Question guys

[moetec]

ok here it is.

I have a 15 gallon tank and i want to get some golden mbunas. i would like to know will 3 be enough and what else can i do to make it great for them. Im the guy who had a turquoise jewel child for 12 years that just died a month ago. so im looking to do something new.

im open to all advice. thanks.

 

[HUKIT]

Auratus are very agressive cichlids and my advice is the minimum tank size for that type of african is 55 gallons. I would look for something different since I can't think of any cichlids off hand that would work in a 15.

 

[sarahh]

+ 1... auratus will pick a fisht with an amazon sword or their own shadow... massive bag of tools

 

[moetec]

well i talked with my local aquarium guy and he gave me the scoop on the golden malawis. so im going to go with three. 1 male & two females. with lots of rocks and plastic plants. i hope that makes them feel ok.

 

[HUKIT]

I think your making a mistake but good luck I hope it works out.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/m_auratus.php

 

[moetec]

so the question becomes, how can i have more than one fish. I want those color of fish. i know i only have a beginners tank size, cant get bigger til we move in 2 years. so how can we make it work? add a different fish with them or what? I am setting up the racks and stuff this saturday and will be getting something in the tank a week after that. Please do help. thanks.

 

[ilovemydragongoby]

there are lots of different colorful fish that can go in a 15gal...just not cichlids.
you can try tetras, rasboras, barbs. the list goes on and on. if you have any stock ideas that you want answered right away, here's a good site you can check out http://aqadvisor.com

 

[mfdrookie516]

you're making a big mistake if you put those fish in a 15 gallon tank... after the advice given above, if you still do it, that makes it that much worse. These are very active fish that require alot of room to swim and claim territory to. You will have a constant battle going on in your tank, both a battle for the fish to live, and a battle between the fish because of aggression. Stick with some of the fish mentioned above, or if you're set on cichlids, get some shell dwellers from lake tanganyika (multies, occies, etc)

 

[ilovemydragongoby]

also you should check the cycling pages if you are just setting up your tank. the tank should actually run fishless for quite some time. here's a couple links that you should def read.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f15/fishless-cycling-for-dummies-103339.html
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f15/common-newbie-pitfalls-67468.html
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...-but-i-already-have-fish-what-now-116287.html
the last link is what your gonna have to worry about if you don't let your tank cycle

also make sure you get a liquid test kit for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph

 

[moetec]

ok so can i just get one and thats it. one and only one. i promise. im kinda partial to the golden. JUST ONE...

 

[moetec]

oopps

 

[moetec]

this is my jewel chiclid that i used to have. i only had one. so one golden guys???

 

[moetec]

now you know why i want the golden to go with the colors of my favorite team. OH dont yell at me.

 

[mfdrookie516]

no, not one, not two, not ten... if you get a bigger tank (40 breeder absolute bare minimum) then you could get 4-6 of them easily... its a basic concept, these fish just require more room than you have to give them

 

[moetec]

fine guys. ok ok i get it. so im going to check out that site and see what other i can for sure get.

 

[sarahh]

platy... they come in yellow and black Also guppies. and just an idea, but yellow and black mystery snails... som are stripey... ummm..... thinking... golden danios.. they are technically yellow and blue, but great little community fish..

 

[HUKIT]

Bumblebee goby would be cool...require a bit a salt to make it a brackish tank though but a very cool fish.

 

[BillD]

There are lots of chiclids that will work in a 15. Most come from South America. I kept 3 male P. flavus in a 15 for 2 years. They grew to full size and left each other intact. The entire back wall of the tank was a wall of rocks, so they could get away from each other. Still, I wouldn't recommend it.