stocking 25 gallon tank

[Bloopie]

Well I've been doing research on this for hours on end, reading up on cichlids requirements and have thought about this:

2 Convict Cichlids
2 Rainbow Cichlids
3 Pakistani Botia

In every site I've been to it said that these fish can live in a 25 gallon tank.
What I'm not sure about is how the Convicts will deal with the other 5 fish in the tank as I know they are extremely aggressive, specifically when they're breeding (and they do, alot).

But I intend to supply them with lots of hiding places so I don't anticipate any real problems? or should I?

Other than this, I'm pretty much stocked right? no way of adding 1 or 2 more botias or small cichlids?

Thanks

 

[nitro]

I wouldnt risk putting a pair of Cons in the same small tank with another pair of cichlids. But hey thats just me.

I dont really know anything about Rainbow cichlids so i cant really say anything else.

 

[modernhamlet]

Well I've been doing research on this for hours on end, reading up on cichlids requirements and have thought about this:

2 Convict Cichlids
2 Rainbow Cichlids
3 Pakistani Botia

In every site I've been to it said that these fish can live in a 25 gallon tank.
What I'm not sure about is how the Convicts will deal with the other 5 fish in the tank as I know they are extremely aggressive, specifically when they're breeding (and they do, alot).

But I intend to supply them with lots of hiding places so I don't anticipate any real problems? or should I?

Other than this, I'm pretty much stocked right? no way of adding 1 or 2 more botias or small cichlids?

Thanks

[snapback]878947[/snapback]​

Though you should be able to have either of the ones you're looking at in a 25g, I doubt the majority of sites (certainly not the ones I know) suggest you could keep more than 1 species of central american cichlids in your tank, particularly not if 1 of them is Archocentrus nigrofasciatus. Pick one.

If you keep 2 rainbow cichlids, you could have a group of yoyos if you wanted (5 would be ideal). Rainbows are fairly peaceful, but aren't small, so that's all I'd put in there. You could replace the yoyo's with a small shoal of most small to medium sized schooling fish if you wanted.

Cons tend to be very aggressive. I honest wouldn't keep anything else with them in a 25g. Maybe something like serpae tetras if they weren't a breeding pair.

I'd personally go with the rainbows.

 

[Bloopie]

Well I've been doing research on this for hours on end, reading up on cichlids requirements and have thought about this:

2 Convict Cichlids
2 Rainbow Cichlids
3 Pakistani Botia

In every site I've been to it said that these fish can live in a 25 gallon tank.
What I'm not sure about is how the Convicts will deal with the other 5 fish in the tank as I know they are extremely aggressive, specifically when they're breeding (and they do, alot).

But I intend to supply them with lots of hiding places so I don't anticipate any real problems? or should I?

Other than this, I'm pretty much stocked right? no way of adding 1 or 2 more botias or small cichlids?

Thanks

[snapback]878947[/snapback]​

Though you should be able to have either of the ones you're looking at in a 25g, I doubt the majority of sites (certainly not the ones I know) suggest you could keep more than 1 species of central american cichlids in your tank, particularly not if 1 of them is Archocentrus nigrofasciatus. Pick one.

If you keep 2 rainbow cichlids, you could have a group of yoyos if you wanted (5 would be ideal). Rainbows are fairly peaceful, but aren't small, so that's all I'd put in there. You could replace the yoyo's with a small shoal of most small to medium sized schooling fish if you wanted.

Cons tend to be very aggressive. I honest wouldn't keep anything else with them in a 25g. Maybe something like serpae tetras if they weren't a breeding pair.

I'd personally go with the rainbows.

[snapback]879345[/snapback]​

I'd really like to have more than 1 pair of cichlids in the tank. Are there any other cichlids I could fit in it that will live peacefully (as much as possible) with the Rainbows? I read that young Firemouths can be kept in a 25g?

What about if I keep 2 convict females instead of a male/female? will that lower the agression? I don't want my fish to breed at this point as I don't have the means to take care of the fry.

What about Festivums?

Really, I'm looking for anything to go with 2 Rainbow Cichlids or 2 Convict Cichlids other than the Pakistani Botia.

 

[Andie]

What about if I keep 2 convict females instead of a male/female? will that lower the agression?

[snapback]879445[/snapback]​

Actually that could very possibly make it worse. Some people have actually reported higher instances of aggression among females than among males (this of course is not to suggest that you should try a pair of males instead).

