Time to start my first Cichlid tank

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neurotik

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So I've been planning on starting an African Cichlid tank for a couple months now, and if I want to stick to my originally planned schedule I need to start getting things in motion next week or so. I had a few questions before I got started, just to see what you guys would recommend:

1. What size tank should I plan on getting? I've heard that larger tanks are better because it allows each fish more room to swim around and it will help to avoid having too many confrontations between fish, as they will each be able to have their own little 'space' within the tank. On the other hand, I've also heard that keeping a well-stocked tank, one that almost looks a bit "crowded" is better so that there are less chances that you will have a couple of fish that become the dominant fish of the tank and end up running the show and bullying the others around, so I thought maybe a medium sized tank (maybe around 30ish gallons?) would be better, as it would be easier to give a more "crowded" feel to a tank that size, as opposed to something like a 70-90 gallon.

2. Need some suggestions on the most colorful of the African Cichlids. I've had my eyes on the electric blue/yellow Cichlids for quite a while now, and I also like the peacock Cichlids, as well as the red/orange zebras. Not sure exactly the best way to mix and match those different species, but some combination of the colors that those fish offer would be nice I think, as well as any other types of Africans that have very bright, vibrant colors.

3. Do you guys recommend any types of bottom-dwelling fish to go into a Cichlid tank, mainly to act as a bit of a clean-up crew as well as just adding some activity to the bottom of the tank? Or is it best to just stick to Cichlids exclusively and not try to mix any other species in to the tank?

4. Everyone says to add lots of rocks/caves so that they each have places to hide and so that each one can sort of find its own little territory and claim it. Any suggestions on the best types of rocks to use if I wanted to sort of stack them up to create my own cave-like structures? Or would it be best to just buy some cave decorations and just put them around the tank instead?

5. I will also be planting the tank a bit with some live plants, not sure which types as of yet, so any suggestions on plants that Cichlids prefer would be nice. I'd imagine that I'd need some pretty durable plants if the Cichlids are going to be munching on them, so that they don't totally destroy the plants after a while.

Alright, I think that's a good starting point for my list of initial questions. Once I get some additional info from you guys, I'll hopefully be getting my tank sometime next week so I can begin cycling it and making further plans after that.

Thanks in advance for the help!
 
So I've been planning on starting an African Cichlid tank for a couple months now, and if I want to stick to my originally planned schedule I need to start getting things in motion next week or so. I had a few questions before I got started, just to see what you guys would recommend:

1. What size tank should I plan on getting? I've heard that larger tanks are better because it allows each fish more room to swim around and it will help to avoid having too many confrontations between fish, as they will each be able to have their own little 'space' within the tank. On the other hand, I've also heard that keeping a well-stocked tank, one that almost looks a bit "crowded" is better so that there are less chances that you will have a couple of fish that become the dominant fish of the tank and end up running the show and bullying the others around, so I thought maybe a medium sized tank (maybe around 30ish gallons?) would be better, as it would be easier to give a more "crowded" feel to a tank that size, as opposed to something like a 70-90 gallon.

Looking at the type of Africans you are wanting, a 75g tank is going to be the minimum IMO. 55g would work, but wider is better as those get pretty large full grown and you want enough room for the fish and the rock work as well. 30g is too small unless you are looking at some Tanganyikan shell dwellers or smaller Tanganyikan cichlids. But doesn't look like you are. :D

2. Need some suggestions on the most colorful of the African Cichlids. I've had my eyes on the electric blue/yellow Cichlids for quite a while now, and I also like the peacock Cichlids, as well as the red/orange zebras. Not sure exactly the best way to mix and match those different species, but some combination of the colors that those fish offer would be nice I think, as well as any other types of Africans that have very bright, vibrant colors.

