Cichlids.

[Metta]

Hi everyone, I'm after some information on what sort of chicilids would go well together, more for information purposes I'm thinking about setting up another 240L tank into the mancave. Really like the idea of smaller chichlids such as the blue rams etc. I'm after some good advice on what cichlids can go with what others.

Thanks!

 

[Munroco]

One of my favourite cichlids is anomalochromis thomasi. A very peaceful and beautiful small cichlid.

this is a video I made a few years ago. The male just recently passed away but I have a few of his descendants in my tanks.

 

[Metta]

One of my favourite cichlids is anomalochromis thomasi. A very peaceful and beautiful small cichlid.

this is a video I made a few years ago. The male just recently passed away but I have a few of his descendants in my tanks.

There stunning! Is it possible to keep a dwarf cichlids, stank successfully? I have two blue rams in my community tank.

 

[Wills]

Loads of options for that size tank what is your water like hard or soft?

 

[Metta]

Loads of options for that size tank what is your water like hard or soft?

My water is soft.

 

[Colin_T]

What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?

What is the GH (general hardness), KH (carbonate hardness) and pH of your water supply?
This information can usually be obtained from your water supply company's website or by telephoning them. If they can't help you, take a glass full of tap water to the local pet shop and get them to test it for you. Write the results down (in numbers) when they do the tests. And ask them what the results are in (eg: ppm, dGH, or something else).

 

[Metta]

What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?

What is the GH (general hardness), KH (carbonate hardness) and pH of your water supply?
This information can usually be obtained from your water supply company's website or by telephoning them. If they can't help you, take a glass full of tap water to the local pet shop and get them to test it for you. Write the results down (in numbers) when they do the tests. And ask them what the results are in (eg: ppm, dGH, or something else).

Tried multiple times. Our water board is useless. I know its soft to moderately soft.
Tank is 4F in length and 16inches wide.

 

[Wills]

Cool so based on soft side of things I would go with South Americans rather than Centrals which I think you will like anyway

240 litres is a really fun size if you wanted to stick with dwarfs Checkerboard Cichlids are really nice, Cupid Cichlids are fun, Laetacaras are some good options. Apistos could look really nice - a group of Panduro with a single male and a group of females would look good (males are steel blue with red fins, females are yellow with black panda markings). If you wanted to go a little bigger Krobia Xinguensis would be a good candidate (though quite rare). Any of the smaller Acaras like Blue or Yellow (Pulcher or Metae) would work. The smallest Geophagus species Geophagus Pindare would work (but again quite rare). Festivums are nice and a bit unusual compared to Angels as an upperwater cichlid - though there are some nice Angel species out there at the moment like Leopoldi and Santarem if the man made colours are not your thing.

Always important to remember that to get the most out of your cichlids you need to build a community around them with upperwater schooling fish like pencil fish to give them a bit of confidence and some 'dither' fish to spread aggression and distract them from each other. I like to use headstanders for this purpose Spotted Headstanders or Annostomus Ternetzi are good candidates for this size tank.

I'd really recommend getting a GH and KH test kit set as it is important information to know

Wills

 

[Metta]

Cool so based on soft side of things I would go with South Americans rather than Centrals which I think you will like anyway

240 litres is a really fun size if you wanted to stick with dwarfs Checkerboard Cichlids are really nice, Cupid Cichlids are fun, Laetacaras are some good options. Apistos could look really nice - a group of Panduro with a single male and a group of females would look good (males are steel blue with red fins, females are yellow with black panda markings). If you wanted to go a little bigger Krobia Xinguensis would be a good candidate (though quite rare). Any of the smaller Acaras like Blue or Yellow (Pulcher or Metae) would work. The smallest Geophagus species Geophagus Pindare would work (but again quite rare). Festivums are nice and a bit unusual compared to Angels as an upperwater cichlid - though there are some nice Angel species out there at the moment like Leopoldi and Santarem if the man made colours are not your thing.

Always important to remember that to get the most out of your cichlids you need to build a community around them with upperwater schooling fish like pencil fish to give them a bit of confidence and some 'dither' fish to spread aggression and distract them from each other. I like to use headstanders for this purpose Spotted Headstanders or Annostomus Ternetzi are good candidates for this size tank.

I'd really recommend getting a GH and KH test kit set as it is important information to know

Wills

Perfect Information! I would love a dwarf cichlid tank! so all these would be fine in one tank? I’ll look them all up first

 

[Wills]

No haha! Sorry its just a list of fish that would go in that size tank - working out the combination would depend on what you pick - most likely 2 maybe 3 species. Just let us know which you like

Which region of the UK are you from? Might be able to point you in the direction of good shops for cichlids.

Wills

 

[Munroco]

There stunning! Is it possible to keep a dwarf cichlids, stank successfully? I have two blue rams in my community tank.

They are, particularly when in full breeding coloration.

Dwarf cichlids (the most commonly kept are apistogramma species) are better in a single cichlid species tank. You can keep them with lots of other fish but with other dwarf cichlids its unlikely to work out. ! males can be kept with 1 or more females in a decent size tank but add another male or another type of apisto and there is likely to be trouble.

 

[Essjay]

The water company is Northumbrian Water which doesn't give a number. But their bands are:
Soft - 0 to 50 ppm/0 to 2.8 dH
Moderately soft - 50 to 100 ppm/2.8 to 5.6 dH.

The highest Metta's GH can be is 5.6 dH/100 ppm

 

[Metta]

The water company is Northumbrian Water which doesn't give a number. But their bands are:
Soft - 0 to 50 ppm/0 to 2.8 dH
Moderately soft - 50 to 100 ppm/2.8 to 5.6 dH.

The highest Metta's GH can be is 5.6 dH/100 ppm

Thank you so much! I’m just looking for learning as much as I can I’m getting there best think I’ve learned is to not listen to LFS.

 

[Munroco]

Some LFS are great, other's particularly the chains can be not so great. I'm lucky to have two good shops near me. One independent and one chain. The thing they have in common is that they employ people who are obviously hobbyists.

 

[Metta]

Some LFS are great, other's particularly the chains can be not so great. I'm lucky to have two good shops near me. One independent and one chain. The thing they have in common is that they employ people who are obviously hobbyists.

Well the one local to me actually is supposed to be one of the best. People travel miles to get fish from them. But hey ho! They know best right?