The thing about Convicts (that everybody will tell you but, if you're anything like me, you will never truly appreciate until you see it firsthand) is that they are NASTY. If you did happen to get a male/female pair who bonded (instead of trying to rip into each other) then you would be faced with the problem of the wholesale slaughter of all other fish in the tank once the pair spawned, since Convict parents are even more brutal than Convicts on their own. Cons are amazing, personality-plus fish that are a delight to keep and watch, but they are not good community fish, especially in a tank that small.

You MIGHT be able to get a very hardy catfish of some kind; something fast, mean (and preferably armoured) that could stand up to the attack. If you want a more populated community tank, though, I would definitely skip the Cons, since they have a tendency to take over

Best of luck with your choice

ETA: A pair of rainbow cichlids with a pair of firemouths . . . maybe. The temperaments at least might compliment each other, since the rainbow cichlids would be a bit more peaceful and it's best to stock firemouths with more peaceful species, but as to whether that would be overstocking or not I really couldn't tell you, since I've not personally kept either one.

 

[Bloopie]

What about if I keep 2 convict females instead of a male/female? will that lower the agression?

[snapback]879445[/snapback]​

Actually that could very possibly make it worse. Some people have actually reported higher instances of aggression among females than among males (this of course is not to suggest that you should try a pair of males instead).

The thing about Convicts (that everybody will tell you but, if you're anything like me, you will never truly appreciate until you see it firsthand) is that they are NASTY. If you did happen to get a male/female pair who bonded (instead of trying to rip into each other) then you would be faced with the problem of the wholesale slaughter of all other fish in the tank once the pair spawned, since Convict parents are even more brutal than Convicts on their own. Cons are amazing, personality-plus fish that are a delight to keep and watch, but they are not good community fish, especially in a tank that small.

You MIGHT be able to get a very hardy catfish of some kind; something fast, mean (and preferably armoured) that could stand up to the attack. If you want a more populated community tank, though, I would definitely skip the Cons, since they have a tendency to take over

Best of luck with your choice

ETA: A pair of rainbow cichlids with a pair of firemouths . . . maybe. The temperaments at least might compliment each other, since the rainbow cichlids would be a bit more peaceful and it's best to stock firemouths with more peaceful species, but as to whether that would be overstocking or not I really couldn't tell you, since I've not personally kept either one.

[snapback]879687[/snapback]​

What if I keep just a single convict with a couple of other cichlids?
Btw, would a couple of Mono's (Fingerfish) do well instead of a couple of cichlids?

 

[Kajuki18]

-What if I keep just a single convict with a couple of other cichlids?
Btw, would a couple of Mono's (Fingerfish) do well instead of a couple of cichlids?

No, Mono's need at least an 80 gallon. They are brackish and they also require a shoal of 4-5 fish.

 

[Andie]

What if I keep just a single convict with a couple of other cichlids?

[snapback]879724[/snapback]​

No.

The reason convicts (in pairs or as singles) will be bad community fish in a tank that small is because they are mean. Mean. This is not to say that you will not find that one in a million convict who manages to exist peacefully with other fish, but it is to say that odds are good to excellent that you will end up with a nasty little fish very eager and willing to take on fish far bigger than itself (seemingly, at times, just for the sheer sport of it).

I am sure other people here, if you ask them, will happily tell you of their own frustrating attempts to house even single Cons with other, much larger fish in bigger tanks than yours; I think my favourite story I've heard while looking for help in getting my own to settle down has to be the one about the three inch convict who persistently tried to chase the six inch Oscar she was rooming with. Just one example of what you'd be getting in to.

I can say with all honesty that if I had known how truly vicious Ruby's temperament was before I bought the pair of them, I would only have bought one. I certainly would not contemplate putting any other species in with either one of them, since Norman is becoming steadily bigger and meaner too, and is almost at the point where Ruby is willing to give in to him. This is not even abnormal (I have been told); this is just Convict behaviour. Please seriously consider the ramifications of unleashing something like this on other fish in your tank before you actually try to house a Con with something else..

I don't know about Fingerfish but I'm sure somebody else will.

 

[Bloopie]

What if I keep just a single convict with a couple of other cichlids?

[snapback]879724[/snapback]​

No.

