Getting my first cichlids

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fishRmylife

Large Fish
#1
Jun 1, 2003
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Riverbank, California
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#1
I am cycling a new 55 gallon tank and I am planning on buying some cichlids when my tank has finished it's cycle, I know the tank isn't big, but I was thinking about getting a few, 2-3 cichlids to call my new tank home. What do you guys recommend for a newly cichlid owner? And how should the tank be set up i.e. caves, rocks, substates, plants, and filters? Thanks a bunch

Jeff
 

D

DarthV

Small Fish
#3
May 1, 2003
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#3
I would plan on overfiltering your tank, so I'd say an AC300 + cannister (maybe fluval 203 or 304) since cichlids get decently beefy.

You basically have 2 ways to go in a 55...

1. African cichlids... you can probably stock the 55gal with 12-16 Lake Malawi mbunas and have a nice colorful tank. Lots of rocks and caves for hiding spots. There are a lot of things you can do if y ou go african! Lots of very colorful fish...and they don't get too large (for the most part)

2. New World cichlids... a 55 won't be able to hold the fish that get to 10-12" or larger for life. Blue acaras are nice, a female Green Terror... Jack Dempsey... male Convict. You should probably stay away from the very agressive cichlids. A few hiding spaces/caves would be how I'd decorate the tank.


Either route will allow you to use pretty much any substrate, I would check out some of the more coarse types of sand out there...check out some pool filter sand.

If you're thinking about live plants, the new world species will probably dig them out. And they will probably re-decrorate your tank how they see fit :)
 

D

DarthV

Small Fish
#6
May 1, 2003
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You could do Green Terrors if you plan on upgrading your tank down the road. Get a few of them and grow them out and keep the one you like the most. Very nice looking fish :) Females only get to 8-9" long, so they could live in there for life. Same with Dempseys.

If you want to have a lot of smaller fish, go with africans. You could probably keep 4-6 critters of 3 seperate mbuna species in a 55 if you have the proper filtration and do lots of water changes.

I'll be moving my green terror and convict from a 20gal growout tank to a 55 next month. I'll probably add a couple more juvi fish (not sure what yet) and once they start getting larger I will get a 90gal to house them. Which will free up the 55 for africans. I think I'll be going with Labidochromis Caeruleus, Iodotropheus Sprengerae and Labidochromis sp. "Hongi Island" .
 

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