Joined
·
33 Posts
Hi all, I'm new here. I'm terribly long winded, just as a warning...
Have kept goldfish, various tropical communities, full planted set ups, CA ciclids, and a few Tangs. Next project I want to work on is an all-male Peacock/Hap setup. I realize this project comes with a warning label.
Tank will be a 75 or a 90, depending on what I find a good deal on. I would love a 125 or more of course but just don't think I have the room. Filter is a Fluval 404. If more filtration is needed I suppose I can search for another canister to add. And it MUST have a DIY 3D background, I love mine on my 55.
I have a few questions. :roll:
What size to purchase fish and where from?
I am attempting to keep costs in check. Locally I can find a variety or two of Peacock occasionally, usually juvies, or sub adult just barely starting to color. Every once in a while a large adult male. I can hardly ever find Haps locally. So this means I will have to ship at least some of my fish. I am not sure which places online are best to order from. Since shipping is expensive, would prefer to do a larger order instead of one fish at a time. Better to get a group of juvies or adults? Really really don't want to deal with growing out a bunch of females, I don't have space for a bunch of extra tanks. So you can see I would prefer fish I know to be male.
I would like to try to buy most of my fish from local shops, but it will be a long process, getting what I can when I can, rather than really picking and choosing exactly what I want. Is this an awful idea, adding new fish to the set up occasionally? Is it better to add them all at once to reduce aggression issues? Is it bad to mix adults with younger fish?
Ok, so to summarize the above paragraphs:
In my ideal world I would be acquiring smaller, just starting to color males, locally, as they came available, so the fish in my tank would be different ages and sizes. And perhaps placing an order for males of the species impossible to find locally.
So questions are: will that work, aggression wise? and Where should I order from online? (private replies ok)
More questions:
I am familiar with the rule of not stocking fish with similar appearance as they will fight.
I know a bit about peacocks, not looking to add any of the more notorious aggro varieties.
I know next to nothing about haps. Recommendations for some relatively common haps who would fit comfortably in this setup and not overwhelm the peacocks?
Could I add a group of yellow labs, or a black calvus? (I REALLY want a calvus)
Should I have a catfish of some kind?
Black sand or white? Which do you think looks better? I prefer black, DH prefers white, so just want some feedback on what makes more dramtic setup and compliments fish colors, in your opinion. And should it be a special cichlid sand ($1/lb) to help buffer, or will pool filter sand(where do I find this anyway?) or white silica landscape sand suffice?
What lighting to use? To really emphasize the fishes colors? I am set up for 48" bulbs. How many to use? Actinic and daylight mix or....? Just use them for fish viewing or should I encourage some algae growth?
How many fish should I put into a 75? Into a 90? Should this type of tank be overstocked (and overfiltered) to reduce aggression, or will that cause more stress? If there are only a few fish in there for a while will that cause more problems with aggression?
OK, I guess what I am asking for is a set-up guide, lol.
HELP!!! I over think everything but I so badly want this to all go well.
Very much appreciate any tips you could spare to help this go smoothly.
:fish:
Thanks in advance
If you made it through all that you deserve a cookie.
Have kept goldfish, various tropical communities, full planted set ups, CA ciclids, and a few Tangs. Next project I want to work on is an all-male Peacock/Hap setup. I realize this project comes with a warning label.
Tank will be a 75 or a 90, depending on what I find a good deal on. I would love a 125 or more of course but just don't think I have the room. Filter is a Fluval 404. If more filtration is needed I suppose I can search for another canister to add. And it MUST have a DIY 3D background, I love mine on my 55.
I have a few questions. :roll:
What size to purchase fish and where from?
I am attempting to keep costs in check. Locally I can find a variety or two of Peacock occasionally, usually juvies, or sub adult just barely starting to color. Every once in a while a large adult male. I can hardly ever find Haps locally. So this means I will have to ship at least some of my fish. I am not sure which places online are best to order from. Since shipping is expensive, would prefer to do a larger order instead of one fish at a time. Better to get a group of juvies or adults? Really really don't want to deal with growing out a bunch of females, I don't have space for a bunch of extra tanks. So you can see I would prefer fish I know to be male.
I would like to try to buy most of my fish from local shops, but it will be a long process, getting what I can when I can, rather than really picking and choosing exactly what I want. Is this an awful idea, adding new fish to the set up occasionally? Is it better to add them all at once to reduce aggression issues? Is it bad to mix adults with younger fish?
Ok, so to summarize the above paragraphs:
In my ideal world I would be acquiring smaller, just starting to color males, locally, as they came available, so the fish in my tank would be different ages and sizes. And perhaps placing an order for males of the species impossible to find locally.
So questions are: will that work, aggression wise? and Where should I order from online? (private replies ok)
More questions:
I am familiar with the rule of not stocking fish with similar appearance as they will fight.
I know a bit about peacocks, not looking to add any of the more notorious aggro varieties.
I know next to nothing about haps. Recommendations for some relatively common haps who would fit comfortably in this setup and not overwhelm the peacocks?
Could I add a group of yellow labs, or a black calvus? (I REALLY want a calvus)
Should I have a catfish of some kind?
Black sand or white? Which do you think looks better? I prefer black, DH prefers white, so just want some feedback on what makes more dramtic setup and compliments fish colors, in your opinion. And should it be a special cichlid sand ($1/lb) to help buffer, or will pool filter sand(where do I find this anyway?) or white silica landscape sand suffice?
What lighting to use? To really emphasize the fishes colors? I am set up for 48" bulbs. How many to use? Actinic and daylight mix or....? Just use them for fish viewing or should I encourage some algae growth?
How many fish should I put into a 75? Into a 90? Should this type of tank be overstocked (and overfiltered) to reduce aggression, or will that cause more stress? If there are only a few fish in there for a while will that cause more problems with aggression?
OK, I guess what I am asking for is a set-up guide, lol.
HELP!!! I over think everything but I so badly want this to all go well.
Very much appreciate any tips you could spare to help this go smoothly.
:fish:
Thanks in advance
If you made it through all that you deserve a cookie.