New to cichlids...Need advise

[Dipschnit]

Hello all,

I am new here to the forum and actually stumbled across the site the other day in a search about Cichlids, what a great find this has been. I have enjoyed browsing through other posts and galleries and have found the information learned to be very helpful, however, I am still a little stumped when it comes to Cichlids.

I just got a new tank (40-50 gallon Octagon, not sure which because I got from a friend) that I wanted to make a Cichlid tank with but I am not sure what type I want to go with. I like the Mbuna's because of the colors but I am a little hesitate to go this route ,being that I have never had a Cichlid tank before and I dont want them to outgrow my tank too soon.

If I dont go with Mbuna's, What would be a good starter Cichlid that is very colorful and what would be good tank mates for them (that are also very colorful)? Would a Cockatoo be a good choice as a starter Cichlid?

Also, how many Cichlids can I put in the tank without overcrowding?

If I did decide to go with Mbuna's, what would be a good mix with these?( I really like the Jahanni)


I know its frusterating when someones asks a question that can be found in a post somewhere already, but I just want to be sure so I dont make any mistakes when choosing the proper fish for my tank size and also in choosing their tank mates. I know that you dont want to mix regions being that the fish will require different water needs and I also have heard that they wont get along very well.


I have a 29 Gallon Community tank that I have had for 5 years now and have had very good luck with it, and my favorite fish in it is the Pleco. He has been in there since the day I started putting fish in there.(he actually was the first fish to go in). But a community tank is not the same as a Cichlid tank from what I hear so I want to cross my T's and dot my I's before jumping into it. So any additional info that anyone may have would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks in advance,
Charlie

 

[James From Cali]

What you can do is put in maybe an Angel with some moderate sized Tetras. Or you can do a Ram Tank. GBR(German Blue Rams) are good looking Rams.

 

[Cichlid-Man]

Having been in the hobby for 5 years i think you'll be alright with most choices because you know how to do waterchanges and such. If you really wanted to go beginner cichlids, i'd suggest something like Convicts. But i think you will be ok keeping Mbuna or certain Apistos to start. Yellow labs (electric yellows) are a good starter Mbuna, i'd even go as far as saying the Red Zebras are too.

Having an Octagon tank makes it kinda hard. The footprint isn't the best and a regtangular tank would be better, but hey can't complain. I guess you could do some Mbuna in this, just by looking at the gallonage.

Problem with doing something like Apistos in that tank is that those shaped tanks seem to be pretty tall, and the smaller dwarf cichlids don't usually occupy the top portions of the tank.

Be sure not to feed the Mbuna a protien rich diet.

EDIT: GBRs are not a good starter cichlid....they can be very picky about water.

 

[James From Cali]

I forgot about how picky they were. My mind is not here today. Any wya convicts are a good choice. I know my neighbors convicts are very outgoing, alwaysout and about and active.

 

[JustOneMore20]

With Convicts though, if you get a pair, I don't think you'll be able to have anything else in there with them. They can be pretty nasty when they breed. Also, you will eventually have alot of babies.

Personally, I'd go with Mbuna. Even if your tank is around 50 gallons, I'd stick to 2 groups. Maybe get some Yellow labs and another more passive Mbuna. Johanii are nice, but can be pretty mean from what I hear. If you got a group of them, I'd go with another Mbuna around the same temperament.

A rectangular tank would be alot better, but I guess you gotta make do with what you have.

Do you prefer the Apistos or Mbunas over the other? Mbunas are very nice, but you'd be limited on the number you could keep, since the surface area of the tank isn't that much.

 

[Cichlid-Man]

True. But that could be the case with apistos as well. Africans (like Mbuna) form breeding groups 1 male to 2-4 females instead of forming single pairs. So it could be a plus there.

 

[Kephren01]

Hey, I'm new to the whole hobby, so make sure no one yells at me before you believe anything I say. First off, for your tank, the volume of a hex I believe is 2.598*a2h. Where a is the length of one side, then that is squared, h is your height. You'll probably measure in inches so 1 cubic inch is 0.004329004 gallons.

I just started a cichlid tank, 40 gallons. I have pics in the post "spoiled my fish" (or whatever I named it). I have i believe 14 cichlids plus a rafael. I have a couple Jewels, a Yellow Lab, a snow while albino, a red zebra, a ice blue zebra, an Acei, a bumblebee, and an assortment of babies of which we don't know yet.

Personally, I went to PetSmart, went to the South African Cichlid section and got fish from that one section that I thought was nice. The biggest thing I have noticed with my fish after redo'ing my tank, you need lots of rocks and little cubbies for them to hide. I can't say to much for what ones are better with what, I actually don't even know which you guys are talking about most of the time, but they need lots and lots of places to hide.

