NEW to cichlids and getting a setup soon

[Meggy]

in a month or so i'm buying a 55 gal. top fin set and adding a small bio-wheel to the included filter. of course i'll let it cycle for however long it takes. (with which species, i am not yet sure.)

i checked out the cichlids at the same store and made a price and size list. i won't include price or size in the following, but this is the list of what's available in my area. i'm concerned equally with compatibility and having lots of color.

so, here's the list of (local) possibilities - for the record, i am not opposed to ordering fish if there are better color options. i like gold and blue particularly. with no further a-doo-doo:

malawi chrysonatus
auratus
jewel
blood red (kind of 'spensive, but pretty)
b convict
j dempsey
frontosa (kind of 'spensive, but pretty)

i saw no super-blue fish there. what/where would that be? what about peacocks?



thanks in advance!

meggy

 

[keane]

Hi,

First of all your list includes both New World (Jewel, Parrot, Convict and Jack Dempsey) and African cichlids (Hap Chrysonotus, Auratus and Frontosa) so your first port of call is to decide which way you want to go, New World or African. You can't do both.

Neither should you put Fronts in with Malawi as they are from Lake Tanganyika. Fronts grow too large for a 55 too (in my opinion) and should be kept in a larger species only tank.

If you decide to go for the Africans and want those from your list then stick with either Mbuna only (Auratus and many, many, many others!) or a Hap Tank (Chrysonotus and many others). Although it is possible to mix Haps and Mbuna please make sure you research your fish before buying as many are incompatible due to size and aggression (or on the other side of the coin, timidness).

If you opt for New World then you cannot keep together all those you have listed. If you put them all in the same tank the fish version of World War III will break out!! Each of these fish are highly aggressive, extremely territorial and will tolerate being couped up in a 55 gallon tank with the others.

For more info on these new worlds ask some more Q's in the New World section.

Also, take some time (days probably!) to have a good look through this site.....

http/www.cichlid-forum.com/index.php

Probably, IMO, the best cichlid site on the web.

steve

For more info on the

 

[Ben]

Hi,

First of all your list includes both New World (Jewel,)

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I agree with you completly except Jewels are infactr African, they come from west africa and are a riverine species,and can live with NW cichlids since their conditions are the same
But still,IMO, should not be kept with any fish weaker/more peaceful then it

DD

 

[keane]

my bad )

 

[freddyk]

Meggy, I won't bother repeating baldranger since he's right on, but I will recommend that you go with the Malawi cichlids - it's obvious you're looking for a number of nicely colored fish and this is the best type for this kind of tank. New worlds need more space and you end up with a sparser tank. The advice on not mixing them is very important, they are very incompatible in both behavior and diet, and most importantly behavior.

If you agree on my advice based on what I think you're looking for, then at this point you have a choice between a mildly aggressive setup (Chrysonotus) or a very aggressive setup (Auratus), and which one you decide to go with will define the tank. I recommend the less agressive one, especially if it's your first cichlid tank, since it will give you less trouble. The fish generally involved with this setup are less picky about diet, and I and others can give you some ideas to follow the 'gold and blue' theme that you like. Peacocks would end up a nice addition to this 'less aggressive' Malawi setup as well, but would never work in the very aggressive one.

Let us know what you decide and we can take it from there

 

[Meggy]

thanks very much, everyone. i do not in any way intend to skip doing research! just wanted a start, and thought i'd offer a list of what's available. i think i'll just go with ordering fish. i am much more informed already.

m

 

[fish_r_great]

Oh just wondering, what did you end up going with?

 

[Meggy]

nothing yet. i thought i was getting a free tank, but i had suspicions about the dimensions and i think it is a reptile tank. so i'm buying the TopFin 55 gal. setup which means i have to wait even longer.

anyway, i like the idea of haps. now need to find a place selling them, locally or online. at this point i'm just getting it all figured out. i work at a newspaper and putting together the tank is like dummying the paper with all the ads - size, compatibility, cost and location considerations. hehe.

m