My 75 gallon tank

(Last updated: Fri Sep 10 00:32:20 EDT 1999)

This tank is an African Cichlid Mbuna tank. It was set up on August 15, 1995. The first batch of Mbuna were added on December 8, 1995.

And it was taken down on September 10, 1999 (because we were leaving Buffalo).

Tank

A "75 gallon" All-Glass, meaning that it is about 48" by 18" by 21" (I think), and actually could hold 18144 cubic inches or 78.5 gallons.

Filter

An AquaClear 500. (Because AC300's don't fit over the lip of the tank.)

Heater

Ebo-Jager 200W

Light

1 Vita-lite power-twist 48" 40W flourescent tube.

1 Ultra-TriLux 48" 40W flourescent tube. The information below reflects what the tank contained when it was shut down, in Sept 1999.

Fish

• 1 Giant Danio [Danio aequipinnatus]
• 1 "regular" pl*co [Hypostomus sp. or Plecostomus sp.] (~8")
• 1 Pseudotropheus tropheops (~4.5")
• 1 Pseudotropheus acei (F) (~4")
• 2 Pseudotropheus socolofi (MF?) (~3" and ~4")
• 2 Pseudotropheus sp. "Msobo Deep", wild caught (MF) (M ~3.5" and F ~2.5")
• Various Pseudotropheus sp. "Msobo Deep" fry! Born at various times since March 1997 (~1.5" to 2.5")
• 1 Labidochromis caeruleus (M?) (~2.5")

Live Plants

None

Maintenance

30% water changes every approx 2 weeks.

Typical chemical levels

Notes

Most fish grew about 1" in the initial 6 month period (Dec 95 to June 96)

6/96 The 2" Ps. acei spawned, and there are 4 fry which have survived.

8/19/96: For their second brood, I have the mother and about 20 fry in a little 10gallon tank.

8/22/96: Mother's back in the big tank. About 16 fry remaining. (Only 2 found dead though. So she might have been snacking?)

10/21/96: P. acei pair spawned again. Mother is carrying eggs.

11/11/96: P. acei fry hatched.

12/17/96: P. acei pair spawned again. Mother is carrying eggs.

12/25/96: Noticed that one of the Cobalt Zebras is carrying eggs.

12/31/96: No more eggs in Cobalt Zebra's mouth :-(

1/3/97: P. acei fry hatched. (date approximate)

1/8/97: One Cobalt Zebra beaten up badly - died within a few days :-(

1/29/97: Noticed that one of the Cobalt Zebras is carrying eggs.

2/4/97: P. acei pair spawned again (I watched it!). Mother is carrying eggs.

2/7/97: No more eggs in Cobalt Zebra's mouth :-(

2/24/97: P. acei released fry.

2/24/97: P. "Msobo deep" is carrying eggs!! :-)

3/24/97: P. "Msobo deep" released the fry. Found 2 in tank.

4/28/97: P. acei spawned again. Female is carrying eggs.

5/3/97: P. acei lost her eggs.

5/13/97: P. "Msobo deep" is carrying eggs again.

6/1/97: Two L. caeruleus have died recently. No outward signs of what caused it.

6/8/97: P. "Msobo deep" released fry.

7/8/97: P. "Msobo deep" is carrying eggs again.

7/26/97: P. acei spawned again. Female is carrying eggs.

7/30/97: P. acei lost her eggs again.

8/2/97: P. "Msobo deep" released fry into 10gallon tank. 27 of them!

8/25/97: P. acei spawned again. Female is carrying eggs.

I'm not updating this section any more.