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hey ya all... I'm new to this forum but not new to the hobby at all... but now I'm planing to put up my first malawi single spc tank. (have had american tank b4 and mostly dwarfs) how ever I like to know how many Pseudotropheus zebra I can have in 79g tank/ 300 liters.and what other tank mates I can have IF I like to have a mix tank...

to get the best coloration in the fish what sub should I have that is dark or light color sand????
I've been told from SW keeper that black back wall brings out the color and I tried and it did work for a bit but I like more...
thanks for all reply
Icelander



Fish are friends not food

Hi, and WELCOME to Fish Profiles!

I'm not an expert on the fish of your choice, but I can
offer some reassurance as far as accenting the coloration
of your fish.

Generally speaking a darker substrate will accent the
coloration of your fish. Tan's generally washout the
coloration to the eye. White sand can give the fish
problems as it reflects the light and they can see their
shadow below them and they get worried that there might
be a predator below them. Unless they are fish that like
the open water and are not generally considered food by
others, white or light colored substrate combined with
few places to hide will cause stress.

Again, Welcome Aboard!

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

What frank said is spot on .

In most cases the dark substrate, dark background really is the best for the fish, and lets face it, healthy fish =good strong color. A good balanced diet, and good water quality will of course play a part too. But of course you already know that.

Keeping the front glass clean with an algae scraper can make a world of difference too. Sometimes you wont even really notice that it needs a scrubbing. We keep magnetic ones on all our tank and I'll give the front glass a scrub every other day. I leave the sides and the back for the BN to handle.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you'll want the tank in a dark area, try a corner away from the windows. That way the tank light won't have to compete so hard against outside light to make the tank look good to the human eye. The darker the aquascape and background are, the more light you'll want to make it look good to you. Too much light and you'll have algae issues.

Just a few points to think on. Welcome to the site Post some pics when you get it all set up.


^_^