# Nicks Malawi Venture



## Nick16 (13 Dec 2010)

hi all, hope you are all keeping well. 

decided i dont want another planted tank for the minute, but a change. after thinking about predatory, shell dwellers, reef, oddball, i decided to go for none of those, but instead a malawi cichlid tank. 

i shall start with the formalities and thank you's! 

Big shout out to Tony (tonser) for cycling me some media and giving me some spares. pure generosity, hope you enjoy the nice bottle of red.   

tank = 48x24x24, (115 US gal)
substrate = coral sand
decor = paving roock from local stone merchant, fake plants (sorry, but real ones will be munched), and a lump of redmooor for good measure
techy bits: 2x ex1200's, 1x fluval 4+, arcadia OTL 4x54w (only 2 to be used) koralia 2. 2x hydor eth 300w. 

i havve laid the stones out in a very 'manurfactured' way, to enhance the caves per fish ratio, so that an agression is kept down. 

today i have added 8x electric yellow lab (juvi's) who seem to be settling in well, and a bit lost in their tank, probably 20x the size of the shop tank! 






testing tank for leaks etc. 




















plenty of space for little fish to hide away!





*as usual comments/suggestions/opinions are always welcome. *

cheers


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## flygja (14 Dec 2010)

Looks like an ancient Mayan pyramid. Those fish are gonna like it in there with all the nooks and crannies. And you can show off how you've got no algae at all


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## sanj (14 Dec 2010)

Ewwww plastic plants...Heresey!

Nice labs, but I thought you were giving up on the hobby for five years...haha you cant keep away. Hooked for life!


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## Ed Seeley (14 Dec 2010)

Actually you can keep real plants with Malawis - especially labs as they have mouths designed to pick insects and other items out of the Aufwuchs on the rocks.  You just need to start with tougher plants and then you can introduce softer ones then - java ferns and anubias will be ideal to start with.

I don't like the rocks myself - too man-made - but they make a nice effect.


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## Gill (14 Dec 2010)

Looks really Good and liking the Paving placement. 
Although not too keen on the plastic plants used, Have you had a Look at these. 
I have bought them in the past from here and they are Great Quality. 
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/AquaPet-Discount-Aquatics/_i.html?_fsub=4467527&_sc=1&_sop=1


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## Nick16 (14 Dec 2010)

i left uni, so im back at home now... had an empty tank so i went for it... 

thing is.. attaching the anubias and JF is going to be an issue as all the rocks are glued together and there arent any nooks i can squeeze them in! and i cant glue them underwater... options?


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## Nelson (14 Dec 2010)

maybe super glued to some pieces of slate.


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## Nick16 (14 Dec 2010)

perfect! i hear you, i can then tuck the slate behind some of the lumps of rock which will also hide the rhizomes just leeaving the leaves to show! cheers mate. excellent shout. 

watch this space!


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## Ed Seeley (15 Dec 2010)

I've tied java ferns onto pieces of rock and dropped them amongst rockwork, but I wouldn't use slate unless you have nothing else as the ferns and anubias can't get their roots to attach to it.  Try some rock with a rougher surface if you can.  If you have to use slate then tie them on with fishing line that won't rot to hold them on permanently.


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## Nick16 (15 Dec 2010)

i can break up some mini landscape rock. that is knarly enough.


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## Nick16 (23 Dec 2010)

anubias been in there a couple of days. meant to be Â£3.95 a pot, the day i go in there Â£1.95 each. thats what im talking about   bought 5!! 


the labs have just had a huge feed of bloodworm and artemia and have massive stomachs. mr pies goes fishy!


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## Ed Seeley (24 Dec 2010)

Let's see some pics then!!!!


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## Nick16 (7 Mar 2011)

a quick update. got myself some young fish to grow out ready for the main tank. 

Afra Hara: 





picture of the dad: 





maingano fry:





picture of the dad: 






cheers


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## Ed Seeley (7 Mar 2011)

Good stuff.  Got a pic of the tank now you've put real plants in?


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## Nick16 (7 Mar 2011)

its still got all the fake plants in there, ive just added 3 anubias as well. 

i cant be bothered wiith all the ferts, cichlid munching and general maintainence of real plants at the moment. 

il try and get a fts in the next day or two. 

just me and you following this one! haha


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## Ed Seeley (9 Mar 2011)

Maybe it is but doesn't mean it's not worth doing!


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## Nick16 (10 Mar 2011)

here is the shot of the tank the fry are in. (obviously its only a temporary grow out)

2 slate caves and other larger wood effect one. 
plus 2 patches of low level fake plants which they love to nip in and out of. 









thats the best shot i can get, must have took close on 50! obviously its of the maingano, still trying to get a shot of the afra hara.


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## Nick16 (11 Mar 2011)

cheers all.

excuse the algae and some paper in the shots. 'au naturale'


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## Ed Seeley (12 Mar 2011)

It's looking a lot better as the plants and algae grow in.  What species are in there at the moment?  I can tell the Labidochromis caeruleus 'Lion's Cove' but what are the others?  Have the mbuna showed any interest in the real plants?  Not tempted to try some other ones?  Think if you planted stands of vallis at the two ends it'd look really good.  I've got a large clump in my Tangyikan tank and it does really well in the harder water.  I like the wood in there too - not many Malawi tanks put any in - is it changing the water quality at all?


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## Nick16 (12 Mar 2011)

ps. Acei is the other species. (yellow tail) 
plus a couple of BN's. 

(melanochromis maingano and cynotilapia afra hara are the fry in the grow out) 

havent nibbled the anubias as yet, but the fish are small at the moment, and the wood has been fine, no problems at all, however it is quite old, ive used it in a couple of planted set ups so has been soaked for probably 1.5 years +. so all the leaching is done! 

im tempted and i do have some planters (business card holders). i might try it, but i dont have any soil or ferts so it would mean more expenditure.


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## Ed Seeley (13 Mar 2011)

Haven't bothered with any ferts or special substrate in mine - there's just a tiny bit of old aquasoil bits mixed in with the old sand to give it a more natural patchwork look.  I don't think it does much for plant growth!  The rest of the substrate is just sand and aragonite sand to buffer the water.  Only cost was £5 for the vallis bunches!


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