I need soooo much help!

[dawganova]

Super new to this, but I have some Idea. I really like the Tiger Oscar and the Jack Dempsey. I had some friends that kept them and they are cool. Looking around the web I find the Cyphotilapia frontosa "Blue Zaire" super cool looking. I am looking to go 75 - 150 for main tank and my have 29 - 55 gallon second tank at work. I would like some plants but there not that important. I would like some colorful fish. I think I want a minimum of 6 fish in my main tank and would like to have as much activity as possible. I am looking for 2 to 6 fish in my secondary/ work tank. I must have an aggressive fish in one if not both tanks, but I want him in a mixed tank so I can watch him boss around the other fish that swim near his space. I don’t want him to eat the other fish (paying good money for them), I just want him to teach them a little respect every now and then. Please tell me some set ups you think I may like.
I have made a list of fish I think are cool:
Cichlid: Cyphotilapia frontosa "Blue Zaire", Aulonocara baenschi, Otopharynx lithobates, Jewel Cichlids, Tiger Oscar, Jack Dempsey, Yellow Electric Cichlid,
Angelfish, Convict cichlid, Discus
Catfish: Zebra pleco, Cuckoo Synodontis, Glass catfish, Three-lined Cory
Anabantids: Pearl gourami, spotted climbing perch
Cyprinids: Silver/Bala shark, Siamese algae eater, Red-Tailed Black Shark, Black Ruby barb, Rosy barb, Harlequin
Characins: silver dollars
Rainbows: Banded Rainbow, Boeseman's rainbow

*celebrate

 

[Cichlid-Man]

Go for a Frontosa Colony in the large tank (go for the biggest you can get)....it'll be worth it. Awesome sight. Maybe some Synodontis to scavange the bottem.

For your office tank, hmmmmm. Bigger is always better so i'd go with the 55gal. I have discus in my 55gal PLANTED tank and about to get another 55gal with more discus. If you are willing to devote some time to them....i'd get discus but they arn't for the beginnier. A 55gal planted rainbowfish tank would look GREAT they school together. Though not aggresssive i think you would like this kind of tank.

 

[dawganova]

Those set ups sound cool. I think the rainbow tank would be really beautiful, but I was wondering if I could put a Dempsey or an Oscar in the frontosa tank. My wife says that I am a pompous narcissistic but head and I wanted a fish that reflected that. Oh, my wife thinks the rainbow tank is cool too and may take that for her tank. We are going to make an aquarium room where each person in the family gets a tank. Since I am a narcissistic but head mine will need to be the biggest. Anyway, which types of frontosa were you thinking of and how many of each. Do you know of any places to get a real bargain on tanks? Should I try ebay? Or just go to Wal-Mart? And if my wife uses the rainbow fish set up I would be looking at a different set up so any other ideas would be welcome.

*celebrate

 

[Cichlid-Man]

Lol. Well You could put a jack or O in the Front tank.....but i wouldn't advise it. I think you would like the Frontosas. If you get a group there will be a dominant male (with a big hump on his head....looks so cool and tough) and he will keep things in order i assure you. Fronts can get 1ft long so you will be getting a big tough fish in your tanks I was thinking maybe 9-12 IF you get the big 150gal....big tank for some big awesome fish If it were me I'd get some F0 or F1 7 stripe Zaire Blues (But that can get pretty darn pricy). (F0 and F1 mean wild and First Generation from wilds). make sure you get all your fish at the same time though so they will already have/or start working on getting a pecking order together.

Tanks...hmmm i'm sure you can find bargins on E-bay. Also try a hobby favorite - www.aquabid.com ebay for fish!

Let me just say a frontosa tank can looks very very very nice. Not much decoration because the fish are so nice you don't need it.

 

[Cichlid-Man]

Forgot to upload one of my favs.

Wish i had the space to do a huge front tank.

 

[Somonas]

well I think Cichlid Man summed it up very well I agree with regards to putting fronts in the largest tank you can
things I personally would watch out for do not mix males and females with similar colour patterns and honestly I wouldn't put any malawis in with them but its probably ok (I've never kept them only seen other tanks)

 

[dawganova]

Well I have been doing some looking into cichlids and I think I may want to start with smaller fish. I want a varied community tank but with some tough fish in it. I have been reading a book on them and trying to think up a mix. I am trying to stay in the 4 to 6 inch range since I am new. I was thinking of going with mouthbrooders, open-water brooders, and secret brooders. I figure that would give me 3 groups and no competition for spawning area. I need an aggressive fish so I have begun to look at the convict. It is a secret brooder and it is not too big. Even though it has attitude shouldn't it be ok with fish about its size that breed differently? I would also like to get a nice size shoal of colorful fish to swim around and get bullied by the convict. I don't know maybe I'm still looking for too much as a beginner. Help!*laughingc

*crazysmil

 

[Cichlidian]

I would suggest a group of 3 pairs of angels and around 6 rams and may be a school of tetras like neons or glowlights in a planted environment. My angels are bulls and my male rams too. I think this would bring in the colour & activity that u expect.

 

[Purple]

Rams and angels ?

I heard/read that angels beat up on smaller fish and Rams are nippy with long finned fish.

The reason I ask is I just got a pair of angels - wanted the rams too but thought it wasn't a good mix. I've got the room - it was just the attitudes that seemed to clash.

 

[Cichlidian]

I dont think there's any prob in mixing. I've got 3 discus, 4 angels, 6 rams, 20 tetras in a 4 ft long tank with absolutely no prob.

 

[Cichlid-Man]

I'd call your tank way overstocked. But hey some people do it. I've always hear that too purple. But i think with enough room and cover you wouldn't have to many, if any problems.