Strikingthematch Cichlid Tank

Well now everyone gets to look at my other display tank.
This is my 125gal tank. As seen ***HERE*** it has a DIY background. I changed the substrate from those pictures since it is now a dedicated Cichlid tank and the plant substrate in there won't do any good...

Now the substrate is just sand. The rest is slate. I laid one large slate at the bottom to avoid any problems with the Cichlids or the Pleco digging. All the other slate rest on the one large one to help distribute the weight and hopefully not collapses due to the digging!

I may add more slate in the future I only got for large pieces to see how I liked the look and so far I really enjoy it.

I adopted the fish from a guy who was moving and didn't feel he could provide them with the care they needed. It was good to see someone who cared enough to re-home his fish! A big thank you to him for allowing me to take over. The fish are for the moment very happy and content in their new home! Some pictures of them on here as well not sure what they all exactly are since he didn't know but I took some guesses.

The Tank




Pseudotropheus crabro(female)





Melanochromis auratus(female)


Pseudotropheus socolofi





Melanochromis joanjohnsonae (Looks to be one female, one male)
This is the female looking JJ you can see much less blue and more of a green color with orange/red spots.



The male nearly all blue with a few spots.



11 Labidochromis caeruleus












(Kenyi Cichlid --Lombardoi Cichlid both male and female now)


Also a shot of the Synodontis nebulosus. This guy only really comes out at night so this is about the best photo I can get haha.




And the leopard

Well done. Love the drip system. I bet the fish love it to.

I'm just getting into Africans I got 2 small Vensutus today for the 55 . My first Africans. They seem to be doing great so far. (only been in the tank 6 hours) I LOVE your tank!

Thanks :) the more I look at it the more I know I need to add a little slate I won't be filling it up but just a little more to give me the slope I want. Now I have to start looking at other Africans and see what I can safely add in there.

If you're coming to the meeting Mark has all kinds and great advice. If you can get pics on your phone to show Mark he'll know what they are.

Sounds like a plan I might come home with some fish haha

Who knows what will be in the auction. Never got the discus so they are off the list.

Nice tank I am also a lucky Fish keeper who was able to rescue some Cichlid's from a individual who was moving.Being new to Keeping Cichlid's I had to do lots of research and I am not 100% sure but I believe the Zebra one is "Blue Kenyi/Pseudotropheus lombardoi "and the not sure of I believe is a "Parallel striped mbuna/Melanochromis parallelus" I have the same type as well after getting them home and settled in the one Kenyi turned completely yellow after a quick google search it was described as a male. Any how nice score and awesome setup.

Yeah I looked around more last night and I believe you are right. Yellow striped mbuna. The zebra looks like half a dozen others haha it is hard to tell because it is only about 8 months old so it seems to still be changing and in a growing stage as far as color and fins go but we will see.

Nice setup !!!

I love the background. I loomed at the pics you posted while making it, and it turned out great. Congrats

Oh btw the yellow stripped one looks like melanochromis auratus.

Strike.. I find it incredible that you've delved so deeply in the planted tank(s) and now entering into a world that won't tolerate a plant in it's tank! <grin>... I'm betting this tank will end up looking as smokin hot as the planted one! Great job.

Yeah I know it is a strange twist for me. I think once you get the hang on one thing you want to try others as well. So for right now my planted tank keeps on going with very little help from me and now my first Cichlid tank can get the attention.

At this point I am slowly stocking it letting the filter catch up and everything but trying to find a good balance for some aggressive type fish is not easy from the reading I have done haha. I just don't want to make a large purchase of fish and have someone kill them off lol.

very cool.

I know all about the "new Challenges".. ahead syndrome.. That's how I'm getting back into the hobby by picking up the crumbs off folks like you and Vix... ! Now when the heck is someone going to get "bored" with discus and move on to something else?

I know, I know.. 5 weeks into the hobby and I SHOULD not be looking to hook up with discus.. As soon as I posted, knew I'd be chastized for it!...

lol. im sure someone is but they still want some $$$ for them lol.

Looks great!!!

Ha well I say move on I suppose but I really man that ones gets more attention then the next. I am sure that discus will be in my future and I love the way they look but for now I want to get the Cichlids under my belt. Don't get me wrong though if the opportunity to get some nice Discus at a fair price came up I will be ON it.

ALso thanks everyone for all the praise! It is that exact thing that makes me want to do more that and the personal accomplishment I get out of it.

Well.. not to pour it on.. but the praise is well justified..

wow, great backgrpund, love it. Very good work!

Here is the newest Cichlid tank addition (Kenyi Cichlid --Lombardoi Cichlid) I picked up at the VA chapter meeting! (Thanks again!) Doing very well and happily digging up the sand making her little burrow. So far has played nice with all the other fish with minimal sparring.

Looks nice. Glad to see all went well with the trip back. Also glad to see its getting along pretty well.

Thanks ben. I was a little worried about the 2+ hour drive home and since it had at that point been in a bag for 6+ hours but it went well and after a little acclimation period she went in the tank and took right off. The next day she got some of the blue back in and the spots on the fins brightened up so i was very happy.