Dwarf cichlids in a 60L with lots of hiding spaces

[TTboy79]

Hi there,

So I’ve tried to create an aquascape rich in plants and caverns as you can see (the water is still cloudy since it’s in maturation).

Where I live, the water is quite hard, however I manage to keep pH at 7 and Gh measured with strips give 1degree but tap water supplier analysis say 19.. I bet strips aren’t accurate and tap water is known to have a quite high CaCO3 content.

Question is, once matured, how about a 1m+2f kribs ? Or a small group of rams?

I have another fish tank same size since last year with betta, neons, minnows (quite hardy).

I’m missing cichlids, I used to have much bigger tanks with mbunas that I’ve been keeping and breeding for a long time

 

[Byron]

Rams...are you thinking the common or blue ram (in any of its several varieties, all are the same species Mikrogeophagus ramirezi), or the Bolivian Ram (M. altispinosus)? In a space this small (to the fish) either species would have to be no more than a bonded pair (male and female that select each other from a group of the species and bond), or a solitary fish (male usually) with some suitable dither fish. There is also temperature...the M. ramirezi species must have warmth, in the range of 82-86F/28-30C, which is quite warm and too warm for many "tropical" species. The M. altispinosus is OK in the slightly cooler temps around 77-80F/25-27C.

 

[TTboy79]

Rams...are you thinking the common or blue ram (in any of its several varieties, all are the same species Mikrogeophagus ramirezi), or the Bolivian Ram (M. altispinosus)? In a space this small (to the fish) either species would have to be no more than a bonded pair (male and female that select each other from a group of the species and bond), or a solitary fish (male usually) with some suitable dither fish. There is also temperature...the M. ramirezi species must have warmth, in the range of 82-86F/28-30C, which is quite warm and too warm for many "tropical" species. The M. altispinosus is OK in the slightly cooler temps around 77-80F/25-27C.

Hi,

I was thinking about a one species only anyway, so I’d say German blue rams (M. ramirezi) at 28degrees.
What about P. Kribensis?

 

[Byron]

Hi,

I was thinking about a one species only anyway, so I’d say German blue rams (M. ramirezi) at 28degrees.
What about P. Kribensis?

I have not kept P. kribensis but I know there are other members here who have posted on them so they can fill in the blanks. But this is not exactly a small fish, at 3-4 inches/8-10 cm, and I believe tanks in the 3-4 feet/90-120 cm length are recommended. Others can advise.

 

[Colin_T]

A single pr of Kribensis would be fine. Don't keep Kribensis in 3s because they do better as a pr (1 male & 1 female).

 

[TTboy79]

Thanks Guys, however I understand that I’d be a bit limited, I might get a bigger tank for cichlids and use this one for small schooling tetras