JBL Malawi Rocks®
Rocky reef aquarium JBL Malawi Rocks®
The Malawi Lake resembles a coral reef with its colourful fish. In addition the cichlids display some very interesting behaviour: they brood their eggs in their mouth. Anyone looking for a colourful aquarium with very lively and interesting fish, will find it in the JBL Malawi Rocks®!
Malawi cichlids belong to the most colourful freshwater fish and their mouth brooding is one of the most interesting breeding behaviours of all fish. Since cichlids are territorial fish and they strongly defend their patch and therefore fights often occur. This is why it is important to create hiding places and territorial boundaries with the help of stones and plants. Because of the fish’s aggressive behaviour, it is difficult to add fish at a later date. However should you need to do this, it’s best to separate a part of the aquarium with a partition pane where you can add the “newcomers” until the stock is accustomed to them. Only then can the pane be removed. Please take this into account when setting up the aquarium.
Modelled on nature
The Lake Malawi in Africa has developed quite a unique fauna over millions of years. The cichlids have evolved to adapt to the lake’s diverse habitats and developed endemic (only existent there) species. Even within species colour varieties have developed since rocky reefs are often separated by large areas of sand, which are a natural barrier for the fish. This way a species can be blue monochrome coloured in one spot and blue striped 1000 m away at the next rocky reef. Many species from the shallow water (up to 15 meters in depth) are grazing fish species which scrape the growth (algae with microorganisms) from the rocks. Other species are predators which feed off other fish and their brood. Plants are only found in a few areas of the lake shore. Most of these regions consist of sandy areas with stones.
Description
Dimensions
100 x 40 x 50 cm = 200 l
Water values
pH value: 7.5-9.0
KH: 5-10 °dKH
Nitrite (NO2): 0 mg/l
Temperature: 24-27 °C
The decoration to suit your JBL Malawi Rocks®
Here you can see which substrate and plants you need for your aquarium to look like a piece of Lake Malawi.
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Porous rocks
20 kg
Lay a foam mat ( JBL AquaPad ) under the stones to protect the bottom pane. Position the stones before adding the sand (not shown in video due to lack of time).
These plants suit a rocky reef aquarium.
Plant (A)
Jungle Val - Giant Vallis (Vallisneria americana gigantea)
4 plants
Plant (B)
Dwarf Anubias (Anubias barteri var. nana Bonsai)
10 plants
Planting plan
Here you can see the exact plant location and species in the aquarium. The letters characterise the plant species, mentioned above.
Aquarium technology
This outline shows all the technical products you need for the Lake Malawi themed aquarium and a price quotation to give you an idea of the costs involved.
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JBL CRISTALPROFI e902 greenline
External filter for aquariums from 90-300 litres- External filter for clean and healthy aquarium water: closed water circulation system for aquariums of 90-300 litres (80-120 cm)
- Fully equipped and ready to connect: built-in quick-start priming button, filter start without manual priming. Simple assembly
- Extremely smooth running at 900l/h pump performance, patented pre-filter system, 100% more surface than in model 901. High/biological filter perform. with a volume of 7.6l, water stop, 360° rotatable hose connections, easily exchangeable filter media
- TÜV tested, safe and energy-efficient: lower power consumption than comparable previous models – consistent performance
- Contents: external filter for aquariums, incl. hoses & pipes 12/16 mm, intake strainer, elbow, suction cups, filter media (bio-filter balls & bio-filter foam). Dimensions (LxWxH): 18x20x40cm. Guarantee: 2 years (+2 years upon registration of product)
JBL LED SOLAR NATUR
High-performance LED light for aquariums- Maximum light efficiency for beautiful aquatic plants: extremely high photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) of more than 220 µM/s/m2
- Plug & play: clip light in tube holder or set it up, connect cable, switch on or dim via remote control and select one of 3 light colours
- Evenly distributed warm white and cool white LEDs for a biotope-compatible light climate, 2 channels with 3 preset light colours: 2700 K (warm white), 4500 K (daylight white), 6400 K (cool white)
- You can extend the features by using your smartphone to include preset biotope-compatible or individual light controls and the JBL LED SOLAR EFFECT RGB light for special colour effects
- Contains: water-protected light (IP67), remote control, driver (receiver), power supply unit, con. cable, holding brackets for top assembly & end caps f. installation in tube sockets (T5&T8). Guarantee: 2 years (+2 years upon registration of product)
JBL LED SOLAR EFFECT
LED effect light as supplement to JBL LED SOLAR NATUR- Special light with RGB LEDs to create colour effects, ideal as replacement for the second coloured fluorescent tube (T5 or T8)
- Just connect to the enclosed cable switch of the existing JBL LED SOLAR NATUR and adjust using its remote control.
