Looking for options.

[absolutely2cool]

I am concidering setting up a cichlid tank, but am unsure of what species to try.
I am currently breeding livebearers, and would like something to help out in the cull dept., so the cichlid would have to be preditory. Unfortunately, I am currently have only a 29gal, or 30L available for this purpose.
I have looked into oscars, but size rules those tank busters out. Jack Dempseys have been offered as a suggestion too, and even though I have a readily avalible sourse for these, size starts to become a major factor again.
I would be happy with a single fish, or pair if they would fit into my specs.
I don't have a great deal of cichlid experience, so any helpful suggestions or advice would be greatly apreciated

 

[Cichlid-Man]

I'm not sure how much they'd help out in the culling department, though they are hunters and will prey on small fish sometimes (guess it varies fish to fish), you could looking into Calvus. Could keep an adult pair in a 29gal.

I'll keep thinking and come up with some other ideas.

 

[Big Vine]

A female salvini would be fine long-term in a 30L (I'm assuming you mean 30 long?)...wouldn't put one in a 29 gal. though. Salvini are highly-piscivorous, and they're more than a match for many fish that exceed them in size.

Having just a single fish might be kinda boring though, and salvinis tend to be fairly stand-offish with people around the tank, so I like Matt's idea a lot better. Plus, I think calvus would be pretty cool! Hmm...what else might work...

BV

 

[absolutely2cool]

It kinda stinks, I have a 55gal, and a 40breeder, but those are both tyed up with live bearers right now. All the rest of my tanks are 30gal or less.

 

[Cichlid-Man]

You could drop a Malawi Hap in the 55gal and 40gal and watch the show.

 

[absolutely2cool]

I won't lie, there are days when I have that sort of idea

 

[Lotus]

While it's not a cichlid, and African leaf fish is popular for culling livebearers.

 

[Fuzz16]

well you COULD move them to the smaller thanks then get an oscar in the 55g!

you could always do a convict pair...but then youd have to get rid of the eggs...or two females. then you would nly have to worry about possible aggression but it wouldnt be that bad and theyd tear up anything you put in the tank pretty well

 

[sweetpickles7]

Dont livebearers eat there young?Tiger barbs might do the trick?I had a krib once that ate anything small[i had 15 neon tetras and he ate them all!] i threw into the tank.You could possibly do a krib and then add some other fish to it?Or a gourami of some sort?

 

[absolutely2cool]

Live bearers do sometimes eat thier young, but they aren't as selective at it as I would like. I want something that will eat only the ones I choose. I know the dwarf grouramis leave fry alone. Maybe larger giant blues, or kissing groumamis would?

 

[Fuzz16]

you could always throw a few female bettas in a couple tanks, or one male in each tank.
my old betta used to stalk the little fry as they tried to hide in the gravel and gulp them up.
and my dwarf gourami loves fry! id say an opaline or blue would be good, both good community gouramis.
stay away from kissing gouramis...they get BIG and UGLY.

or you could always get an angelfish, those will devour the fry too even bigger fry