I would go with Cobalt Blues or another blue Mbuna and not Electric Blues (which are usually Sciaenochromis fryeri). S. fryeri gets about 7" full grown and can be really aggressive. Cobalt Blues are less aggressive. Another option for blues is Pseudotropheus socolofi. They are a little more aggressive than the Cobalt Blues. As far as other fish, some that are less aggressive are Labidochromis sp. "hongi", Metriaclima greshakei, Rusty Cichlids, Pseudotropheus acei, and Labidochromis sp. pearlmutt. I would stay away from the Melanochromis genus as those guys are probably some of the most aggressive Mbuna. Electric Yellows/Yellow Labs are usually mildly aggressive, so I'd choose others that aren't that aggressive for the tank.

People usually do either an all male tank (1 male of each type) or a group of each. You'll want atleast 3 females per male as they are polygamous and males will fight over females.

3. Do you guys recommend any types of bottom-dwelling fish to go into a Cichlid tank, mainly to act as a bit of a clean-up crew as well as just adding some activity to the bottom of the tank? Or is it best to just stick to Cichlids exclusively and not try to mix any other species in to the tank?
I wouldn't recommend any bottom feeders. If you just really wanted some, I recommend catfish from Lake Tanganyika (also in Africa). Synodontis petricola and Synodontis multipunctatus are 2 that I'd recommend. Just give them plenty of hiding spaces (you'll have rockwork for the Mbuna so that shouldn't be a problem). I wouldn't count on them to clean up after everyone though and they'll need some carnivorous foods while the Mbuna are mainly herbivores (or atleast more plant matter than animal matter).

4. Everyone says to add lots of rocks/caves so that they each have places to hide and so that each one can sort of find its own little territory and claim it. Any suggestions on the best types of rocks to use if I wanted to sort of stack them up to create my own cave-like structures? Or would it be best to just buy some cave decorations and just put them around the tank instead?
I would buy some rocks and not cave decorations. Go to a landscaping place and see what they have. Also look at cichlid tanks here and also http://www.cichlidforum.com to see what kind of rocks you like.

5. I will also be planting the tank a bit with some live plants, not sure which types as of yet, so any suggestions on plants that Cichlids prefer would be nice. I'd imagine that I'd need some pretty durable plants if the Cichlids are going to be munching on them, so that they don't totally destroy the plants after a while.
You'll be limited mostly to Java fern, Anubias, and maybe Vallisneria. I know Anubias are said to have a bitter taste and most Cichlids won't eat them. Anything you bury in the substrate will likely be dug up, eventually and other plants will be eaten. The first 2 I mentioned need to be attached to something and not buried. Vallisneria need to be buried and you could try to put a rock barrier around them so the won't get dug up. Good luck keeping the fish from eating them though. I don't think any plant is totally safe!
 
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Thanks, Kristin! Lots of useful information. I'm sure I'll be posting more once I review all of the information you gave me and decide on exactly what I'm going to be getting and stuff.
 
I second everything that she said^^^^. Awesome advice. I got alot of advice from JustOneMore20 when I was putting my 115G cichlid tank together. I have Yellow Labs, Acei, Red Zebras, OB Zebra, Cobalt Blue Zebra, Albino Zebra. I have a great mix of colors and they are getting along great. I have fake plants for ease of upkeep and holy rock formed into caves and places to hide. I went with a 3 to 1 female male ratio on the Yellow Labs, Acei, Red Zebras and Cobalt Blues and then threw in the OB Zebra and the Albino just for a splash of different color. If I could change one thing it would be a longer and shorter tank instead of the tall one that I have. But, I got mine for free so didnt really have that choice. I have seen great tanks as small as 55G but I personally would go bigger to give them room to swim and give you room to do rock structures and such. Good luck and have a great time with it! I am!!!!
 

