Although some will beg to differ, but I always think that flash is necessary for aquatic photography.
In your case, kray, I would say that, you need 2 things to take great pictures out of your Nikon D70.
1. Nikon SB 800 flash.
2. Macro lens in the range of 90/100/105 mm focal length.
The flash will allow you to take pictures at much faster shutter speed immediately. The lens will allow you to get closer to the subject and produce really sharper pictures.
What is of utter most importance is that your Nikon D70 has a "commander" mode that allow you to use the SB-800 like a remote wireless flash while retaining TTL functions. Look for your manual and activate the function in the camera menu. Once you get that, you can have freedom of movement to track your subject and shoot without reflection. If you are new to this function, there is a learning curve. But with enough practice, you will soon get the hang of it.
Since you are mainly interested in dwarf cichlids, you can consider shooting in 1 ft tanks. This is a lot more managable than shooting the same fish in a 5 ft planted tank. If necessary, cut a piece of glass and put above your tank to hold the flash in place.
Hope that helps!
Cheers,
p.s. An alternative to macro lens is using a close up filter on your kit lens. Still managable, but you need to move really close and that might spook your subjects.
I have dwarf cichlids in my tanks! Do you?
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