My new tank and what should I add.....

[illyoung]

Hello I have a 55gal tank ready to go. I want to add south American cichlids. Here is my list that I would like to go with. Please tell me if its overstocking. Also what if any fish are bad for this group. The top 3 I'm pretty sure are ok which are
1. Jack dempsy / electric blue jack not sure which one I want yet...
2. Convict
3. Firemouth
The rest of the list contains
Keyhole cichlid
Silvini
Green terror
Blue acara
Severum
And a catfish.
All these cichlid all grow to about 6 to 8inches hopefully I can get 5 or 6 plus the cat. I have a filstar rena xp3 filter. Works pretty good. Right now I have gravel rocks and plan on adding plastic plants. And plenty of hiding spots. Will all these fish be able to handle growing up together or is there one or two I need to take out ? Thanks for the help and advice !

 

[jetajockey]

The size thing isn't as much of an issue as aggression/compatibility. I have an ebjd/jd pair in that size tank and I dont give them tankmates.

 

[illyoung]

That's kind of why I'm asking trying to have some variety. I have a jd and a Oscar. I want to have more fish in this new tank? So which ones from my list would be best ?

 

[jetajockey]

The variety thing doesn't work with large cichlids in smaller tanks.

 

[illyoung]

So....none of the fish I have listed will not work out? If so how many and which ones?

 

[aquamike]

it all depends on the fish really, there are obv the fish which definately cant go together but in 1 of my tanks i have an oscar with convicts acaras kribs and keyhole chichlids and they all get along fine, i kept an eye on them everytime i added new fish and never had problems.

 

[illyoung]

I want to start this tank with all juvies. Just reading, I seen that all the fish I have named get no bigger than 6 to 8 inches as adults. Would thus not be best to put them all in at the same time? I would just like to have more than two fish in one tank..... Colors are a must. I guess I'm just use to feeding pellets and live food to my Oscar and jd. Adding that I'm use to the water and cleaning of my first tank. Don't want to add anything with the first tank they have been set in there ways for bout 2 or 3 years. Please help your advice is greatly appreciated

 

[Mogurako]

Hello I have a 55gal tank ready to go. I want to add south American cichlids. Here is my list that I would like to go with. Please tell me if its overstocking. Also what if any fish are bad for this group. The top 3 I'm pretty sure are ok which are
1. Jack dempsy / electric blue jack not sure which one I want yet...
2. Convict
3. Firemouth
The rest of the list contains
Keyhole cichlid
Silvini
Green terror
Blue acara
Severum
And a catfish.
All these cichlid all grow to about 6 to 8inches hopefully I can get 5 or 6 plus the cat. I have a filstar rena xp3 filter. Works pretty good. Right now I have gravel rocks and plan on adding plastic plants. And plenty of hiding spots. Will all these fish be able to handle growing up together or is there one or two I need to take out ? Thanks for the help and advice !

You could probably get away with a pair of any of those fish with a couple of medium sized catfish. A 55 doesn't afford many territories for the larger and more aggressive SA/CA cichlids. I would also beef up your filtration a little to.

 

[illyoung]

When u say a pair do you mean of the same kind or two different? How much more filteration? And any suggestions on the catfish? Thanks !

 

[joel618]

When u say a pair do you mean of the same kind or two different? How much more filteration? And any suggestions on the catfish? Thanks !

Probably a pair of the sane kind. Synodontis catfish do well with african Cichlids but Idk about ca/sa Cichlids.

 

[Mogurako]

When u say a pair do you mean of the same kind or two different? How much more filteration? And any suggestions on the catfish? Thanks !

Pair of the same type of fish, as for a catfish maybe pictus or something around the same size.