Cichlid Tank

[thereverendturtle]

Ok, let's get away from the more aggressive C/A cichlids...
1- blue acara
1- festivum
1- Cupid
8- bleeding hearts

 

[T-RightFish71196]

Okay then so my current ideas are
SA Setup with....
1 Blue Acara
1 Festivum
1 Cupid
8 Tetras of some sort

Or...

CA Setup with
1 Fire Mouth
1 Sajica
1 Honduran Red Spot? (just looked it up, apparently its relatively peaceful)
8 Tetras of some sort

Thanks guys this is great you have been really helpful, if anyone has any other ideas please share but im happy with the current two setups. I'll post some pics when everything is set up.

Thanks again!

 

[GShorty1981]

You should only pick 2 Cichlids, because as i said before it is a SMALL tank, there's not enough room for 3 territory's.

 

[dbanner]

You should only pick 2 Cichlids, because as i said before it is a SMALL tank, there's not enough room for 3 territory's.

I agree... Cichlids need a lot of room and 34 gallons would be considered a small tank. I think of 0-55 as small, 55-150 as medium and 150+ as large.

 

[T-RightFish71196]

Alright then i'll just pick 2, i'm just going by what others have said and thereverendturtle turtle seems quite knowledgeable. i guess in terms of cichlids, 34 gallon is rather small afterall, my apologies. This being the case would these setups be okay?

SA Setup
1 Blue Acara
1 Festivum
8 Tetras

CA Setup
1 Sajica
1 Honduran Red Point
8 Tetras

 

[thereverendturtle]

I go by foot print not gallons. My only concern with your selection is the sajica and red point, if you're not 100% positive of them being the same sex they may hybridize.

 

[T-RightFish71196]

I go by foot print not gallons. My only concern with your selection is the sajica and red point, if you're not 100% positive of them being the same sex they may hybridize.

Don't worry, i've done loads of research! males of both species will have red, elongated fins whereas females won't, males will also develop the humps on there foreheads. i also read that female honduran red point have orange bellies

if there are any other ways of telling though, please let me know

 

[minnnt]

Lol. Orange bellies are convicts not HRP's.

Two males will fight so if you want both then try and go for two females. Females will usually have a spot on their dorsal fin.

I would go for a rarer species within the Cryptoheros genus. Altoflavus are excellent.

 

[T-RightFish71196]

Lol. Orange bellies are convicts not HRP's.

Two males will fight so if you want both then try and go for two females. Females will usually have a spot on their dorsal fin.

I would go for a rarer species within the Cryptoheros genus. Altoflavus are excellent.

Oh right my mistake, i read on a fact file that HRP's also have the orange bellies.

I haven't seen or even heard of Cryptoheros Altoflavus so it might be difficult tracking some down, my lfs only stocks the more common species. i'll be sure to look them up anyway though, thanks for the idea.

 

[minnnt]

Proper HRP won't have the orange bellies of the Convict. A lot of intebreeding and crossing has meant that the true HRP has been ruined.


Also, male Cryptoheros rarely get a proper nauchal hump, maybe the slightest of a bump but nothing major. You could try and source some Cutteri or Panamensis also. Myrnae are also nice, especially the 'topaz' variety.

 

[T-RightFish71196]

Just did a quick search on google; they are all really nice looking fish, i particularly like the Cutteri. What can i keep them with in terms of cichlids?

 

[minnnt]

This was my female Cutteri...


Female Cutteri by David Raynham, on Flickr

And this was their tank...


Cutteri Tank by David Raynham, on Flickr

If you plan on keeping a singleton then look at other Cichlids such as Rainbows. You can stock around the Cutteri to give it the Central American biotape feel with fish such as Swordtails, Blind Cave Tetra's or Buenos Aires Tetra's.

Their tank would mainly consist of large and small rounded cobbles, a small amount of branchy wood and a natural looking sandy substrate.

 

[T-RightFish71196]

Wow, thats a beautiful fish, and tank! I am leaning towards a CA setup as opposed to a SA one so i think i am either going to go with...

1 Sajica or HRP
1 Firemouth
8 Blind Cave Tetras

Or....

1 Cutteri
1 Rainbow
6 Blind Cave Tetras
3 Swordtails

I'll have to go and see tomorrow if my lfs will order in a Cutteri for me. If not i'll go with the first option. One last thing though, is fine gravel okay instead of sand?
Thanks very much for the advice!

 

[minnnt]

The second option is my favourite. I would also go with Buenos Aires Tetra's, but that is personal preference really.

Sand is always the better substrate imo, looks more natural and is easier to clean. They will be fine with gravel though.

Where abouts are you BTW?

I have 11 Cutteri 'Rio Mongu' growing on at present. The fish in the foreground is a young Rainbow Cichlid, the rest are the Cutteri.


Juveniles by David Raynham, on Flickr

 

[T-RightFish71196]

I thought Buenos Aires Tetra's were south american? if they arent i'll probably go with them instead of the blind caves, i imagine my mum will be freaked out by them lol.

As to where abouts i am, i live in the south east England...