Ok, I have a 55g freshwater tank with a bunch of community fish and I have had them for about 3 years. I want to get cichlids, but I am not sure what filtration I would need and what type of decoration I would need in the tank. For ex. rocks, caves, plants... So can someone please tell me how many cichlids I can fit in my tank and what other filters I need. I only have a Penguin 330 in there right now, which does its job but for a little while and the tank starts to get really dirty.
New Cichlid Tank
- Thread starter jf228
- Start date
cookie cutter
That should tell you almost everything you would want to know about stocking that tank.
For a filter I would go with a Eheim 2213 (i have on and love it) or a filstar XP2 I hear they are good, and they are cheaper than Eheim. But almost as good.
For most cichlids you will want a sand substrate and lots of rocks and hideing places. But It dose depend on what fish you decide on in the end.
ie. tangs would like a deeper sand bed with lots of shells
and julies like lots of rocks and hideing places.
I say pick what you want. Then ask about what the tanks setup should be for them.
55 is a great size for cichlids, though I dont like the size because I think they are to tall and thin.
Hope I could be of some help.
LEv
That should tell you almost everything you would want to know about stocking that tank.
For a filter I would go with a Eheim 2213 (i have on and love it) or a filstar XP2 I hear they are good, and they are cheaper than Eheim. But almost as good.
For most cichlids you will want a sand substrate and lots of rocks and hideing places. But It dose depend on what fish you decide on in the end.
ie. tangs would like a deeper sand bed with lots of shells
and julies like lots of rocks and hideing places.
I say pick what you want. Then ask about what the tanks setup should be for them.
55 is a great size for cichlids, though I dont like the size because I think they are to tall and thin.
Hope I could be of some help.
LEv
with your community fish or not?
with community fish that probably is not a good idea.
the cookie cutter link levithan provided is excellent....take their advice, they speak from experience.
you dont need to worry about getting "aggressive" or "mean" or "little terrors" as far as cichlids go.
if you have NOT kept them before, you will find that even the relatively mild-tempered ones to be about a 100X more aggressive and territorial than your community fish (for the most part anyway)
are you concerned with coloration?
is your 55 going to be the permanent tank for them as adults?
what is your water hardness and ph? if it is relatively high, i would look into the african cichlids.....if it is soft, look into the south american species.
if i still cannot convince you to not seek out the "tough guys" in the cichlid world, the most aggressive fish pound-for-pound IMO is the convict cichlid.
they are a real bread and butter species, and also are well-suited to life in a 55 gallon as they dont grow too incredibly large.
they will also give you a VERY VERY VERY quick lesson in cichlid aggression......trust me
with community fish that probably is not a good idea.
the cookie cutter link levithan provided is excellent....take their advice, they speak from experience.
you dont need to worry about getting "aggressive" or "mean" or "little terrors" as far as cichlids go.
if you have NOT kept them before, you will find that even the relatively mild-tempered ones to be about a 100X more aggressive and territorial than your community fish (for the most part anyway)
are you concerned with coloration?
is your 55 going to be the permanent tank for them as adults?
what is your water hardness and ph? if it is relatively high, i would look into the african cichlids.....if it is soft, look into the south american species.
if i still cannot convince you to not seek out the "tough guys" in the cichlid world, the most aggressive fish pound-for-pound IMO is the convict cichlid.
they are a real bread and butter species, and also are well-suited to life in a 55 gallon as they dont grow too incredibly large.
they will also give you a VERY VERY VERY quick lesson in cichlid aggression......trust me
your aquascaping is probably just fine for your typical cichlids.....if you intend to breed them, some consideration may be needed to provide the type of spawning site that many cichlids like, and that some REQUIRE.
cave spawners can make use out of rock caves, flower pots, pvc pipe, etc.
substrate spawners prefer large flat stones, etc.
you get the point.
as was already mentioned, buffing out your filtration is a good idea.
eheim canisters are top of the line, but you could easily get away with simply adding another penguin 330 to the other side of your tank.
cave spawners can make use out of rock caves, flower pots, pvc pipe, etc.
substrate spawners prefer large flat stones, etc.
you get the point.
as was already mentioned, buffing out your filtration is a good idea.
eheim canisters are top of the line, but you could easily get away with simply adding another penguin 330 to the other side of your tank.
Check out cichlidrecipe.com - this has some nice advice and explanations of how cichlids behave and how to keep them , though the stocking guides are not to everybodys taste (very crowded, very high maintenance). I guess you're interested in peacocks, Aulonacars species? They're not too agressive....
Anyone have a good guide to keeping Aulonacara?
Anyone have a good guide to keeping Aulonacara?
www.cichlid-forum.com
take the "articles" (maybe library now?) section and find "peacock corner"
the site has been down for a while but should be up soon
take the "articles" (maybe library now?) section and find "peacock corner"
the site has been down for a while but should be up soon