Freshwater Cichlid question

[melovegn]

Hey guys
I am interested in changing over a 20 gallon high to a freshwater cichlid tank

What cichlids and how many can i put into this tank?
It is somewhat planted and has a bunch of rock.

Thanks for any help

PS i was considering trying to breed a pair of convicts seems easy for starters. or Rams (can both work together)

Thanks again

heehee one more thing
are corys and plecos ok with them?

 

[ScubaSteve]

I wouldn't put Rams and Convicts together. Rams are very docile and would get killed. They're called convicts for a reason. LOL

Cories and Rams go great together !

 

[melovegn]

ok so another question then

can rams live in a community tank being they are so docile

or are they just docile for a cichlid (compared to the convicts)

 

[Starbury03]

I had rams in a community tank with tetras and zebras.

 

[levia7han]

rams are cool with alot of things. Coreys would work good. or other community fish....

Convicts on the other hand.... you will be lucky if they do kill eachother, let alone anything you put in with them. They are a species only fish. And only a pair at that.

But they are fun to watch. And breed very easy. I think everyone needs at least one pair sometime in there Cichlid keeping life

Lev

 

[c_paan]

My convicts tried to breed, well at lkeast the male did, he beat the crap out of the female, Id do rams, then your not stuck with a tank that wont allow anymore fish. My ram is with tetras and cories. Im thinking of getting him a few partners and moving them to my 55g community tank.

 

[Somonas]

I think a 20 gallon tank is too small for anything but the smallest cichlids (dwarfs, or shelldwellers)

 

[Cichlid-Man]

No to convicts and rams. It was said above ^ Convicts are wearing black and white bars for a reason.

Rams would be fine. Rams and cories. But like somonas said. Those 2 are your best bet.

I'd go for shellies or dwarfs myself. Dwarfs and MAYBE a few cories. If you get the shellies.....just have the shellies.

 

[catfishmike]

forgive me but,freshwater cichlids as opposed to the saltwater ones?

 

[TaffyFish]

...or freshwater cichlids as opposed to freshwater anything else...maybe melovegn has a salty history?

 

[catfishmike]

thats why i ask.i believe there are a few cichlids(tilapia i think) that spend most of their live at sea.i have never heard of anyone keeping them,but that doesn't mean it hasen't been done.i'm just curious thats all.

 

[melovegn]

i meant freshwater as opposed to brackish

And i think i will go to convicts and try them i dont mind if they are the only thing in the tank i would like to try and breed them who knows

can i keep the pleco and corys in with the convicts?
if not what angry cichlids are ok with corys and plecos

 

[Cichlid-Man]

20gal high? I wouldn't keep anything with them.

 

[c_paan]

why do you want angry cichlids? and corys i dont think would do good with any angry cichilds, they woudl get beat up on all day long

 

[melovegn]

gotcha thanks guys
i think i will have to go a diffrent route

I was hoping for a lil bit of a change from my community tanks, i have gotten a little board of my typical community tanks and was figuring maybe something aggresive or different

i guess i will just go back to a nice planted community tank