Hi Ben, What kind of plants are you using inside, because lot of people say you cannot keep this plants along with these cichlids since they end up destroying it completely, please enlighten me,, i would really like to have some plants inside my cichlid freshwater 45 gallon tank, fyi i also do have a couple of oscars
Praveen Kumar Radhakrishnan In this video the plants are plastic. I have tried live anubias (covered in other videos) and they worked with smaller Cichlids but the bigger Cichlids chewed them up.
To much substraight makes my tank stink and made to much nitrates too. I removed 50 percent and things got a whole lot better. Im going to change to sand and see what happens. It looks nice in my other tank.
There are two schools of thought on this. One group thinks that a deep substrate will promote beneficial bacteria. But I'm like you. I've reduced the depth of my substrate and I've had good results. Sand is great. It keeps detritus from getting too deep. Just be sure to rake it every now and then and vacuum without pushing the siphon into the sand.
Hey Ben, I have been interested in getting into African ciclids, there are so many different types of peacock ciclids, what was the name of the electric blue peacock in your tank along with the one with the red fin.
Hello Ben this tank is very beautiful and I am inspired by it. I planning to build my new 90 gallon which should look similar, but I have few questions 1) what are the tank dimensions? 2) what canisters are you using? 3) how many fishes you have in this 60 gallon?
Hello Ranjan and thank you. A lot has changed since this video was recorded. This 60 gallon is now a grow-out tank for my younger, smaller fish. It is 4' across, 13" front to back and 24" tall. It was running two SunSun 302B's back then and since then I have added an Emperor Marineland dual bio-wheel hang-on-back filter for more circulation, filtration and oxygenation.
If I see something nice at a LFS or Petsmart, I'll grab it, but usually I see Mbuna there and I no longer keep Mbuna. I did get that Electric Blue at a Petsmart and he's turned out to be a great fish.
Go with smaller peacocks, or consider other lakes or even SA cichlids since a 36 gal will eventually be too small. A good size hang-on-back would give you plenty filtration and water movement for a tank that size.
Thank you! I’m not really gonna overstock it. I’m waiting for my big tank to be set up, and am just gonna use this as a breeder or a quarantine tank but in the mean time I miss having fish. Would 5 be too many even if they’re smaller (1.5-2in)?
Love your videos Ben, great advice, im learning loads. If im stocking a (newly cycled) 63gallon tank how many fish would you recommend adding at a time until I have approx 25 in the tank? And over what kind of time frame? Im just wary of affecting the bio load too much but also aware I need to over stock a cichlid tank to counter aggresion.
Steve Sinclair I'd throw six in there initially. Let them get comfortable, then a few more batches of four to six at a time. Just how I would do it. I've heard you can even add just one if you do it late and leave the lights off.
Melissa Schultz I'm using egg crate sponges and they work fine. They do provide more surface area. If you're going to service your canisters every month, it will not make much difference. If you're going longer between cleanings, I'd suggest the egg crate. Just my opinion.
Melissa Schultz Oh, someone told me they are called diffusers. No, if If I was starting over I'd go with sand (if tap pH is good, crushed coral or aragonite if it's not).
John M I suggest you pile it high with rocks creating a lot of caves and hiding spots then put 5 - 10 Mbuna in there. Yellow Labs, Yellow Tails, Chewere, the less violent ones. Buy them young so they're small, and as you grow them out, be saving money for the 50% off black Friday sale on 125 gallon tanks at Petco. Good luck!
Believe me Ben if I could get my wife to get rid of the piano that nobody plays since all 3 boys graduated college and moved out I would have gotten at least a 125 gallon. You don't want a piano do you?
Ben Ochart lol i thought so... Im looking for plents for my tank, i have Anubias but want different color, all anubias are green, they are butyfull but want a bit color change..
Eliav Edri Do you have Cichlids? They are very hard on plants. I currently have anubias and java fern in my 60 with juvies. The bigger fish just tear them up. Check with Corey at the Aquarium Co-op. He would know.
