How many cichlids can i have??

[Lafeet85]

Ok, thanks to everyone who commented ON TOPIC, but I have an electric yellow Malawi at the moment. It is very small. So what shud I do when it starts getting bigger??

 

[Lafeet85]

just because someone owns a pet store and has been able to follow a successful business model does not mean they know about the pets the sell all the time. It means they know how to sell those pets to stay in business for 20 years.

I know you dont want to hear the word no to what you would like to set up, but this is a cichlid section of people who own and have raised cichlids for years. I have had cichlids now for going on 10 years and have had an aquarium set up for 17ish years.

A big bit of research i can recommend is look at the locations each fish you want comes from, there is a reason they don't live together. Just because 2 fish may come from the same lake wouldn't make it compatible if the one is from the eastern shore while another could be from a river feed off in the north.

its not a pet store it's a fish store that's all they sell! So i assume he knows a little about fish and how to take care of them! Considering he has 5 giant aquariums that are his personal tanks on display! Varying from marine to tropical to even a cichlid tank!

 

[joel618]

its not a pet store it's a fish store that's all they sell! So i assume he knows a little about fish and how to take care of them! Considering he has 5 giant aquariums that are his personal tanks on display! Varying from marine to tropical to even a cichlid tank!

Clearly your not understanding, good luck with your tank and future endeavors. Im out.

 

[Lafeet85]

Clearly your not understanding, good luck with your tank and future endeavors. Im out.

Good! Peace!

 

[Malawi Freak]

Ok, thanks to everyone who commented ON TOPIC, but I have an electric yellow Malawi at the moment. It is very small. So what shud I do when it starts getting bigger??

What do you mean what should you do? Get the appropriate size tank.

 

[a.tetreault]

Like previous replies said, you don't have to know information about the fish to be able to sell it. If you want to argue with our opinions then why ask for them? Get rid of the yellow, bring it back to the store or get a friend with an appropriate tank to take it, and get fish that will be more suited to your tank size

 

[OBEYtheFISH]

Like previous replies said, you don't have to know information about the fish to be able to sell it. If you want to argue with our opinions then why ask for them? Get rid of the yellow, bring it back to the store or get a friend with an appropriate tank to take it, and get fish that will be more suited to your tank size

+1
Oooooorrrrr get a bigger tank

 

[Malawi Freak]

People only want to hear what the want to hear.

 

[Convict2161]

People only want to hear what the want to hear.

Amen! And it's so true! Just they work at a LFS does NOT mean there experts by any means!! I found out the hard way and the members here have SAVED my fish!! If your not gonna listen to the advice given DON'T ask!!

 

[OBEYtheFISH]

Ignorance is not a bliss, it hurts your fish :/

 

[Convict2161]

Ignorance is not a bliss, it hurts your fish :/

True... So true and sad...

 

[Labenator65000]

i feel ya A.Tet but i do think people should convey their advice a little nicer to newbs (& everyone really) cuz i almost didn't come back at first when people told me my stock was horrible!! & everything would die!!, etc etc lol

VERY happy i stayed though .. this site has saved my butt more than a few times!!!!!

Agreed completely. I was smacked down on another forum and was embarrassed enough to quit the forum. We were all new at one time or another. Heck I've only been doing Cichlids for 6 moths, I learn new stuff every day. It's very difficult to get the straight-skinny when one is inundated by sources, some of which have their facts completely wrong.

 

[Labenator65000]

Hey can everyone, get back on topic here!!!!!!! I'm asking about cichlids here and you guys are talking rubbish about oscars!?? and also about the comment about " The Guy at the fish store". There shouldn't be any problems with his advice, he has been running that store for over 20 years and I assume he would know about fish and fish keeping. So why do you think I can trust you over him? What knowledge do you have that he might not?

I thought that once, too. Try this as an experiment: Go to 5 different LFS and ask their expert opinion. Changes are that there you will get 5 different flavors of advice. It has been my experience that forums like this are your best chance of getting good advice. Just look for their "rank" next to their name before you take what they say as good advice. Also factor in general agreement between experts.

 

[Talvari]

Agreed completely. I was smacked down on another forum and was embarrassed enough to quit the forum. We were all new at one time or another. Heck I've only been doing Cichlids for 6 moths, I learn new stuff every day. It's very difficult to get the straight-skinny when one is inundated by sources, some of which have their facts completely wrong.

The thing is.. in this day and age there is not a good enough reason to not do research BEFORE you take the plunge and bring home a living thing.I understand that people are going to make mistakes and everything,... But it gets frustrating explaining the same things over and over to people when the information is so easily available. I understand that people give bad advice and what not, but you always should double check, first.

The other thing is... When you sugar coat things people don't take the problem seriously. In my almost two years working at this LFS, experience usually states that "well, that might not be a good choice for your tank because a bala shark would out grow that tank..." doesn't usually work as well as saying flat out "No, you can't put a bala shark in a 10 gallon tank because it will either die or grow to 14 inches or more."

 

[Labenator65000]

The thing is.. in this day and age there is not a good enough reason to not do research BEFORE you take the plunge and bring home a living thing.I understand that people are going to make mistakes and everything,... But it gets frustrating explaining the same things over and over to people when the information is so easily available. I understand that people give bad advice and what not, but you always should double check, first.

The other thing is... When you sugar coat things people don't take the problem seriously. In my almost two years working at this LFS, experience usually states that "well, that might not be a good choice for your tank because a bala shark would out grow that tank..." doesn't usually work as well as saying flat out "No, you can't put a bala shark in a 10 gallon tank because it will either die or grow to 14 inches or more."

Well you bring up a good point. You know what we need is a complete and all encompassing (or as close as possible) sticky post that covers the basics. There are plenty of very experienced folks here that could easily work collectively on a single post that would be a great kick-start to folks new in this hobby. Then all we would need to do is to refer them to the sticky post.

 

[Talvari]

Well you bring up a good point. You know what we need is a complete and all encompassing (or as close as possible) sticky post that covers the basics. There are plenty of very experienced folks here that could easily work collectively on a single post that would be a great kick-start to folks new in this hobby. Then all we would need to do is to refer them to the sticky post.

Kinda like these?

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...started-check-out-these-resources-154837.html

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f15/common-newbie-pitfalls-67468.html