Aquariums

just wondering what sort of equipment you guys use i.e heaters lighting etc?? I have been told compact lighting is the lights to use for cichilds? I am not keeping any plants just fish.... also what pumps etc do you use for your sumps and what do you normally put in your sump as media?

 

A sump for a freshwater tank? Won't be useful to you unless you put lights on it and turn it into a freshwater refugium. What size tank are you planning with how many of what type of cichlids?

For return pumps it depends on personal preference, experience, and whether or not the pump is internal or external. I like internal pumps and after that don't care about the brand as long as it gets water from Point A to Point B with a decent flow rate.(Except for Rios since they're kinda known for leaking more voltage into the water, but once again this comes back to personal preference and some people will swear by them)

As to your lighting if it's just for fish the standard fluorescent lights that come with the tank will be fine. You don't need any special lights for them. Just make sure you keep the pH high. Cichlids need a higher pH of about 8.0-8.3. You can buffer your water for this by using sand instead of gravel and putting the rock that saltwater reefers use in there tanks(after you've rinsed it).

 

Is this Q for FW or SW tanks?