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1. What size tank should I plan on getting?.....couple of fish that become the dominant fish of the tank and end up running the show and bullying the others around, so I thought maybe a medium sized tank (maybe around 30ish gallons?) would be better,as it would be easier to give a more "crowded" feel to a tank that size,
Start with at least a 55 gallon. I know you hear a lot of people say a 30 is fine, but once those fish hit 4" you will end up having to upgrade because they will be way too large for a 30. I know, I started with a 30 and even tho there was no high aggression levels, my poor Acei just did not have the room they needed!

You will alway have one fish that becomes the most dominant in the tank. It does not matter how many you have or how big the tank is, there is a boss who everyone defers to. As to how aggressive he is, that depends on each individual fish personality. You will actually end up with MORE agression getting a smaller tank with a smaller amount of fish. With less fish they are picked on more often. For a 55 gallon you want about 15, for a 30 you would still want about 8 or 9. Any less in a 30 will cause the dominant fish to pick on the others over much. The more fish, the more the aggression is spread around. They start out small at about 2" in the store, and will all get along at first, but as they grow and become sexually mature this is when the trouble starts.

2. Need some suggestions on the most colorful of the African Cichlids.
Here are a couple that you always see in the stores, but you really need to avoid. I don't know why they are so common in stores because these are the most aggressive Mbuna there are. The only thing I can think of is that people buy them, take them home and they kill their fish within days and return them. I have only heard of these working in a species only tank. All the other stories is of aggression and death.
Kenyi, Bumble Bee, Auratus, and Johannii

Common Mbuna that work great to start up with are Yellow Labs, Acei (purple) and Red Zebras (orange). If you get enough females for the Lab and Red males they should not cross bread. I started with 3 Labs and 3 Acei and once I really got to know how to care for them I looked for other species.

3. Do you guys recommend any types of bottom-dwelling fish to go into a Cichlid tank, mainly to act as a bit of a clean-up crew as well as just adding some activity to the bottom of the tank?
You wont need to add activity to the bottom because that is where the Mbuna will spend 80% of its time. I have a Rainbow Shark in my tank and its as big as the Mbuna at 6" and holds its own. I have heard Bristle Nose Pleco's and certain cats work (can't remember off hand which ones). What ever you get, they need to be as aggressive as the Mbuna.

4. Or would it be best to just buy some cave decorations and just put them around the tank instead?
You would end up buying a whole lot of these if you go this way. You should have 2-3 caves per fish. That way there are too many places for the boss to claim. If you have too few the boss will take all of them over and get too aggressive. People use river rocks, lava rock (I use this) etc.

5. I will also be planting the tank a bit with some live plants, not sure which types as of yet,
There are not many plants that can withstand a Mbuna. They will eat them, uproot them and distroy them. I have heard the Java Ferms, and Anubius are about the only ones that can handle them. If you just plant them in the substrate they will be uprooted daily.


Here is a short video I shot the other night. It shows how big those little 2" fish at the store will become. And how colorful and awesome a tank full of them is. To give you an idea how big the adults are, the small ones in the video are between 2.5 and 3".
YouTube - Lake Malawi Mbuna tank
 
Lovely tank, DizzCat! Thanks for giving me a bunch more information to read through. I've also heard people say that 30 gallon tanks were fine for your first cichlid tank, but when I asked how you could keep them in a smaller tank, they would usually say you just need long tanks, so as long as you got a 30 gallon that was just as long as a 55 gallon that it would be alright as long as you stocked it properly.
 
You would probably find a standard 55 much easier than a long 30. I have never seen a long 30 in the store before, only a 20 long and that would be way too small for even the smallest Mbuna.

The thing with these fish is that once you get them, you are hooked! You would really limit yourself with a 30 as to what you can add in the future. When I had mine in a 30, I had 3 Yellow Labs, 3 Red Zebra and 3 Acei. Once they got bigger and I learned more, I wanted different kinds too, but just could not add them in. When I upgraded to a 55 I was able to add a small group of Greshakei (the huge light blue guy with orange fins) and a couple lone males. My tank has so much more color and activity now and no aggression at all! Just the few chases off and on, no damage done.
 
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