# Creating a 125g dream African tank :)



## cichlidspiro

Well I just bought this 2yr old setup for $420

Started setting it up at like 9:00 
Only did 1/3 of the way for now as I am taking the water from my 55g so I don't want to take to much and kill the fish. All advice and criticism welcomed.

I will keep you guys updated as I do every thing. And sorry for the pics but my iPod isn't really great as a camera

Just starting to fill it up:


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## Mlevi

Nice!

Looking forward to seeing where you take it.

Take lots o' pics, so us 'small tank' guys can live vicariously through you *grin*


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## cichlidspiro

Haha

sure ill put lots of pics 
And when I start to really set it up I'll put a video too


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## Riceburner

are you moving everything from your 55 to the 120? If so, move everything including all the water...add more water to top up. It will be like a 50% WC.


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## cichlidspiro

No just half of the fish and I'm going to buy 20 or so demasoni 
Thanks for the info though 

I took all that water from my 55 

today I just finish it I left about 4-5" of 
Space ro the water From the top to add 88 pounds of sand and some rocks 

How much is silica sand at Rona ?


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## cichlidspiro

Almost done


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## Tropicana

Looking good, Always exciting filling a tank.


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## cichlidspiro

Went to cederbrea pools and got 100 pounds of silica


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## MDR

Looking good, can't wait to start setting up mine. If you have two filters running on your 55 swap one over to your 125 to get a jump start on a cycle. Im not sure if silica sand is just play sand but if it is be prepared to be washing the sand numerous times.

* Just noticed you already have a filter on it, good work, be sure to keep us updated.

Cheers


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## cichlidspiro

Thanks MDR 

The first filter was on my 55 for since feb 27
And I didn't ever clean it because I was waiting for a tank.

It's a aquaclear 500 ( now 110)
Rated for 110 gallons 
I have 2 on there 
as well as 2 eheim 300 watt heaters


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## cichlidspiro

Pictures   

How do you guys like the sand ? 









I will be adding 10-15 more rocks like the ones of the left within the next 2 weeks.




























.

Do you think it would be ok to add a few fish tomorrow ? 
Around 5-6 pm-> If so how many


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## Tropicana

I would definitely wait a week before adding fish. Even with boosting the system. It will still have to catch up to the larger amount of water. But I think it looks great! 

Love the pots, seems really neat with them in there, kinda like a ship sunk and spilled out pots all over. and they are laying on the floor of the lake. Hmm... It would be cool if you had like 6 more, and you broke a few into pieces and scattered them around the base of the good pots, and made it look like that actually happened. Haha neat idea. Anyways good luck. 

Definitely wait though. I just setup a 25 gallon tank and did the same thing used like 30% of established water plus established media and after a day i put a guppy in, he was starting to die so i removed him and hes good now though. So its risky that soon.


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## cichlidspiro

Hey tropicana
Thanks for the idea on the pots but those are the only 12"ers I have
the others are like 20" So it would be hard to do

I had that setup in my old 55 back in 2010 but my fish would always scratch themselves badly ( had to medicate) and I think I'll just go with the 2... Hoping that they will use the pots to breed and make caves, I even put sand in them to make the males work a bit...lol...

My water is 40% "dirty" 
And tomorrow will be the 3rd day of it running. Not even 1 or 2 fish ? 
I have one the recovered for fin rot but swims weird could I atleast try to put her in ? 


Cheers 
Spiro


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## Tropicana

No problem! Just an idea .

You can give your tank a test run of course, much like i did with the guppy. Just watch her for a while. If she is okay after one night then I would slowly add fish over a few days just to be safe.


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## cichlidspiro

Thanks again 
In your opinion if you were doing this to your 180 how many fish per day would you add ? 


Cheers 
Spiro


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## Tropicana

If they were African cichlids, I would add 2 every other day. Since it is still technically a 'new' setup I wouldn't risk all my fish.


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## cichlidspiro

Ok thanks again

More pics it cleared up a bit
















Cheers 
Spiro


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## Darkside

Tropicana said:


> If they were African cichlids, I would add 2 every other day. Since it is still technically a 'new' setup I wouldn't risk all my fish.


Bad practice with Africans. You need to add them all at once or the ones that go in first will have a territorial advantage and will kill the new-comers. Especially with aggressive rock dwelling mbuna.


