Wanting to get started with African rift cichlids

[Swordtail8]

What does it take to have an African rift cichlid tank?

What is the smallest size tank you could have for them (looking for several opinions)?

I'm looking to get three of them with the total fish size being 4 to 5 inches max. I like the electic yellow (scientific name starts with Labio-something).

I want to have sand substrate with a rockscape.

Can my snail go in there?

And what about plants? Java Fern seems like it could work.

 

[Cichlid-Man]

Some people practice the perfect, wild conditions....pH and all. Me, no not for tank bred fish. So i'd say really its just a matter of knowing how big each fish gets, what it eats, and what species can mix with what species. Really just like any other tank.

For yellow labs i'd say a 55gal would be a nice size for a good bit them. 29gal is the smallest IMO. I have a 29gal at the house with 4-6 labs in it. They are about 3".

Sand and rocks make a perfect bio-type rift lake setup.

Plants, eh...hit or miss really. Some cichlids leave them along, others tear them up and up-root them. Java ferns i have seen in african tanks before. Just make sure you tie it to a rock or plant it so it doesn't end up being up-rooted. Of course, sand substrate isn't the best to grow plants in.

A 29gal would also be a great African Shelldweller tank. Or a Brichardi tank.

Calvus and Altolamprologus compressiceps are another option. They only get to 4-6".

HTH

 

[blueturq]

Yellow Labs are very nice, name me a person that doesn't find them attractive!

Do you want mbuna, tangs or vics?

Yellow labs fall into the mbuna category