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Proposed 40g Build

The Big Sleep

New Member
Messages
5
Location
"In The Woods", Western MA
Hello all!

I'm new to this forum, and have recently moved my juvenile Chelydra Serpentina from a 40g Breeder tank to a larger setup. I've decided to take the opportunity to repurpose the tank as a dwarf cichlid setup and what follows is my proposed build - it's a work in progress, and any help / advice would be much appreciated!

(Disclaimer: I apologize in advance for what will surely be a wall of text, I'm very longwinded!)

Tank Goals:

-To set up a fully planted tank in as similar a fashion as I can to an Amano-style Nature Aquarium, albeit with significantly less skill
-To set up a fully functional environment as well as a visually appealing tank - as close as I can get to a Biotope tank while not over-reaching my skill level
-To try my hand at live plants - I've kept them in the past with mixed luck, but always had an emphasis on fauna over flora - I'd like to become a better plant keeper with this tank
-To be somewhat low-tech, and to reuse as many already-owned supplies as I can


Materials Thus Far:

-40g "Breeder" tank measuring 36" x 18" x 12", with fitted screen lid
-Marineland Magnum 250 canister filter, minimally used
-Whisper30 HOB filter, minimally used
-30" Coralife 36W strip light previously used on a reef tank (I have ordered two 18W "Daylight" bulbs to replace the current coral-oriented bulbs)
-Many pieces of Mopani Wood in various sizes & shapes, most of it previously used & leached of tannin
-Many pieces of stone; particularly granite & slate in various sizes & shapes
-20+ pounds of 1-2mm Silica stone
-20+ pounds of 2-4mm Silica stone
-20+ pounds of Home Depot generic-brand Playsand (although I'm not a fan of the stuff)
-A variety of heaters
-Several powerheads previously used on a reef tank (I believe they're a little too powerful for use with this tank)

I'm hoping to make good use of what I already have, and to avoid unnecessary purchases whenever possible. That said I'd much rather spend a bit extra now and set this up as properly as I can from the get-go. If there's anything I may have overlooked or missed, please point it out to me!


Desired Stock List (as of right now)

-A single individual or possibly a mated pair (if I can establish one) of dwarf cichlids. I'm torn between Blue Rams, Agassizii's (have prior experience with both) and Kribensis (no prior experience, but I'm curious about them)
-A single small Pleco, most likely what is sold as a "Clown Pleco" at my local store - I've seen them under the name "Ringlet Pleco" and I believe the scientific name is Panaque Maccus
-Otocinclus, probably somewhere around 4-6 individuals
-A small shoal of dither fish, most likely 6-8 individuals. I'm undecided about species and would appreciate some guidance here. I had initially thought of Black Neon Tetras, but now am wondering about the viability of Black Stripe Hatchets and/or Fancy Guppies as dither fish. I'd love some advice on which of these might be the 'best' to keep with dwarf cichlids.


Hardscape

I've picked out an arrangement of Mopani Wood that is visually appealing to the observer and also provides plenty of nooks/crannies/caves for the occupants. I'm going for the "valley" aquascape concept, with dense arrangements on either side and a gap in the center region of the tank. I figure this will look good and will also provide several distinct territories for the fish. Between all the substrates I have available, I think I'm going to go with the smallest granule Silica - it seems to be the best compromise option for dwarf cichlids to sift through without giving me the headache of Playsand. The tank has a piece of acrylic measuring approximately 4" tall siliconed vertically in the left rear corner of the tank to provide a retaining wall for substrate. This "shelf" is the leftover foundation of a basking area from the turtle setup, and I've been thinking about keeping it in place to provide a shallower (around 7" deep) area. It provides a triangle of space approximately 6" x 6" x ~8.5", and I think it'd be a good location for a large and/or spreading plant given there's containment for the root system. Any thoughts on this subject, whether a shallower area is a good idea or otherwise, would be appreciated! (Additionally, if I haven't explained the design well enough please let me know)


Softscape (& Plants)

For a plant list this is what I'm thinking so far:
-Lots of Java Fern secured to the various pieces of wood
-Anubias - most likely Anubias Nana & Anubias Barteri
-Duckweed - call me crazy but I love the stuff - and my thought process is that the cichlids will appreciate the cover /light blockage it provides
-Java Moss because it's one of the few things I'm confident in growing

Suggestions would be awesome - I'm open to anything low-light/easy to grow


Random Thoughts:

-Between the filters I have, I'm not sure which to use - I've considered buying another Whisper HOB filter and placing two separate filters on the tank, and I've considered retrofitting the Magnum 250 canister to work better with this setup. I've already altered the Magnum by adding additional piping to the output so that it sits a few inches from the bottom and is angled perpendicular to the side of the tank. I can easily rig up a spray-bar style output to cut down on the current, but am undecided if this is the best approach.

-In previous tanks I've made use of powerheads to get rid of any "dead spots" in current, but I'm not sure if that will work with dwarf cichlids - am I correct in thinking that strong current isn't a great idea with these fish? This info by itself may drive my choice in filters, as two HOB filters would be much better at getting rid of dead spots than the single canister would.

-I'm not sure if I'll need to invest in additional lighting or not. Research would indicate that the cichlids will be happier if I keep the lighting on the low side, but I can't help thinking I'll need more than 36W to effectively grow plants (Not to mention the screen lid/cross bar will cut the lighting down somewhat).

