starting a tank

[dvo112]

i have a 55 gallon aquarium that is not set up or anything. after about a month of trying to figure out what to do with it, i thought i might start a cichlid tank. the problem is that i don't know anything about them. i currently have a 20L freshwater with some danios, neons and a red tailed black shark. i wanted to start something with a lot more color though. any help? anything on equipment, setups or fish would help. sorry for the long post :-/

 

[dvo112]

thanks, someone finally replied to my post.

 

[MbunaGal]

Well, that's a lot of ground to cover there!!  ;D  So I'm gonna recommend some sites.  Take a few hours and just scrounge through them!  Have fun!!

http://www.cichlids.com/index.php3

http://www.malawicichlidhomepage.com/

Feel free to ask any more questions!!

 

[ryanp15]

Some beautiful cichlids to add to a planted tank are angelfish. Or you could do discus.

Africans are cool and those sites should help. Convicts and firemouths are cool too. You will love any cichlid you get. ;D Oh and BTW that post isn't long! Haha. Good luck on the tank. ;D

 

[fishboy]

Yes  ryan knows about long post :

 

[kitten]

why do you guys keep recomending discus to begginers?? I just don't get why you'd do that! You need a fair bit of expeirience to even attempt keeping a healthy tank for them.

What kind of cichlids were you looking at dvo? Did you want to plant it or keep it rocky?

 

[clothahump]

Well said Kitten, Discus are not the easiest of cichlids to keep.
You need seriously good filtration that is well mature, a lot of breeders in the UK reccomend a filter that has benn running for six months or more.
Start with hardier species until you know what you are doing. 8)

 

[ryanp15]

He didn't say he was a begginer overall he just said he had never kept cichlids. I agree discus are only for advanced aquariest and I am not sure I would even atempt to keep them myself. I am sorry I should have made that clear in the first post. Angelfish would be really good though. ;D

 

[razorblade]

does this kitten allways get bitchy like this.... or is it just me? ???

 

[ryanp15]

Yes. You will come to expect and to love it. She is great though. Don't take her so seriously she's just that way. You come to enjoy her around. Good kitten. ;D :-*

 

[kitten]

EXCUSE me razorblade! I don't think i was being bitchy at all. It's just the way i write, I say what i'm thinking and if you take it as being bitchy, thats your problem, i don't need your approval

P to you too ryan!)

 

[razorblade]

It just sounded to me like you were bein bitchy... im sorry i took it the wrong way......  :-/

 

[kitten]

HOW did that sound bitchy? Someone please explain to me why people have a problem with the way i post! Is it because i don't suck up everyones butt, or because i speak my mind and am honest with everyone?

(sorry for going off topic arcab...you wanna move it to the lounge? I'd like to know what the problem is)

 

[ryanp15]

Well kitten I was not trying to offend you at all. I don't think your post was beatchy at all! I love the way you post because like you said you speak your mind and don't suck up just to please people. I like the way you post personally and I was just kiddin' around. Don't think I was trying to offend you at all because I wasn't. ;D :-* 8)

Don't be mad! I still love having you around!

 

[kitten]

I'm not offended Ryan...i just didn't get why that was seen as bitchy....like i said, it really doesn't matter what anyone thinks, i just don't get what the problem is.

thats all i'm gonna say.