Just got my Cichlids!!!
- Thread starter ditosdad
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
kholton
Aquarium Advice Regular
Haha, awesome looking fish, is that a 55g tank? I would expect that 4 fish of that size in a large tank would have little to no problem at all with each other. 
But I don't think you'll have a hard time with them when they get larger either... What other fish are you planning to add to the tank?
But I don't think you'll have a hard time with them when they get larger either... What other fish are you planning to add to the tank?
OP
OP
ditosdad
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Haha, awesome looking fish, is that a 55g tank? I would expect that 4 fish of that size in a large tank would have little to no problem at all with each other.
Thanks for the compliment! Not to sure on what other fish to add. I was thinking about putting a puffer but not sure how that would play out. The tank is a 40 gal breeder.
kholton
Aquarium Advice Regular
Well for a 40g tank you could certainly add plenty more fish... But I wouldn't suggest adding a puffer. Personally I'd stick to cichlids. Simply because you have such an... interesting mix of them as it is.
OP
OP
ditosdad
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Yea, Ill probably stick with cichlids. I would like to get a bottom feeder for the algae if the other guys wouldnt mess with it too much. What do you think?
tmcgee
Aquarium Advice Activist
I hate to break it to you but the Tiger Oscar and the Dempsey will quickly outgrow that tank. The Oscar should have a minimum of a 75 all by itself to be complete fair. I am not sure how big the convict or the Bumblebee will get as I've never had one. Just so you know, the oscar can reach 12 - 18 inches itself. HTH
forgot to say that the tank does look awesome right now though. Keep up the good work (And don't get anymore fish in this tank)
forgot to say that the tank does look awesome right now though. Keep up the good work (And don't get anymore fish in this tank)
kholton
Aquarium Advice Regular
I beg to differ, but yes, while it is true that they CAN outgrow then tank (the oscar and the jack dempsey), they aren't likely to do that for quite a while... I had both an oscar and a jack dempsey in a 55g tank together years ago and they got along fine in there for over three years. The oscar had inhabited the tank for another 5 years before that and never got to an unacceptable size... IF they every are to outgrow the tank then the proper steps can be taken to find them a new home... but I don't see that happening for a while TBH... And I'm not completely sure, but I was under the impression that bumblebees got a little larger than 6 inches... maybe I'm wrong there though... And the convict wont get too large, but it should be able to hold it's own in there without a problem... They're pretty tough.
~Kaden
~Kaden
kholton
Aquarium Advice Regular
Oh, and to answer your other question ditosdad, I would go with some sort of pleco, or another armored catfish. They hold their own (and are largely ignored) by cichlids for the most part.
~Kaden
~Kaden
I have both Convict and bumble bee fish. I'll post the specs just for your information.
Scientific name: Archocentrus nigrofasciatus
Convict cichlids fish is very easy to keep and breed in aquariums and is therefore an ideal beginner’s fish and especially suited for those who want to keep their first cichlid. The name convict cichlid describes these beautiful fish and its black stripes on a white background very accurately. Convict cichlids are also known as zebra cichlids.
Convict cichlids is a hardy species that can adept to just about any water condition which is one of the reasons behind this fish suitability as a beginner cichlid for all aquarist how can offer them an aquarium of at least 100l/ 24gallon You should however know that Convict cichlids can sometimes be white aggressive towards other fish which means that they shouldn’t be kept with other to small or timid fishes. Suitable tank mates to keep with convict cichlids are instead fish species that are large enough to stand their ground or hardy species that are fast enough to avoid the convict’s aggressions such as some barbs. Another good option is to keep a pair of convict cichlids alone in an aquarium without any other species in the aquarium. Keeping them alone will make it easier to observe their fascinating breeding behaviour including the rearing of the fry.
An aquarium intended for convict cichlids should be decorated with a few flat stones and perhaps a cave or two. Plats are not necessary and most plants will be destroyed by the fish. There is however a number of hardier plants that can be kept with convict cichlids such as Amazonian swords plant and java fern. Using plants of this type can be beneficial by making the fish feel more at home and by making the aquarium more beautiful to look at. The fact is that convict cichlid will make them selves feel at home however you decide that you want to decorate as long as you avoid using harmful or toxic things in your aquarium decoration.
They will accept a very wide temperature range and pH level range as long as it keep relatively stable but is best kept in 20-28C/ 68-82F and pH 6-8.
Feeding convict cichlids is very easy since they accept any food you may choose to give them and can without any problem be kept and bred on foods such as flake food and pellets.
Convict cichlids are one of the easiest fish in the world to breed. They can spawn from very young age and I have seen a 50L / 15gallon in a store that contained about 50 1-2 inch long convict cichlids. The aquarium was decorated with 3 small stones at the bottom and under each of these stones you cold find a pair of convict cichlids that had dug a cave under the stone and breed in it. Whenever you visited that aquarium there would be fish breeding under each of those stones. Of course no fry managed to survive under those conditions but it reflects how easy convicts are to breed. The saying that all you have to do to breed convict cichlids is to add water is almost true. Feed your fish and they will spawn.
