another question

[nitrous]

since u guys have been very helpful to me, more helpful than any1 at my petstores around here so ill ask some more questions

ok i have 2 chiclids right now small about 1 inch or so and i have a 20 gallon tank, i kno i have to wait to add more fish becuase i just started but in the future how many chiclids can i have in the tank and they r african chiclids.

also i have 1 anacharis in there now, are live plants better for the tank and will the chiclids eat any of them

also at my petstore they have little shrimp that swim along the bottom, would those be helpful either cleaning or the chiclids eating them?

thanks to u all for helping me before

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Africans can not be housed in a 20 gal tank. The ones that you have need a 55 gal tank. Therefore you can not add any more to it.

Africans like to dig in the substrate. They may uproot your plants and tare the roots. Travis Simminson (sp?) has blown our minds by beautifully planting an African Cichlid tank with great success. Try posting in the Planted Forum section, you will get plenty of advice.

The Shrimp that you are talking about are probably Ghost Shrimp. Are they clear? If so, the Cichlids will probably eat them. Africans should not be kept with any other fish besides Africans (few exceptions) because of their aggression.

 

[nitrous]

ya would the shrimp be good for them to eat because that is what i was going to buy them for anyway

thanks for ur help again, u are very knowledgable

 

[nitrous]

Africans can not be housed in a 20 gal tank. The ones that you have need a 55 gal tank. Therefore you can not add any more to it.

why would i not be able to have them in a 20 gallon, is it becuase they get big?

 

[Tiffi]

That means you will probably have to bring the african cichlids back to the petstore. They usually take them back, I just don't know if you will get your money back.

Instead you could get a pair of German Blue Rams or a pair of other dwarf cichlids. They are really colorful, don't eat your plants, and IMO you don't miss out on anything. Then you can also think about adding some other fish to the tank, some more plants (yes, they are very beneficial for the tank), and some shrimp .

 

[Tiffi]

I don't have any african cichlids but they are supposed to be very aggressive. Therefore the answer will probably be that they need a bigger tank because of the aggression. Maybe when they are spawning they male hunts down the female?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Africans by nature are aggressive. Because of their aggressiveness they move very quickly. They will dart around the tank. If the tank does not provide adequate swimming space, they will run out of places to dart to. They will become cramped. Plus, water quality will suffer because Africans are messy fish. They will easily grow to 5 inches in size. It is mainly their aggressivness that causes them to need the larger tank.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

During spawning the male doesn't really hunt down the female. Since Africans are mouth broaders, she will lay the eggs on a rock. The male will come by and fertilize the eggs. She will then put them in her mouth and hold them until the eggs hatch to fry. Then she spits them into the tank. I have witnessed our males aggressive to other fish that try to come in contact with a holding female. They are not like livebearers where the male will hunt the female.

 

[nitrous]

i think u said the yellow 1 was a male but idk what the snow white 1 is how cna u tell
?

 

[Tiffi]

So actually the tank is too small, cuz they need more space to swim and release their built up aggression? What do you exactly mean by cramped?

 

[Tiffi]

So actually the tank is too small, cuz they need more space to swim and release their built up aggression? What do you exactly mean by cramped?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

The yellow ones appears to be a male Estherae. I'm not sure on how to sex the Albino since I've never seen a pic of a female. I haven't seen too much info out there on sexing them, but you may be able to find something by searching Google.

Tiffi- African Cichlids are in their own league when it comes to stocking. They do not follow the "guideline" of 1 inch per gal. They are larger in girth than most community fish. Plus their aggression causes them to swim alot more and at a quicker pace. If you ever seen a healthy African tank, you will notice that the fish dart around alot of the time. They do not sit still for too long of a time period. They need to be able to swim from one side of the tank to the other without bumping into anything or running out of space. Since they become large, they need hiding places to accomidate their size. And you need at least 1 hiding place per fish PLUS the swimming space. This is difficult, if not impossible, to do in a small tank.

 

[Tiffi]

Ok, I just tried to understand better. Got you know, very good explanation, very logical reasoning!

 

[nitrous]

ya ill keep thjat in mind but not much i can do bc im young ill thiknk about it tho

thanks for ur help