WTB Freshwater stuff

[fkdenton]

OK I got a great 55g from epon and I want to set it up. It is going to be a cichlid tank without plants. I need stuff to set it up. Trying to go cheap so if anyone has any equipment from there freshwater days that you want to get rid of let me know. I need,

Filtration, I am open to anything from a wet/dry sump to cannister filters to power filters. I would prefer the wet/dry or cannister though. I also need a light. I would prefer one of those NO t-5 strip lights but a 48 PC would be fine. The tank has a canopy so a retrofit PC would be great. I will need to get fish for it so if anyone is taking down a freshwater tank let me know. I am also open to any other freshwater stuff that might be usefull.



Thanks


Floyd

[medic29]

I have an older Eheim canister you are welcome to. It is just sitting on the shelf. It is an awesome filter.

[seachel71]

Cheap substrate for a freshwater is river rock. It also looks a lot more natural than the normal aquarium gravel. That is what I use in my freshwater tanks. I buy mine at Prairie Gardens by the bag in the landscape department. You have to wash it pretty thoroughly.

I get a lot of my freshwater at rummage sales. I have also seen quite a bit in the paper lately.

I assume you know that cichlids are very agressive and that you have to keep them with only similar cichlids. They can get huge. I used to have one ( is now at my exhusbands house) that is big enough to eat. It picks up the rocks and moves them around. We could never aquascape the tank because he totally rearranged it. He was fun to watch though.

[humbugy]

african or south american cichlids?
any thougth on witch ones?

[fkdenton]

I used the river rock in the 72g bowfront that I have. It looks great. I have cichlids now and I am just adding more. I have a breeding pair of Hemichromis Lifalilis that spawned last week for me. I now have lots of little baby ones.


Here is a full tank shot

Here is the Hemis before fry



I had a pair of Convict in there but I had to move them to keep them away from fry. They are now in a seperate tank and showing signs of spawning as well. So in a few months I might be a good source of free cichlids if anyone has freshwater. I think the 55 is going to be for african cichlids but I am not sure witch lake yet.

[cioutlaw]

If I had a fresh water tank again it would be Cichlids. I had Convicts & Jack Dempsys when in H.S.. The Convicts spawned a lot, never kept the fry...free fish food!

[syrinx]

I once used to keep fish sized by temperment when I was a youth. The jewel chiclid was so aggressive it would breed in a tank with a full grown oscar, and half grown dempseys and still raise fry to 1 inch size! Great fish choice for breeding ease, color and managable size.

[seachel71]

Those are really nice looking fish. Love your tank. I may hit you up for some babies when school starts in the fall. I keep freshwater in my classroom.

[fkdenton]

Still looking for stuff. I need a sump that is under 11in wide. that or a cannister filter

[GreenBay1]

I used sand out of those bag for the back of your car in the winter for the bottom of my 75 freshwater. I have black stripe minnows, bluegill, sunfish, 3 largemouth bass and several red chub fry. The fish like the natural looking sand in the bottom of the tank.

For the record: I do have the appropriate permit to keep these fish in a home aquarium. Just in case someone wanted to complain.

[sushimi]

you are more than welcome to come check out all my old freshwater stuff. I have stuff ranging from biowheel hang on filters to drift wood and fake plants maybe some lights and bulbs too.

[Michelle L]

Green Bay, I wasn't going to complain but I was going to ask you if I could have your bluegill for dinner. Yum!

[GreenBay1]

They are still pretty small (around 3.5 inches) but when they get to big and angry, they are all yours

[seachel71]

How did you get your permit... I would love to have a tank of local freshwater species in my classroom!