Bumble Bee
Note
Diet: Flake, Frozen, Spirulina
Maximum size: 6"
Water temperature: 72-82° F
Bumblebee African Cichlid
Scientific Name
Pseudothropheus crabro
Family
Cichlidae
Class
African
Swimming Range
Middle-Bottom
Feeding Habits
Live blood worms, crickets, brine shrimp, mealworms, glass worms and tubifex worms. Frozen beef heart, hi-pro, daphnia, glass worms, blood worms, plankton, brine shrimp and glass worms. Freeze dried and tablet foods also accepted.
Habitat
Lake Malawi Africa: Densely decorate with rocks, clay pots and driftwood. Java Fern and Java Moss are the best live plants for decoration, as they will not be demolished by the cichlids.
Scientific name: Archocentrus nigrofasciatus
Convict cichlids fish is very easy to keep and breed in aquariums and is therefore an ideal beginner’s fish and especially suited for those who want to keep their first cichlid. The name convict cichlid describes these beautiful fish and its black stripes on a white background very accurately. Convict cichlids are also known as zebra cichlids.
Convict cichlids is a hardy species that can adept to just about any water condition which is one of the reasons behind this fish suitability as a beginner cichlid for all aquarist how can offer them an aquarium of at least 100l/ 24gallon You should however know that Convict cichlids can sometimes be white aggressive towards other fish which means that they shouldn’t be kept with other to small or timid fishes. Suitable tank mates to keep with convict cichlids are instead fish species that are large enough to stand their ground or hardy species that are fast enough to avoid the convict’s aggressions such as some barbs. Another good option is to keep a pair of convict cichlids alone in an aquarium without any other species in the aquarium. Keeping them alone will make it easier to observe their fascinating breeding behaviour including the rearing of the fry.
An aquarium intended for convict cichlids should be decorated with a few flat stones and perhaps a cave or two. Plats are not necessary and most plants will be destroyed by the fish. There is however a number of hardier plants that can be kept with convict cichlids such as Amazonian swords plant and java fern. Using plants of this type can be beneficial by making the fish feel more at home and by making the aquarium more beautiful to look at. The fact is that convict cichlid will make them selves feel at home however you decide that you want to decorate as long as you avoid using harmful or toxic things in your aquarium decoration.
They will accept a very wide temperature range and pH level range as long as it keep relatively stable but is best kept in 20-28C/ 68-82F and pH 6-8.
Feeding convict cichlids is very easy since they accept any food you may choose to give them and can without any problem be kept and bred on foods such as flake food and pellets.
Convict cichlids are one of the easiest fish in the world to breed. They can spawn from very young age and I have seen a 50L / 15gallon in a store that contained about 50 1-2 inch long convict cichlids. The aquarium was decorated with 3 small stones at the bottom and under each of these stones you cold find a pair of convict cichlids that had dug a cave under the stone and breed in it. Whenever you visited that aquarium there would be fish breeding under each of those stones. Of course no fry managed to survive under those conditions but it reflects how easy convicts are to breed. The saying that all you have to do to breed convict cichlids is to add water is almost true. Feed your fish and they will spawn.
Bumble Bee
Note
Diet: Flake, Frozen, Spirulina
Maximum size: 6"
Water temperature: 72-82° F
Bumblebee African Cichlid
Scientific Name
Pseudothropheus crabro
Family
Cichlidae
Class
African
Swimming Range
Middle-Bottom
Feeding Habits
Live blood worms, crickets, brine shrimp, mealworms, glass worms and tubifex worms. Frozen beef heart, hi-pro, daphnia, glass worms, blood worms, plankton, brine shrimp and glass worms. Freeze dried and tablet foods also accepted.
Habitat
Lake Malawi Africa: Densely decorate with rocks, clay pots and driftwood. Java Fern and Java Moss are the best live plants for decoration, as they will not be demolished by the cichlids.
HUKIT
Aquarium Advice Addict
Just because they can doesn't make it right. Imagine yourself living in your closet for 3 years straight...would you be happy I Beg to differ.
Second a fish living in those conditions are prone to being stunted, undue stress and possible disease like HiTH.
Please don't give out poor advice to people asking questions. Do the research before you respond or don't answer.
tmcgee
Aquarium Advice Activist
Just so you are aware, I have two Oscars in a 125 Gallon 6 ft long tank. I bought them December 26th 2009 which is just over a year ago and one is 6 or 7 inches and one is 8 or 9 inches. So if you plan on moving them within 6 months or so, I would never put them in a 40 gallon or whatever this one is. That is from personal experience.
OP
OP
ditosdad
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
I will for sure pay close attention to all the details that are involved in keeping these fish happy.
