Thinking of changing to a Cichlids community?!

[Krissy]

Hi all!

I've had my 135 L (sorry from UK) tank running since April last year. I was very keen to buy some blue zebra's (lake malawi) when I first got set up but was advises that you're starter fish e.g. Tetras, mollies, danios etc would be the best option for starting up my tank and although they're lovely and I've enjoyed having them and also the 15 molly babies that were born in Oct last year....I'm really still in love with many Cichlids that I see when visiting aquatic centres!

I'm very tempted to offer my community on to my uncle and possibly start up a Cichlid community. Is there much difference in the care?

I do weekly water changes (25%)....would this have to be increased?! :-/ Any advice would be brilliant!

I'm aware they like more hiding places so I'd have to rearrange the tank and purchase more caves and places for them to hide. I've also noticed that they love to dig, re-arrange things and also some enjoy eating live plant.

If anyone has any other things that I'd need to consider before making the decision, I'd love to hear from you.

Many thanks!

Krissy

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[Wy Renegade]

Sounds like you've got a pretty good handle on things to me. Shouldn't be any real difference in maintanence issues. Biggest issues will be the difference in the size and temperament of the fish. Lots of caves and hiding places as you said.

 

[mfdrookie516]

Your tank is too small for african cichlids, at least the ones you're looking at. The only ones that I would put in that tank would be shell dwelling cichlids, which are most likely not going to please you based on what you said.

 

[Krissy]

Really?! That's odd! I've been advised by 3 specialised aquatic shops that I could have 3 max in my tank with no problems
:-/ I have a community of 22 freshwater tropical fish at the moment in my tank. I wouldn't want anymore than 3 anyway to see how it goes.

What would be the main problem with my tank size?

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[Krissy]

Just found my own answer to that question -

• A larger aquarium is easier to maintain and easier to keep in good condition.
• Cichlids are aggressive. Some cichlids are much more aggressive then other but almost all cichlids are aggressive and a larger aquarium makes it easier for weaker fishes to avoid this hostility.
• Cichlid behaviour usually gets more interesting if you can keep more then one isolated pair in an aquarium. For one this allows you to see the parents guarding their young.

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[mfdrookie516]

It's not even really about that. It's the fact that the fish are active swimmers and a small tank just doesn't give them the room they need. Aggression is, of course, another concern... but not as much as a concern as the room.