Want to try cichlids

[Quest84]

hate to break it to you man, but you need to change 50% of the water once a week for an african tank also. You also need lots of filtration. Google dward mbuna if you want smaller species

your PH is fine..just use a lil crushed coral or aragonite as substrate. Plants you will have none left, they will eat them all

 

[ImACoolguy]

hate to break it to you man, but you need to change 50% of the water once a week for an african tank also. You also need lots of filtration. Google dward mbuna if you want smaller species

your PH is fine..just use a lil crushed coral or aragonite as substrate. Plants you will have none left, they will eat them all

Once a week is fine dude they were talking like 50% twice a week. I will try and find some crushed coral to add. I've looked a lot at AqAdvisor. I know it's not the best but it's helping me narrow down some. The plants I can deal with. I like them but I don't think I'm ready(nor have the time) for the constant care of them. Maybe in the future. I have a Cascade 1000 canister filter and an Aquaclear 70 running on the tank already.


Caleb

Might have a slight obsession with my fish

 

[Quest84]

Once a week is fine dude they were talking like 50% twice a week. I will try and find some crushed coral to add. I've looked a lot at AqAdvisor. I know it's not the best but it's helping me narrow down some. The plants I can deal with. I like them but I don't think I'm ready(nor have the time) for the constant care of them. Maybe in the future. I have a Cascade 1000 canister filter and an Aquaclear 70 running on the tank already.


Caleb

Might have a slight obsession with my fish

off to a good start. If you get mbuna make sure you have plenty of hiding places in the tank.

 

[ImACoolguy]

off to a good start. If you get mbuna make sure you have plenty of hiding places in the tank.

Thanks. My only think is there is so many species in a bit lost. I want different kinds but also don't want them to tear each other apart?

Comparability suggestions?


Caleb

Might have a slight obsession with my fish

 

[ImACoolguy]

My iPhone butchered my comment with grammar and spelling sorry


Caleb

Might have a slight obsession with my fish

 

[Quest84]

all fish should be from the same lake. I'm assuming you want to do Malawi. Pick which type of fish you want to keep Mbuna, or peacocks. In a mbuna tank that size I would do 4 groups of different genus fish. Adding a bunch of random fish is the wrong way to do it. I made this mistake myself when I first started

African Cichlid Genus Gallery

^^ every fish there is not mbuna..this is just to give you an idea of the different genus'

 

[ImACoolguy]

Thanks anything to help me narrow it down


Caleb

Might have a slight obsession with my fish

 

[ImACoolguy]

Or not it's blank


Caleb

Might have a slight obsession with my fish

 

[mikem691]

all fish should be from the same lake. I'm assuming you want to do Malawi. Pick which type of fish you want to keep Mbuna, or peacocks. In a mbuna tank that size I would do 4 groups of different genus fish. Adding a bunch of random fish is the wrong way to do it. I made this mistake myself when I first started

African Cichlid Genus Gallery

^^ every fish there is not mbuna..this is just to give you an idea of the different genus'

That link is down or dead

 

[Quest84]

That link is down or dead

works fine for me..that's odd

 

[ImACoolguy]

Okay so after some YouTube videos and reading I've sided more on the Peacocks/HAPS side rather than Mbuna's. I'm one of those that wants to come home from work and see my beautiful fish rather than search for them in holes.

Heres a list of ones I've taken Interest in just from photos. I'll do more research on sizes tommorow. Any comments or compatibility problems let me know but as far as I've seen Haps and peacocks work well together.

Peacocks

Flavescent Peacock

FireFish Peacock

Lemon Jake Peacock

Sunshine Peacock

Eureka Red Jake


HAPS

Blue dolphin(prob not b/c of size)

Black Fin Lethrinops

Insignus

Lethrinops Intermedius

Livingstoneii

Super Red Empress

Ivory Mloto

Like I said I'll gets sizes tommorow and narrow down how many I can fit in my tank while still having suitable filtration and tank space.



Caleb

Might have a slight obsession with my fish

 

[mikem691]

works fine for me..that's odd

working now

 

[ExoticAquarist]

I would do discus!


~ExoticAquarist, signing out

 

[ImACoolguy]

I would do discus!


~ExoticAquarist, signing out

I would love to do discus but...

1. they are not sold in my area.
2. They are expensive(more so because I'd have to order them)
3. I don't think I have the time to care for the constant needs of discus as I have seen in many threads.
4. I don't think I've quite got enough experience yet to care for them.


Caleb

~10g tiger barbs
~45g tetras/dojo loach/clown pleco
~75g going to be African cichlids

 

[ExoticAquarist]

Good point. I've never had them either. They don't need constant needs, just low nitrogen wastes, high tempurature, and quality diet. Hopefully you can have them someday. There are plenty of other cichlids too. Maybe for a "substitute discus" you could try angelfish or uaru. If you can't get discus than I say a type of ram. Happy fishkeeping, and I hope i can see the cichlid tank completed someday.


~ExoticAquarist, signing out

 

[ImACoolguy]

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/showthread.php?t=328348

This is my thread for this tank. So you can see it one day and see its long bad story lol.


Caleb

~10g tiger barbs
~45g tetras/dojo loach/clown pleco
~75g going to be African cichlids

 

[ExoticAquarist]

Nice! If i got an african tank i would have shellies at the bottom, and mask cichlids and other tanginyikans in the middle, maybe some type of julidochromis. The only problem with shell dwellers though is that you have to buy non painted hermit crab shells for them, and thats only contributing to the hermit crab housing crisis. Good luck! Africans are really cool.


~ExoticAquarist, signing out

 

[jakob.simpson]

What kind of Africans were you thinking about?

 

[ImACoolguy]

What kind of Africans were you thinking about?

Look up a few posts I got a list. And add an OB Peacock to the list.


Caleb

~10g tiger barbs
~45g ick problems/loach and 5 tetras left.
~75g going to be African cichlids

 

[AquaJunkie]

Nice research! I have a 180g and a beast Eheim 2260 canister filter housing my breeding Oscars an I still have to do a 50% wc! There messy guys but I Love'em! I also have Mbunu an I have double filtration on there 20g.... There a mess too. No matter what, cichlids need regular wc! Next for me is a 55g discus tank


180g Oscar
20g African Cichlid
20g Community
2g African Dwarf Frogs
55g Discus