# Some of my SA/CAs



## MCHRKiller (Jul 25, 2008)

First up is some of my 2 year old A.crassipinnis...she was showing some really great color last night. Her colors go from this vibrant orange to dusty black depending on her mood. 
















Unlike typical "Oscars" crassipinnis tap out at 10"; she also lives in a jungle of Vals and cryps with a Red Sev and a Pink Tailed Chalceus. Here is my male Red Sev








And their home:








In my adjoining planted tank lives my 9" Synspilum; the Syn lives with a group of Buenos aires tetras, Giant danios, and a RTBshark








And their home:








Next is a new 40B grow out for a Amphilophus lyonsi...hoping the plants will endure as the fish is very small and IME if cichlids are raised in a planted tank they don't view the plants as foreign. We shall see how it goes. 








Then my other new 40B which I am using as a breeding project for some A.siquia cichlids; have a wild male "Rio Animas" currently in the tank and will be getting 3 female F1 "Rio Animas" tomorrow. I am not really hating the pots as much as I thought I would...but they are an easy solution to breeding caves so it works. Just some frogbit, fern, and anubias from other tanks right now. Id like to get some hardy plants for the background...not yet decided on what species. Very much open to suggestions for hardy low light tall growing plants. 









And finally my 3 non-planted aquariums; unfortunately plants just don't work out for everybody despite my best efforts. lol








My 55G with my F1 female midas
















I did try to keep her with plants as I have done a red devil with plants in the past....she demolished the tank which I contribute to her being right at 8" when I got her and attempted the project. 

Then there is my other 40B which has rainbow cichlids and live bearers. Plants really suffer in this tank due to the light...it was intended for a FOWLR project which never happened. These are also the first fake plants Ive owned in probably 10 years. 








Then probably my favorite fish is my 10" F1 Nicaraguan Jag








I would like to find a good amount of Brazilian Pennywort for this tank as he doesn't bother anything which floats...however plants on the wood or substrate are instantly mauled. 
Simplicity of a hardscape for now...the spots are MTS as the light had just came on.


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

Nice tanks, nice fish! I like to see what folks are able to do when they really try. I see too many who say they can't just because that is what they read. 
For some things that work for my limited use with different cichlids, I might suggest some of the larger/taller sword as tough guys. I don't use the larger, tougher fish that you have but I do find it helps with keeping the roots safe if I put them higher off the floor and planting in wood helps move them higher as well as make roots and anchored safer. 
You may have seen it or already tried it but this is one way, I find I can get higher and safer. 

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/20-diy/1077993-not-pot-pot-version-two.html#post9593449


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## MCHRKiller (Jul 25, 2008)

Exactly; Ive not seen many other people keep big cichlids in planted tanks. I do get excited when I see someone else do it though. Plants are part of the natural environment where most fish come from...you just have to consider the behavior of the fish when selecting plants. Also sticking a few plants sparsely usually fails because it stands out to the fish vs being part of the environment you have created. I acquired my Jag at 5"...he was placed into a thick garden of vals and anubias; destroyed everything on the bottom or on the wood. What bits were floating were ignored which is why I hope I can get some Penywort in there as it isnt really a messy floating plant. My Midas....eh; her digging has calmed down lately. I think she was just stoked to be in a tank with stuff vs a bare warehouse tank she mauled everything. I may try some tough swords in place of the two fakes using the rocks in a similar way to anchor/protect the plant; providing she leaves the fakes alone for a few weeks. 

The link you posted is neat...honestly Ive never seen anyone do that to wood before. I have seen that done with pots and then have rocks shoved up around the pots for protection.


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

Very lovely photos, thank you fro sharing them!


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## CobraGuppy (Sep 23, 2007)

Nice aquariums! They all have a distinct look to them. Your fish are also very beautiful, especially Sally and Black Phillip. What do you usually feed your cichlids?


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

One of the neat things about cichlids is that while there are many who will eat most anything, there are those who really have a preference that makes them interesting. I have several of the African cichlids that do actually prefer having some algae to comb through. I doubt that they actually find any of the micro stuff they would find in nature but they do spend time sorting . That works really well for giving me an excuse for leaving the stuff!! 
When I first got into doing cichlids I was really dumb as to the overall picture and water quality so I thought it was great to feed things that should never be thrown in a tank. Things like sliced ham were gobbled up freely but then that really isn't what I want to do to my water! Now I stick to the standard issue stuff but in a pretty wide variety. Flakes, mostly but then stick food, algae tabs and the occasional zuchini are all good for different folks.


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## MCHRKiller (Jul 25, 2008)

Algae is something....I really have just learned to cope with. I used to hate even the tiniest spec in my planted tanks...now, meh bring on the brush algae and green spot; it is all part of a low-tech which only gets flourish and no co2. I kind of intentionally grow algae in my 40G with the rainbows with the actinic, natural sunlight and heavy weekly doses of flourish. lol they however keep things well mowed these days. 

Thanks for the comments


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