My recommendation for the fish, where they usually say overstocking in moderation is good, you have to watch with a hex tank, b/c the height doesn't help you much. If you stack all the rocks heigh, it doesn't give the fish much room to swim.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong please, otherwise I wouldn't know any different either.
Hope this helps!

 

[Dipschnit]

Wow,Thanks for the fast replies!!!

I actually do like the Convicts alot, I think they would be a satisfying choice. I like the Mbuna's more but I may want more fish than they would allow. You all are right about the tank but I couldnt pass up the deal I got on it. As said above, there isnt that much floor space in there and this gives a big problem with arrangements. Also said above, If I stack too high it limits the swimming area for the fish.
I was thinking of maybe using some slate mixed in with the rock work since it doesnt take up as much space and would be a good base for stacking, Would slate be a possibility?
Maybe my tank just isnt a good choice for a Cichlid tank after all. I dont want them to be absolutely miserable in there with no where to really swim.
Would a community Cichlid tank be a better choice instead of an semi to agressive species of Cichlid?


Thanks Again,
Charlie

 

[Cichlid-Man]

I think you could do a pretty nice setup with something like a pair of Cockatoo dwarves, or keyholes, or rams if you are up for them, and then some type of tetra for the upper portions. Though this is not my area of expertise so i really can't help much as far as tetras and community fish go.

The convicts are still a possibility but a pair might take over the whole tank. So not sure about tank mates. Though the perks (and a downside after a while i guess) to having Convicts is you will get to see them breed. Very easy to get them breeding once you get a pair. Good introduction to cichlid parental care. Fun to watch.

 

[Igor The Cat]

hmmm im going to go and suggest my favorite small cichlids....so i would either get a male/female pair of Firemouths, or a small colony of Buffalo Heads..

cheers

-Java

 

[Kephren01]

As for your slate question, the manager at my LFS recomended Flagstone to me, and I went out to a landscaping place and for a price of 30 cents a pound (I only paid $2 for all the broken stuff I could pick up). Flagstone works great, you can look for something else that looks like flagstone, just ask to make sure there isn't anything harmful or synthetic in the rock (and as always give it a good rinse).

As for the fish, I have a little 5 gallon hex that I love (hex is just cool), I have community fish in it (the little guy in my avitar is Sunny, he's one of them), but yes it's tiny. I think you just need to figure out what it is YOU want to do, and what YOU will be happy with. You could stack a lot of community fish or semi-agressive trop. fish in there, or you could do a few (lesser aggressive) cichlids. Which would you rather see? I always try to do what I want, without doing anything stupid.
hope that helps

 

[JustOneMore20]

I'm using slate in my Mbuna tank, so I'll let you know how it goes... I am setting it up tomorrow night, so I'll post some pictures when I can.

If slate is free...go for it! I got all mine free from off the side of the road near my house. I'm going to attempt to make a nice little pile...don't want it to be symmetric...but we'll see!

 

[Dipschnit]

Thanks for all the suggestions fellas!
Would Rainbow, Blue Acara, Convicts, Salvini, Firemouth all mix together well? Not saying that I want one of each(Thinking Blue Acara and Firemouths) but would they get along in general.

How about the Dwarfs...Agazzi, Cockatoo, MacMasters, Panda, Ram, Kribs. How would any of these species mix together?

Sorry for so many questions but I am still a little confused when it comes to Cichlids.

Thanks Again,
Charlie

 

[Cichlid-Man]

Thanks for all the suggestions fellas!
Would Rainbow, Blue Acara, Convicts, Salvini, Firemouth all mix together well? Not saying that I want one of each(Thinking Blue Acara and Firemouths) but would they get along in general.

Technically yes as they come from about the same region of the world and have, for the most part, the same temperment. Though thats all depending on stocking levels and tank size.

How about the Dwarfs...Agazzi, Cockatoo, MacMasters, Panda, Ram, Kribs. How would any of these species mix together?

Ehh, again technically yes....i've just learned from the great Wayne on the boards that apistos live in heavily populated groups in the wild. However i do think different species will interbreed so that might be taken into consideration.

The Kribs are from a whole different continent and i would not mix them. And the rams, ehh toss up, i would personally prefer rams by themselves.

Sorry for so many questions but I am still a little confused when it comes to Cichlids.

Ask away, i'm not complaining....i love chatting/answering questions about cichlids.

 

[Dipschnit]

Thanks Cichlid-Man,

Could I avoid the whole interbreed thing by just adding only males or just females ( say 1 of 3 different species), Or would this be a disaster for a recipe? I'm mainly looking for a little variety of color, or is this even possible in a 42 gallon Hex tank ( not Octagon tank as I previously wrote...Again thinking 1 thing typing another)

Didnt mean to put Kribs in their, typing one thing thinking another.

Thanks again for your help,
Charlie