- Enables more dramatic simulations of sunrise and sunset colours, as well as weather situations, such as lightning storms or rainy season.
- The integrated RGB LEDs can create red, green and blue, and all mixed colours, using the JBL LED SOLAR NATUR remote control. Dimmable in 7 steps. Further effects can be achieved using the JBL LED SOLAR CONTROL app on a mobile phone
- Contains: LED effect light, waterproof (IP67), cable switch, holding brackets for top assembly and end caps for the installation in tube sockets (T5 & T8). Guarantee: 2 years (+2 years upon registration of the product)
JBL PROFLORA m502
Plant fertiliser system with refillable cylinder and night switch-off- CO2 fertiliser system for the best feeding of fast and slow growing plants in freshwater aquariums up to 600 l
- Assemble system, attach diffuser in the aquarium and adjust CO2 supply until the permanent test indicates the ideal value
- Professional water care with night switch-off: precise dosing thanks to pressure reducer, even release, effective distribution due to extendable diffuser, best control due to bubble counter, CO2/pH test, residual pressure display on pressure gauge
- Refillable cylinder with overpressure relief, TÜV tested. Stand ensures cylinder does not fall over. Hose screw connection prevents hose from slipping, check valve prevents water entering the cylinder
- Package contents: refillable 500g CO2 cylinder, fitting, stand, pressure reducer, night switch-off (time switch sold separately), diffuser, bubble counter, 3 m hose, backflow stop, CO2/pH test, liquid fertiliser & daily fertiliser
JBL PROFLORA Direct
High performance direct diffuser for CO2- For an economical and direct plant fertilisation: CO2 diffuser for external filters
- Easy to install: connect to hose of external filter
- Exact dosing: integrated bubble counter, no water backflow thanks to backflow stop
- 20 % CO2 saving due to an especially effective diaphragm
- Package contents: 1 ready-for-connection high performance CO2 direct diffuser
JBL Aquarium Thermometer Slim
Slim glass thermometer for aquariums- Precise measurement and healthy fish: high accuracy glass thermometer for aquariums
- Easy to install: attach thermometer with suction cup in the aquarium, read off temperature
- 15 cm long glass capillary (very precise reading), made in Germany. Temperature range from 0 - 50 °C
- Acid and alkali-resistant suction holder
- Package contents: 1 aquarium thermometer incl. suction cup
JBL PROTEMP S 200
Heating for aquariums, 200 W safety heater-stat with protective basket- Heating for an ideal temperature in aquariums with 100 - 300 l content (80 – 120 cm length)
- Easy to install: insert the heater into the protective basket, preselect the temperature on the dial, immerse in the aquarium, attach with suction cups to the internal aquarium pane
- Precise temperature setting: dial covers temperature range 20 - 34 °C, control accuracy +/-0.5°C. Ideal temperature transfer: star-shaped heating element, made of ceramic
- TÜV tested, watertight to 100 cm, unbreakable quartz safety glass with protection screen. With dry-running protection against electrical accidents
- Package contents: safety heater-stat with protective basket, 200 W, 195 cm cable, 2 years guarantee (+2 years upon registration of the product)
JBL FLOATY II
Floating glass cleaning magnet for aquariums- Convenient and effective cleaning of aquarium panes: glass cleaning magnet with floating internal element
- Easy to use: float the internal element on the water at the edge of the aquarium tank, the external element will draw the internal element. Direct the magnet from the outside. Clean glass pane with circular movements
- Convenient to use: protruding cleaning edge accesses hard-to-reach spots (e.g. behind technical equipment), reach into corners without getting your hands wet
- Patented JBL edge protection: protection of aquarium silicone seals thanks to bevelled edges, swimming internal element: no scratches on the pane caused by trapped gravel stones
- Package contents: glass cleaning magnet Floaty II
The animal stock for the rocky reef aquarium
The following animals suit your Lake Malawi aquarium:
Yellow lab
Labidochromis caeruleus
5 animals
Demasoni cichlid
Pseudotropheus demasoni
5 animals
Dwarf Lake Syno
Synodontis lucipinnis
3 animals
Tiger snails
Neritina sp.