-I just moved, and I'm embarrassed to say I don't know what my tap water's parameters are right now. This will potentially impact my stock list and I plan to test the water as soon as I've unpacked my test kit - or, failing that, I've given myself a Wednesday deadline to find it and will bring a sample to the local pet store for testing.


That's all I can think of for right now. Sorry for the wall of text! I'd be surprised if anyone's read this far, bravo if you have. As I keep saying, all advice is definitely welcome. Thanks!

Cheers,
The Big Sleep
 

tjudy

Moderator
Staff member
5 Year Member
Messages
2,822
Location
Stoughton, WI
Sounds like you are giving this a lot of thought... that is great! I picked a few things out to comment on:

-30" Coralife 36W strip light previously used on a reef tank (I have ordered two 18W "Daylight" bulbs to replace the current coral-oriented bulbs)

I suggest that you use a combination of the Coralife 6700K and 10,000K bulbs, and that you may want a second strip because the tank is wide (18") and shallow (16"), which means that the light dispersal from a single strip will be narrow in the tank and result in a lot of shadow. I use one 36" COralife on a standard 30 gallon, and I still do not like the shadow at the back.... even though that tank is only 13" wide.

-20+ pounds of 1-2mm Silica stone
-20+ pounds of 2-4mm Silica stone
-20+ pounds of Home Depot generic-brand Playsand (although I'm not a fan of the stuff)

Invest in a plant-specific substrate, or build a layered soil substrate. I do not think you will be happy (in the long run) with sterile sand or the mix in the particle sizes (which will compact).

-Several powerheads previously used on a reef tank (I believe they're a little too powerful for use with this tank)

Trade them for a new light or plant substrate. You will not want this much current in a planted tank for dwarfs.

For a plant list this is what I'm thinking so far:
-Lots of Java Fern secured to the various pieces of wood
-Anubias - most likely Anubias Nana & Anubias Barteri
-Duckweed - call me crazy but I love the stuff - and my thought process is that the cichlids will appreciate the cover /light blockage it provides
-Java Moss because it's one of the few things I'm confident in growing

Definitely low light, so you can pass on my advice for two light strips. And it this is all you are going to try, a plant substrate or layers substrate is not necessary either. However, I think that you may want to expand your plant choices to include vals, crypts or even some of the easier to grow stem plants. Going with a plant-specific substrate would allow for that, while sand alone may not.

For filtration I would go with a canister if possible. If you ever decide to add CO2 for the plants, a power filter on the back will agitate the surface too much. Magnums are great fro clean up, but the amount of media they hold is a lot less than a canister designed for long-term filtration (Fluval, Eheim, Cascade, etc...). But if that is too much expense, go with the power filter (one of them), set at one end of the tank. Do not worry about 'dead spots' at the oppodite end of the tank. Still water is not really a problem in a dwarf tank.

Fish... think a pair or small harem of most Apistos. Pair or possibly trio of small westies. A 40 breeder is not really large enough (in my opinion) to keep multiple dwarf cichlis species if you want to spawn them. But you can put in a nice school of tetras or pencils with them.





 

The Big Sleep

New Member
Messages
5
Location
"In The Woods", Western MA
Hello and thanks for the response!

What you say about the tank shape & lighting causing shadows makes a lot of sense. I wouldn't mind shadows in terms of personal preference, and would prefer a dimmer tank to a highly-lit super bright tank. As for the fish am I correct in thinking apistos would appreciate a mix of light & shadowy areas? If so then the current light setup is a win/win, although I could be wrong about their preferences. I spoke to the owner of the pet shop earlier today and they've already placed the order for two 10k bulbs, but she tells me they've ordered several other types of bulbs for their stock as well - with any luck I should be able to snag a 6700k bulb and use one of each.

I've also been rethinking my approach to the lighting setup in general - as of right now I'm considering using "spotlights" in combination to the strip light to illuminate specific areas. I've seen little LED grow lights available at a relatively cheap price, and I've also considered making use of old basking lamps retrofitted with proper bulbs to accomplish a similar result. I figure that with this approach I could have a section or two with higher-light plants while keeping the tank somewhat dark / low-light in the other areas catering specifically to the pleco (and possibly the apistos if my assumption about their light preference is correct).

After spending my lunch break browsing the pet shop I'm all hot to get Black Striped Hatchets (as marked at the shop, based on a quick web search I believe them to be either Gasteropelecus sternicla or Gasteropelecus levis). Would these be a viable dither fish if I were to get a group of 6-8? Their jumpiness wouldn't be a problem as I already have a fitted/clamped screen lid, but I worry that they may not be the ideal for an apisto tank.

The pet shop owner is going to browse her order lists in an effort to find an apisto species where both males and females are available - she tells me that in this area (Western Mass) that males are often the only option - and this fact will probably drive my decision on species. I've all but discounted Rams & Kribs as an option (to clarify, I wouldn't be mixing any of the species but was initially unsure of which fish I wanted in the tank), and the pet store lady looking for the availability of males/females for the following:

A. Agassizii
A. Cacatuoides
A. Regani
A. Borelli
A. Nijsseni

Unless I'm mistaken any of these species should work with this tank (please, please correct me if I'm wrong here!) and it's a matter of finding an available harem.

Anyways I need to get back to work but thank you for the response/info and I'll check in sometime soon!

Cheers,
The Big Sleep
 

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