75 gallon Ciclid advice.

[CoronaBlue]

So found a good deal on a 75 gallon tank that I'm buying with the current fish. It has 3 dempseys, 2 black convicts, 3 bichir and a BN pleco. He has had the fish over a year and they get along. I'm not a bichir fan so I'm going to trade them into lfs. I would like to add few more Ciclids but I know little about the ciclid family. The dempseys were nice and there is a breeding pair so I'm definitely keeping them.

What are some options with having the Dempseys in the tank

Thanks

 

[toddnbecka]

A breeding pair of Dempseys will take the whole tank when they spawn.

 

[Freakgecko91]

Keep the pair of dempseys and maybe the bnp and trade in the rest. A75 is on the small side for a breeding pair of jacks, let alone all those others


Sent from my iPad using Aquarium Advice

 

[CoronaBlue]

Thanks, I was surprised he had all those fish especially the bichir cause everything I read listed them as larger fish. I did notice after looking at them they all appeared to be on the small side. Maybe under feeding or bad water conditions not sure. One would think they would be a lot bigger for being a year old.

 

[CoronaBlue]

Update on my tank purchase. Didn't buy the 75 gallon ended up with a 55 gallon which was being sold by a neighbor down the street from me. The tank has 3 bumblebees, 1 red zebra, 1 yellow lab, some type of cool looking catfish and a HUGE pleco.

It has a gravel bottom that if like to switch to sand so what's the best way to switch it out without losing all the good bacteria? I'll be keeping the decor for now but will eventually swap it out for more rocks/caves. He currently has a few towers that take up a lot of room but don't offer much hiding spots. I'll also be taking pleco to lfs cause he is too dang big for the tank


I've read on Ciclids it's better to be overstocked than under. So with the 5 Ciclids in a 55 gallon am I under or pretty good to remain as is.

 

[rockyofhockey]

Update on my tank purchase. Didn't buy the 75 gallon ended up with a 55 gallon which was being sold by a neighbor down the street from me. The tank has 3 bumblebees, 1 red zebra, 1 yellow lab, some type of cool looking catfish and a HUGE pleco.

It has a gravel bottom that if like to switch to sand so what's the best way to switch it out without losing all the good bacteria? I'll be keeping the decor for now but will eventually swap it out for more rocks/caves. He currently has a few towers that take up a lot of room but don't offer much hiding spots. I'll also be taking pleco to lfs cause he is too dang big for the tank


I've read on Ciclids it's better to be overstocked than under. So with the 5 Ciclids in a 55 gallon am I under or pretty good to remain as is.

5 cichlids in a 55 is understocked for cichlids. U could maybe do 15 if u get rid of the pleco. What kind of catfish is it too

 

[CoronaBlue]

Wow ok I'll start looking at getting more from lake mulawi region. As for the catfish I have no idea. It's about 7 inches cool looking thing. I'm getting tank tomorrow so I'll post a pic of it. He's definitely big enough to probably be the sole bottom dweller after I ditch the pleco who is about 12 inches long.

 

[rockyofhockey]

Wow ok I'll start looking at getting more from lake mulawi region. As for the catfish I have no idea. It's about 7 inches cool looking thing. I'm getting tank tomorrow so I'll post a pic of it. He's definitely big enough to probably be the sole bottom dweller after I ditch the pleco who is about 12 inches long.

Yea that should work then! Just make sure u have good filtration and keep up on water changes

 

[Fishy Smell]

Depending how much gravel there is, give it a good vacuum and then put the sand on top.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[dalto]

5 cichlids in a 55 is understocked for cichlids. U could maybe do 15 if u get rid of the pleco. What kind of catfish is it too

Umm...please be careful here. These are Central American cichlids, not mbuna. They get way too big to put 15 in a 75g tank. They also get very aggressive during spawning. While you could use other large cichlids to diffuse aggression you would need a much larger tank to make this strategy successful.

 

[rockyofhockey]

Umm...please be careful here. These are Central American cichlids, not mbuna. They get way too big to put 15 in a 75g tank. They also get very aggressive during spawning. While you could use other large cichlids to diffuse aggression you would need a much larger tank to make this strategy successful.

Oh my fault I thought it was mbuna ????? sorry OP

 

[CoronaBlue]

I thought they were, bumble bees listed at Mbundu

 

[CoronaBlue]

I just checked and all the Ciclids in the tank are Mbuna

 

[dalto]

I just checked and all the Ciclids in the tank are Mbuna

I am confused. Isn't this the cichlid list: It has 3 dempseys, 2 black convicts?

 

[keegster803]

No that's the one he didn't buy


Sent from my iPad using Aquarium Advice

 

[CoronaBlue]

Ya sorry updated the thread. I didn't get that tank. Bought a 55 instead with yellow lab, zebra and bumblebees

 

[dalto]

Sorry about that....please ignore

 

[rockyofhockey]

Yea then back to my original statement. Sorry about the confusion.. I would go with 15 mbuna and we'll see if u could get the catfish too

 

[CoronaBlue]

Another update. Picking tank up soon but my lfs called me to tell me he had Ciclids that were just turned in by a guy who was changing his tank to something else. He knew I was after larger Ciclids so I ran down and bought these gorgeous guys.

 

[CoronaBlue]

And this one

2 middle ones