Great video! Tank looks good, but the fish...wow, gorgeous. New to the cichlid game, but I'm setting up a 60 gallon to start with. Now I just will have to research before I get my fish. Keep up the good work
Michael Gross If you want some on going advice, come over to the Facebook group page, "Ben O'Cichlid." There are lots of friendly fish keepers there willing to help.
Ben Your Tank's Always Look Absolutely Amazing. Kudo's To You My Friend.
Thank you 😀👍🏻
Nice video Ben. Fish and tank look great
Thank you Sal. I appreciate the kind words and thank you for stopping by.
How many cichlids are good for a 60 gallon sir...please check out my video and see what u think
Ben I’m looking for the best place to buy online, the hap with white stipe on head that’s blue I want those so bad where might I find to buy
Check thecichlidshack.com. If your fish order is over $100 use code shackattack15 for a 15% discount
Can you have 2 different color patterns OB in same tank
Hi Ben, What kind of plants are you using inside, because lot of people say you cannot keep this plants along with these cichlids since they end up destroying it completely, please enlighten me,, i would really like to have some plants inside my cichlid freshwater 45 gallon tank, fyi i also do have a couple of oscars
Praveen Kumar Radhakrishnan In this video the plants are plastic. I have tried live anubias (covered in other videos) and they worked with smaller Cichlids but the bigger Cichlids chewed them up.
To much substraight makes my tank stink and made to much nitrates too. I removed 50 percent and things got a whole lot better. Im going to change to sand and see what happens. It looks nice in my other tank.
There are two schools of thought on this. One group thinks that a deep substrate will promote beneficial bacteria.
But I'm like you. I've reduced the depth of my substrate and I've had good results.
Sand is great. It keeps detritus from getting too deep. Just be sure to rake it every now and then and vacuum without pushing the siphon into the sand.
Hey Ben, I have been interested in getting into African ciclids, there are so many different types of peacock ciclids, what was the name of the electric blue peacock in your tank along with the one with the red fin.
Tell me when they appear in the video and I’ll take a look😀👍🏻
3.09 there is a electric blue peacock ciclid with a white head
Hello Ben this tank is very beautiful and I am inspired by it. I planning to build my new 90 gallon which should look similar, but I have few questions 1) what are the tank dimensions? 2) what canisters are you using? 3) how many fishes you have in this 60 gallon?
Hello Ranjan and thank you. A lot has changed since this video was recorded. This 60 gallon is now a grow-out tank for my younger, smaller fish. It is 4' across, 13" front to back and 24" tall. It was running two SunSun 302B's back then and since then I have added an Emperor Marineland dual bio-wheel hang-on-back filter for more circulation, filtration and oxygenation.
Thanks Ben for your reply and your time...Wow it's a huge upgrade of this tank...total three filters are running...
Ben good looking tank. Im starting a 60 gallon setup like yours should I put the loaches in before the Peacocks?
Hello ben wondering what is the pink plant in back and such a beautiful aquarium best ive seen yet
Thank you. It’s an artificial plant since cichlids Destroy real ones.
@@BenOchart thanks what kind of substrate would you recommend for peacock aquarium
Should i use substrate or sand got a 60 gallon setting up for peacocks i know i need lots of rocks thanks
ORANGE blossom looks so cool! great tank! starting a 60g African cichlid tank myself, your videos have been great! great advice!
where do you purchase your fish? petsmart? Do you recall where you got the orange blossom?
Irv60589 The OB came from a breeder I met on Facebook. Unfortunately I don't think he's in business any longer. Check out cichlidshack.com
aw ok .. do you always buy online or some from petsmart/petco?
If I see something nice at a LFS or Petsmart, I'll grab it, but usually I see Mbuna there and I no longer keep Mbuna. I did get that Electric Blue at a Petsmart and he's turned out to be a great fish.
Thanks Irv, I appreciate the kind words of encouragement.
Do u have live plant in this tank ?
No. The African Cichlids destroy them.