The reason convicts (in pairs or as singles) will be bad community fish in a tank that small is because they are mean. Mean. This is not to say that you will not find that one in a million convict who manages to exist peacefully with other fish, but it is to say that odds are good to excellent that you will end up with a nasty little fish very eager and willing to take on fish far bigger than itself (seemingly, at times, just for the sheer sport of it).

I am sure other people here, if you ask them, will happily tell you of their own frustrating attempts to house even single Cons with other, much larger fish in bigger tanks than yours; I think my favourite story I've heard while looking for help in getting my own to settle down has to be the one about the three inch convict who persistently tried to chase the six inch Oscar she was rooming with. Just one example of what you'd be getting in to.

I can say with all honesty that if I had known how truly vicious Ruby's temperament was before I bought the pair of them, I would only have bought one. I certainly would not contemplate putting any other species in with either one of them, since Norman is becoming steadily bigger and meaner too, and is almost at the point where Ruby is willing to give in to him. This is not even abnormal (I have been told); this is just Convict behaviour. Please seriously consider the ramifications of unleashing something like this on other fish in your tank before you actually try to house a Con with something else..

I don't know about Fingerfish but I'm sure somebody else will.

[snapback]879756[/snapback]​

Right, I guess I'll not be adding Convict cichlids in my tank then.
I think Fingerfish are really nice... I'm now thinking more towards:

2 Fingerfish
1 Firemouth
1 Rainbow

Please tell me this could work

 

[Andie]

That setup, at least, I can't tell you won't work I've never kept any of those fish myself, but at least the firemouth/rainbow temperaments should compliment each other . . . I know nothing about the temperaments of the Fingerfish, though, so you're better off to wait to hear from someone who does. I do hope that will work out for you.

 

[Bloopie]

That setup, at least, I can't tell you won't work I've never kept any of those fish myself, but at least the firemouth/rainbow temperaments should compliment each other . . . I know nothing about the temperaments of the Fingerfish, though, so you're better off to wait to hear from someone who does. I do hope that will work out for you.

[snapback]879770[/snapback]​

From what I gathered so far, Mono's can handle aggressive cichlids... Can anyone confirm this?

 

[Guitar17]

upside down catfish.i had one it played alot and then it just died for no reason but it awesome really supper cool awesome i think i might get another KO KO KA Kaboo

 

[freddyk]

Bloopie, the problem is that a single pair of all these cichlids would happily enjoy a territory the size of your entire tank, or even bigger, and you want to force them into smaller and smaller area's as you add more fish. Even if you take two completely compatible types it probably won't work very well, and if it does you're still forcing the poor fish into unnaturally tiny quarters. Why not give a single pair a proper home? I guess I figure once we're keeping these creatures we should do what we can for them.

 

[Bloopie]

Bloopie, the problem is that a single pair of all these cichlids would happily enjoy a territory the size of your entire tank, or even bigger, and you want to force them into smaller and smaller area's as you add more fish. Even if you take two completely compatible types it probably won't work very well, and if it does you're still forcing the poor fish into unnaturally tiny quarters. Why not give a single pair a proper home? I guess I figure once we're keeping these creatures we should do what we can for them.

[snapback]879834[/snapback]​

Obviously I want to do what's best for the fish, but when I look at two 10 cm fish I find it hard to believe that they can't share a 25 gallon tank with at least 2 other 10 cm fish.

I'm really disappointed, I thought those 25 gallon would be enough for 5-6 cichlids at least, and that's what 4 different LFS I asked told me, but now I'm told I can only have 2 small cichlids...

 

[freddyk]

I'm really disappointed, I thought those 25 gallon would be enough for 5-6 cichlids at least, and that's what 4 different LFS I asked told me, but now I'm told I can only have 2 small cichlids...

Be honest with yourself... maybe cichlids don't really meet your needs. There's no lack of fish that can be kept with more then 2, and still be an ideal setup.

Or maybe you should go with smaller and/or less aggressive setup. A harem of Apistogramma could work. A pair of Rams or Keyholes or even those Rainbow cichlids would give you a whole lot of options for non-cichlids that you can fill the tank with. Having some shoaling fish or catfish or whatever with a pair of cichlids can make a heck of a nice tank, and in the end can be much more rewarding then different pairs of cichlids fighting for tiny territories all the time. You have options, just expand your horizons.