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## Darkside

cichlidspiro said:


> Ok thanks again
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> More pics it cleared up a bit
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> Cheers
> Spiro


You should probably have rinsed your sand a bit more thoroughly. When using sand the impellers in HOBs take quite a beating. Usually when I use silica I end up rinsing it for an hour and once I get it in the tank I run the filters with floss in them to help remove small particulate material as fast as possible.

If you're intending on fish like demasoni the more rocks you have in the scape the better. They can be pretty hard on one another especially as they grow out and settle in. The extra sight-breaks and hiding spots will help the fish settle into an aggressive sort of equilibrium.


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## cichlidspiro

Thanks darkside 

I rinsed the sand for about 45 mins and it didnt make a difference 
Might have no been that good quality.

So for the Africans should I put in my 2-3" ones in first all at one time... Lets say wed. 
Acei Black(4)
Red zebra (7)
Perlmutt 1 
Ob peacock 2 



Cheers 
Spiro


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## Darkside

Toss them all in together. If you match the water temps you can probably do it directly from one tank to the next.


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## cichlidspiro

I have found that as long as the temp. Reads the same to 2 degreesF You can throw them in with no problems 


Cheers 
Spiro


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## cichlidspiro

After I add those little guys I was thinking of putting in all my cobue and white top females (7) then the 2 males. 


Cheers 
Spiro


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## cichlidspiro

DONE      :

still have to wait for the 20 demasoni 
And I want to buy 3 albino zebras













































Cheers 
Spiro


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## lichengjohn

Spiro, do you have a son name is Spiro Klonizakis ???


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## lichengjohn

please delete the kijiji ad if you dont want to sale it, by the way your cobue is really nice, it's worth to drive 30mins to get it. Just say hellow in the phone and hang down?? and add gave to me is not correct!!!


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## lichengjohn

there was another guy I meet him, also cheat by you and went back home by getting nothing!! OK well done


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## cichlidspiro

I said 27 bellefontaine but I never got a call from you maybe someone in my house picked it up

Also I am still selling some but also keeping some 


Cheers 
Spiro


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## lichengjohn

I called you three times but no one answer. and wait another 5mins called again but still no. How come the boy pick up the phone and then hang down.


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## Darkside

You'll probably want a lot more rocks for when the dems come in.


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## Riceburner

+1 lots more rocks.....and I have some... 

Set em up randomly to be more natural looking instead of like bricks.
kinda like this, but I prefer one colour of rock if possible...









Not exactly random, but lots of caves in mine...









Ya know ya want em!!!!! lol


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## cichlidspiro

Lol yeah I'm picking up 30 of them now 


Cheers 
Spiro


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## cichlidspiro

K I got Lots more rocks 









Cheers 
Spiro


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## cichlidspiro

One of my female whitetop afra 
Seems to he holding but she looks black at the mouth area and she was not holding on monday 

Is this some sort of sickness 


Cheers 
Spiro


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## Riceburner

new rock setup looks great. If you get more rocks try making piles in the back corners and having the middle front open.....or since your tank is long make 3 piles...back corners and middle(or put the pots in the middle) and open areas in between.

Have a close up pic of the female?


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## cichlidspiro

Not the greatest but it's all I could get

Are there eggs white or yellow ?

Cheers 
Spiro


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## cichlidspiro

Here is a full tank shot










There is 
6 red zebras (selling 3 later)
3 afra white top
4 black acei ( looking for 1-3 more) 
2 white socolofi 
2m5f cobue 
2 hap ahli 
1 male kenyi-> FOR SALE 3" $7
1 male labeotropheus ob

(And 15 demasoni in 2 weeks )

Is 41 too much fish for a 125g ?

Cheers 
Spiro


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## Tristan

its not too many fish but your haras and cobue are going to fight for the same females imo. Keeping the same (genius?) is not often a good idea.


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## cichlidspiro

Thanks Tristan for your input.... I will move them soon or sell but I pairs 80$ for the 1m4f from mike at finatics so it might be hard to sell



Cheers 
Spiro


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## cichlidspiro

Now have

6 black acei
6 red zebra ( will sell)
8 cobue 
2 labeotrophues Ob f1
8 albino socolofi (will sell)
30 demasoni pombo rocks

Total of 60 fish

Will post some pics later 
Tell me what you guys think

---
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=43.797535,-79.281995


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