Starting A Cichlid Tank

[jazz298]

I want to start a 33 gal cichlid tank, I am looking for the fish that stay on the smaller side because I do not want to switch tanks in the future. I want 2 min, 3 max depending on their adult sizes.

My question is, are you able to mix american, with africans, with asians...and so on. ive tried to research it but have not been able to find much good information.

 

[dthoffsett]

Its not recommended to mix cichlids from different lakes or countries, they have very differing food and water chemistry needs, and differing levels of aggression, some people have been able to mix them, but that is generally the exception rather than the rule. With a smaller tank you are limited on African cichlids, you could keep some of the riverine species, or shelldwellers and other smaller cichlids from Lake Tanganikya. I would NOT keep any cichlids from Lake Malawi. Here are a couple of stocking mixes that could work for you, they say they are for 20 & 29 gallon tanks, but with african cichlids anyway, the tank foot-print is more important than the number of gallons.

http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/cookie_cutter_20g.php
http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/cookie_cutter_29g.php

 

[jazz298]

So does that mean I can have more then just 3.
Also, why stay away from lake malawi species, just because they get too large?

 

[dthoffsett]

Your tank should be large enough to get more than three fish depending on the species you get.

The reason I advise against Lake Malawi fish for any tank smaller than 4-feet long is not so much that they get too large, most stay in the 3-5" range, but they are very territorial and aggressive and need the larger space to avoid fighting. Even in large tanks they can get into pretty nasty territorial disputes, so great care should be taken in picking species, and providing enough hiding spaces for weaker fish.

Take pseudotropheus demasoni for instance, they max out at around 3", and have been known to take on fish 6 times their size! They are also so aggressive amongst their own species, that most fish keepers have found that they should be kept either one species to a tank, or in groups of 12 or more to avoid the dominant fish killing off all the others.

That's why it is so important to fully research fish before buying.

 

[jazz298]

that'd be why i am here..I just have the water in the tank right now
i have not decided on any fish at the moment

the fish that i have available here are auratus, kenyi, venustus, yellow lab, texas cichlid, green terror, blue acara, jack D, red jewel, neon blue jewel, firemouth, elec blue ahli and convicts. There are a few more but they get toooo big, also I realise some of the ones i have named get huge too. I am sure there are a couple more available at my other (horrible) pet store, but those are the most common ones. I am really aiming towards convicts, what do you think about that? too big?

I currently have 2 cichlids in my 55 gallon semi agressive community, a kribensis and german blue ram. Other then that i am a beginner to cichlids! and have not set up a whole tank devoted to them

 

[dthoffsett]

I can narrow it down a bit for you

Not suitable for your tank: auratus, kenyi, venustus, yellow lab, texas cichlid, green terror, blue acara, jack dempsy, jewels, electric blue ahli

Suitable for your tank, (though not necessarily together):
firemouth http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=60979
Convicts (best in a species only tank with a breeding pair)
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=60086

If you can get them, bolivian rams would be nice, http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=59127

 

[jazz298]

I cant have the malawi cichlids even if a just have a few?
That doesnt leave me with much option does it

Also why wouldnt the jewels be okay? they say they are good in groups of their own kind, and they dont get too large

 

[jazz298]

are those bolivian rams, not blue rams, they look like the fish i already have


...nevermind that i see the difference now

 

[dthoffsett]

I cant have the malawi cichlids even if a just have a few?
That doesnt leave me with much option does it

Also why wouldnt the jewels be okay? they say they are good in groups of their own kind, and they dont get too large

From the information I have found , jewels need a heavily planted tank that is at least 40-48" long, and all of the malawi species need at least a 48"-long tank, even for a single species. Sorry that doesn't leave you with a lot to choose from, you might post in the New World section to see if they have more suggestions for you.

 

[jazz298]

Well..I have a pretty horrible selection of fish in this town.. which is too bad, for me
Anyways thank you very very much for all your help. I will figure something out, maybe just get a bigger tank if all else fails.

 

[pandacichlid]

Why don't you have a dwarf cichlid set up? Maybe a discus set up would be good?

 

[jazz298]

Because I have a horrible choice here in town. And as I said above, the only one's I have available in town are the one's i've already named off. There are more, but they wouldn't be good for my tank anyways because they get too massive.

 

[morph]

Because I have a horrible choice here in town. And as I said above, the only one's I have available in town are the one's i've already named off. There are more, but they wouldn't be good for my tank anyways because they get too massive.

Hi,

When I stocked my tank I asked my LFS to order the specific fish I wanted, took about a week but It meant I got exactly what I wanted, would this be an option for you.

Cheers

Morph

 

[jazz298]

I could try that, but as far as i know the fish store doesn't always get what THEY order in for their own stock. I will have to go and ask them. If they cant, then I will wait on getting the cichlids