Advice needed to start Cichlid tank

[rlebeau]

I would like a colorful mix of cichlids that will not rip each other apart and traumatize any of my 4 daughters. I would like the fish to be compatible with my 11' pleco. If I have to find him a new home I think I can. My wife is sternly against feeding anything live to them. And I would rather have several smaller species (but not tiny) than a few large.

We are also "debating" gravel vs sand. She likes the gravel because it fits into the decor of the house. I like the idea of sand for ease of cleaning but color choices seem to be either black or white. Not sure what color pool sand it but I am guessing it's very light.

I've been reading several posts and websites but it's information overload. Can anyone recommend a good book on Cichlids?

55g - DIY "stand"
Filstar XP2 with option to add Marineland magnum canister if needed
Substrate - TBD
Decor - natural river rock
Live plants - desired, but so many peeps say no..
Lighting - TBD based on live plants..

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The tank is cycling so I have time to figure all of this out

I would really appreciate your advice on what type of cichlids to start with.

My thread in the showcase forum shows progression of the custom "stand".
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=70465

 

[Fishyfanatic]

First off I want to say WOW! That is an awesome tank! I LOVE the way that you built it into the wall. VERY cool.

What kind of Cichlids are you interested in? I am a big fan of African Cichlids so I'll start there. But if you're looking more into South/Central American Cichlids, then let us know.

Africans, specifically Lake Malawi Mbuna, are very colorful and active. You could have several peaceful species together that are full of color and stay at about 4 inches in size. Yellow Labs and Acei's are great mixes because they are pretty docile. The labs are usually a bright yellow coloration with black "trim". The common Acei's are a deep purple with yellow fins. Beautiful fish. To add some white color to the tank, Socolofi Albinos are also peaceful. The Cobalt brings a blue coloration and they also stock well with the above mentioned choices. Bare in mind, live plant choices are minimal, but if you were to set it up with plenty of rock structures and pool filter sand (mine is an off-white cream color- it comes in white, off-white, and red) it would really look amazing. Set it off with a Actinic and 50/50 bulb strip and you are all set. But this is granted that you are interested in African Cichlids.

I am just beginning in South American Cichlids but I could offer a few suggestions. German Blue Rams and Angels are by far my favorite. They can easily be kept in a planted tank.

I am a big fan of sand (all my tanks are sand) because of its ease of use. When deciding on which substrate to use, consider the fish that will eventually inhabit the tank. Africans love sand because it's easy for them to aquascape. Bottom dwellers such as cories like sand since it's smooth and won't scratch their bodies.

Either of the regions of Cichlids will get along fine with the Pleco. My main concern would be that he is so big and probably not too active in eating algae. He will end up being a big waste producer and cause Nitrates to sky rocket. You may want to look into a dwarf specie such as the Bristlenose.

 

[7Enigma]

Hmm... At 11 feet long, the pleco might be a bit tight in the tank, and I don't think any more fish (let alone water) can fit in their.

OK enough joking. I just wanted to compliment you on your tank build, it looks great!

justin

 

[macman7010]

well Im sure you know Africans are pretty territorial cichlids, easy to keep but highly aggressive. You could always make the tank into a Discus tank. While not considered "cichlids" in the true sense by some cichlid hardcores, Discus are cichlids that are not aggresive in the nature that most fish from the family are.

Some South American cichlids fare a little better than africans where aggresion is concerned but most of them get very large and many thrive onthe live foods your wife is against feeding. Have you considered a mix of Africans and South Americans. Most purests are totally against this but I have done it with great success over the years.

Keeping your water ph at about 7.2-7.5 is important since Africans prefer liquid rock and South Americans like things softer. The 7.2 ph seems to accomodate both tastes. I had an 80 gallon tank with the following line-up years ago that went very well.

Frontosa
Green Terror
Malawi Eye Biter
Electric Yellow Labs
and Electric Blue Haplochromis

Just my 2 cents!

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Hmm... At 11 feet long, the pleco might be a bit tight in the tank, and I don't think any more fish (let alone water) can fit in their.

LOL Didn't even notice that.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Have you considered a mix of Africans and South Americans.

This is generally NOT a good idea for two major reasons: Water requirements (Africans prefer in the 7.8+ while SA prefer lower readings) and diet (meaty foods or high protein diets cause major problems with Africans ie Malawi Bloat).

The Africans listed above in my first post are not highly aggressive. Well, they may pick on some Neons, but they are peaceful Africans. They are great choices for beginners because they are docile. Kids also seem to love them because they are large enough for them to watch and bring lots of color.

Discus are also great choices and are very beautiful, but alot of time needs to be dedicated to them because of sensitivity. But if you have the time, they seem to be worth it.

 

[rlebeau]

Thanks for the advice and the compliments on the tank. As soon as I figure out how to, i'll fix my sig.

I am leaning towards the Malawi. My wife will be happy to hear I will not need to scoop baby goldfish from our garden pond.

You are dead on about the waste production, but I have not seen one speck of algae in 3 years. Once I get my 30g repaired. I can move him back.

If I plant, how many watts should I shoot for. Tank is 20" tall. 2 wpg?

Thanks again for your time

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Planting with Africans is very difficult since they are substrate diggers. They also like to pick algae off of plants. This leads to plants being riped to shreads and being uprooted. With the Africans I'd go with fake. I have only seen one planted Mbuna tank and that was from Travis Simonson (I KNOW I spelled that wrong). He's an advisor on here and has a 125 gal planted Mbuna tank. It is beautiful but I know that he has alot of components that goes into making it work with the Africans. Such as providing digging spaces for them to dig and I think he uses bright light plants plus CO2, but don't quote me on that.

 

[Zagz]

Beautiful tank! If you want peaceful cichlids, I would recommend the Peacocks. Here is a link to some pics of different cichlids from Malawi. The Aulonocara line are the peacocks.