@@BenOchart but they look so real !! Do u use silk ??? Where do you get them ??
Hahahahaha quality video as always Ben 😂😂😂 you crack me up your amazing
PsychedelicBabe Thank you PB!
I’m trying to stock my 36g bowfront for now. Really good filtration. I’ve kept cichlids before but in much larger tanks. Any suggestions?
Go with smaller peacocks, or consider other lakes or even SA cichlids since a 36 gal will eventually be too small. A good size hang-on-back would give you plenty filtration and water movement for a tank that size.
Thank you! I’m not really gonna overstock it. I’m waiting for my big tank to be set up, and am just gonna use this as a breeder or a quarantine tank but in the mean time I miss having fish. Would 5 be too many even if they’re smaller (1.5-2in)?
Love your videos Ben, great advice, im learning loads. If im stocking a (newly cycled) 63gallon tank how many fish would you recommend adding at a time until I have approx 25 in the tank? And over what kind of time frame? Im just wary of affecting the bio load too much but also aware I need to over stock a cichlid tank to counter aggresion.
Steve Sinclair I'd throw six in there initially. Let them get comfortable, then a few more batches of four to six at a time. Just how I would do it. I've heard you can even add just one if you do it late and leave the lights off.
Add while feeding that helps a lot
What is the last size of this fish.
what is the name of the yellow and blue fish with the pink fins and a shark like top fin
Amanda, tell me where he appears in the video.
do you recommend not using the egg crate at all? I am setting up a 125 and was planning on buying some this week.
Melissa Schultz I'm using egg crate sponges and they work fine. They do provide more surface area. If you're going to service your canisters every month, it will not make much difference. If you're going longer between cleanings, I'd suggest the egg crate. Just my opinion.
Ben Ochart thanks, but I was talking about that mesh stuff under the rocks
Melissa Schultz Oh, someone told me they are called diffusers.
No, if If I was starting over I'd go with sand (if tap pH is good, crushed coral or aragonite if it's not).
Love your videos. I want to set up my first cichlid tank but only have room for a 40 breeder - any suggestions? Thanks!
John M I suggest you pile it high with rocks creating a lot of caves and hiding spots then put 5 - 10 Mbuna in there. Yellow Labs, Yellow Tails, Chewere, the less violent ones. Buy them young so they're small, and as you grow them out, be saving money for the 50% off black Friday sale on 125 gallon tanks at Petco. Good luck!
Believe me Ben if I could get my wife to get rid of the piano that nobody plays since all 3 boys graduated college and moved out I would have gotten at least a 125 gallon. You don't want a piano do you?
LOL, got one already, but thanks.
Did your clown loach is biten by the cichlid
Never. In fact the loachs will chase the cichlids. They have little barbs on their sides and the cichlids want no part of them.
Great video Ben! What's the plan on a 125?
KG cichlids waiting for "Black Friday" at Petsmart, unless I find a great deal on Craigslist before then. Thanks for stopping by KG.
Ben Ochart what's the price range that you are looking for bro I'll keep an eye out and help you move it if need be.
Anywhere from $100 - $300 would be great.
Beautiful tank!
Thank you!
Ben Ochart is the pink plant is real? What's the name?
Eliav Edri It’s actually a plastic plant
Ben Ochart lol i thought so... Im looking for plents for my tank, i have Anubias but want different color, all anubias are green, they are butyfull but want a bit color change..
Eliav Edri Do you have Cichlids? They are very hard on plants. I currently have anubias and java fern in my 60 with juvies. The bigger fish just tear them up.
Check with Corey at the Aquarium Co-op. He would know.
Great video! Tank looks good, but the fish...wow, gorgeous. New to the cichlid game, but I'm setting up a 60 gallon to start with. Now I just will have to research before I get my fish. Keep up the good work
Michael Gross Thank you. I hope the video was helpful.
Michael Gross If you want some on going advice, come over to the Facebook group page, "Ben O'Cichlid." There are lots of friendly fish keepers there willing to help.