Cichlids

[DB2593]

Hi, I've currently got a tank of mollies, guppies, gouramis ect. It has been very successful and I have persuaded my girlfriend to let me have another aquarium .
Right I was thinking of having an aquarium of cichlids so I was wondering if anyone could give me any advice on them...
What do they eat?
Advice on aquarium set up?
What the water conditions need to be?
And any other information I would need to know about them.
Thanks

 

[AshleyT]

They would probabley need a big tank an not all chichilds go together

 

[meguro]

u need to be much more specific on what cichlids u mean ie. any particular species u have in mind already?. u should also mention ur tanksize (dimensions preferred) and maybe the water parameters of ur current tank ie. hardness and pH

 

[ZoddyZod]

first step - which geography of cichlids? African or those from the Americas?

it's usually advised not to mix the two.

 

[DB2593]

I'll be looking at African cichlids and I'm not sure yet, I'm looking at a 140 litre bow front tank

 

[balajake]

I'll be looking at African cichlids and I'm not sure yet, I'm looking at a 140 litre bow front tank

i advise a 300l or more. a 140 is too small. It is advised to overstock when keeping african cichlids to limit aggression, they will need much more space than that and you will need a powerful filter or 2.

how much are you looking to spend on a tank ?

 

[ZoddyZod]

you can keep some African cichlids in 140L - Tangs.

I'll move this thread over to Old World Cichlids so you can get some of the experts there to comment.

 

[DB2593]

My budget is roughly £500 give or take, and really a tank that big? And thanks

 

[ZoddyZod]

£500 is plenty if you go the 2nd hand route. Got my 320L + stand and lights for just £155.

lots of 2nd hand bargains out there!

 

[DB2593]

Yeah, I bought my first tank brand new, but with my second tank I really want it to look amazing so I am going to spend a lot of money on it

 

[ZoddyZod]

for £500 with a second-hand tank, you could get a great sized Mbuna tank going.

 

[Wills]

I paid £500 for my 6 footer brand new from ND Aquatics Its 6 foot long 24 inches tall 18 inches wide. Though filters and heaters etc pushed it up a fair bit.

Wills

 

[DB2593]

That's good, I paid 70 for my 4 foot brand new, but it was just the glass tank, nothing else, with filters, sand, ornements and lighting it only cost me £150 all together so I think I did quite well with that one

 

[Malawi MaD]

Which Africans are you planning on? Or haven't you got a clue yet ?? There is a lot to choose from.

 

[DB2593]

I'm really not sure, I'm going to research which ones are compatible, I use a trusted online fish shop to buy my fish and plants so unfortunately I can't see the fish before they go into my tank, I know it sounds stupid using an online shop for fish but I ordered 14 fish off there and all of them arrived alive even with the minus temperatures and they are the healthiest fish I have ever had!