Small Cichlids?

[frescies]

Hi! I'm entirely new to this forum. I had a 29 gallon tank several years ago that I kept some small cichlids in. They seemed to enjoy it as long as I gathered an arrangement of rocks and caves that filled the tank to the top.

I have recently acquired a Hex tank that is somewhere between 20 and 25 gallons. I plan to fill the thing with rocks and caves to the top. Are there any species of cichlids that remain inherently small throughout their life? I would like to keep 2, possibly 3, in the tank.

Thanks in advance for any response.

David

 

[Brockway]

Probably shellies or convicts. I've never kept shell dwellers before, but I'm sure other people here have. Convicts stay fairly small (4.5"-5"), but you'd have to deal with the babies. Maybe rams and kribs, but I'm not sure about them, no experience.

Here's a link to some german ram info (they are some beautiful fish), would check around some more to verify it though.
http://hjem.get2net.dk/Best_of_the_Web/blue rams.html

 

[wayne]

I don't think hex tanks have a very big foot print ,and they're not so long so I tihnk cons are out. Also I don't the S American dwarfs like rams would look good in a rocky tank like that - they'd seem a bit out of place.
I'd go for shell dwellers, amybe dwarf julidochromis. Maybe a pair of fairy cichlids, but they might be a nit snappy. Check out the info for cichlids from genus Neolamprologus

 

[TaffyFish]

hex tanks tend to have a small footprint and the limited substrate area will count against you here. Yes you could keep shellies in such a tank:-

lamprologus multifasciatus (multies), lamp. ocellatus, lamp. similis or lamp. brevis are most commonly available.

the smaller julidochromis species, transcriptus or ornatus, would also do well and would eventually populate most areas of the tank. however I would say 30 gallons is about the minimum for fairy cichlids (neolamp. brichardi) and just to be sure, these are either/or decisions, you can't have a neolamp or julie and the shellies - there's not enough territory available, consequently a world of pain awaiting you.

there's not much else to recommend for the upper part of the hex tank if you do opt for a shell-dweller, maybe WCM minnows or danios as dithers? A synodontis petricola would also add interest.

 

[phOOey]

if the tank has a small footprint it must be pretty tall, right? maybe an angel and some shellies

 

[pablo111]

If I were in your position, I would do this:

Fill with rocks but only half way- this way there is more water and greater area for fish and bacteria, add some plants n whatnot

For fishies, I'd add one Kribensis (they are great looking but a pair will get mean when they breed, so just one)

and maybe some rams would look cool but add a couple of sword plants and if your PH is over seven, consider Bolivian Rams over Germans.