8 animals
Video about the setup of the JBL Malawi Rocks®
In an 8 minute video we show you how the completed aquarium will look like and how to set it up step by step
How to maintain your rocky reef aquarium
Feeding
2-3 x daily as much as the fish can eat in 3 minutes.
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JBL NovoMalawi
Main food flakes for algae-eating cichlids- Complete nutrition and ideal growth for algae-eating (grazing) Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika cichlids
- The right food for the specialised growth eaters of Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika from 5-20 cm in size. The growth (and this food) consists of algae and microorganisms living in it
- No water clouding: reduced algae growth thanks to balanced phosphate content, better water quality due to better digestibility of the food, which reduces fish excrement
- Fish choose JBL food: 98.5% of all fish species ate the JBL food immediately during research expeditions in freshwaters. No processing of cheap fish meal, fish meat from fish fillet production for humans is used
- Contents: main food flakes for aquarium fish. Use within 4 months after opening. High-quality packaging with foil seal means it can be stored for 3 years unopened
JBL NovoGranoMix
Main food for medium-sized and large aquarium fish- Complete nutrition and optimal growth of tropical freshwater fish
- Nutritious, easy to digest, suitable for automatic feeders: granulate floats and sinks to create ideal feeding conditions for medium-sized and large fish species 6 to 15 cm in all water layers
- No water clouding: reduced algae growth thanks to balanced phosphate content, better water quality due to better digestibility of the food, which reduces fish excrement
- Fish choose JBL food: 98.5% of all fish species ate the JBL food immediately during research expeditions in freshwaters. No processing of cheap fish meal, fish meat from fish fillet production for humans is used
- Contents: main food, for aquarium fish. After opening use up within 4 months. Unopened storable for 3 years in high-quality packaging with foil seal
JBL Krill
Premium main food flakes for all aquarium fish- Complete nutrition and ideal growth for freshwater and marine fish: krill flake rich in proteins, unsaturated fatty acids and carotenoids
- Nutritious and easy to digest by fine grinding in the krill shrimp: Ideal feeding conditions due to various flake sizes for fish species sized from 3 to 20 cm in middle and upper water layer
- No water clouding: reduced algae growth thanks to balanced phosphate content, better water quality due to better digestibility of the food, which reduces fish excrement
- Fish choose JBL food: 98.5% of all fish species ate the JBL food immediately during research expeditions in freshwaters. No processing of cheap fish meal, fish meat from fish fillet production for humans is used
- Contents: premium main food, for freshwater and marine fish. After opening to be used up within 4 months. In high-quality packaging with foil seal, unopened storable for 3 years
Experiencing the habit up close
A JBL expedition has already taken us to Lake Malawi in East Africa. In our report you can find out what research findings our team brought back with them and the many photos will give you an impression about the beauty of this habitat above and under water.
