and it is cool but having to wait to set it up is not so much. I bought it from MrHW as his birthday present. I feel I need a medal for being such an awesome GF. :happy1:

Awesome! I sense a tank setup log coming along.

Yes - I imagine so... we have already been discussing gravel and the simple stuff. I think there will be a lot of research about what looks the best etc.

is this for him to setup the way he likes or is it going the way you want it to be... :digH: :spop: :gigl:

Its a Jewel Rio 240, I want to set it up as a new home for my Gouramis + a few friends. Miss HW wants Angels and something bright and colourful like the dwarf cichlids. Perhaps I could mix the two as the require similar water chemistry.

Ideas anyone?

What size is the tank? I have angels with dwarfs and they get along fine as long as they get their own space

approx 240 Litres. External dimensions 121x41x55. I have just been reading that maintaining a black water aquarium is alot more work, does anyone else agree?

I used to have gourami and dwarfs in my rio 240, its an excellent tank for it, I didn't notice any extra work needed for a blackwater tank either

I wouldn't have thought a black water tank would be more work?

Everything is the same apart from the water which does it all by it's self

I was reading that the low PH affects the BB colonies requireing more frequent waterchanges and monitoring of the water conditions

4. Filter bacteria work best in hard, alkaline water conditions. In very soft and acidic water, filter bacteria may not work at all, forcing the aquarist to use less efficient methods of filtration, such as the use of zeolite.

hmmm... I recently had a filter cycle again after being set up for a year, after I changed to a very soft, blackwater type arrangement. This might explain a LOT.

That being said, ammonia is alot less toxic at an acidic pH, in hard alkaline water its very very toxic to fish. So either way, taking awhile to cycle shouldn't matter.

Any tips to setting up a blackwater aquarium, what type of substrate, use of peat etc

I would recommend a light coloured sand or fine gravel. Peat would need to be in a stocking positioned near a pump outlet or in a low powered cannister filter. Oak leaves would also be a nice touch.