill in any gaps between the panels. Might take me a while to complete because I'm moving soon, but it will be worth it! Right now I have two aquaeon HOB's, either rated for 30 gal each or 55. (I'd have to check.)
I'm thinking of upgrading to a canister, but it will probably be a while before that happens, depending on a few factors. It also has the stock lighting right now, just a simple strip light, but I haven't seen it on while the tank is full, so depending on how it looks I'll probably upgrade the lighting to something a bit brighter. :)