Fish Compatibility

[a91eagletalon]

HI Everyone my first day on this forum I just started a 55GAL tank


the fish choices are


3ea Electric Yellow Cichlids

2ea Copadichromis Azureus

2ea Demasoni Cichlid

4-6 Otocinclus Catfish

do you think they will cop well to together and will it be over crowded.

I will be adding plant soon before I get the fish.
every thing has to cycle first.

I was planning on having a ground cover plant will the cichlids just tear it up.

Thanks
Matthew

 

[parky]

You are right to think the cichlids may dig up your ground cover plant. As part of their breeding display is to dig a hole! I had cichlids for a long time and spent 70% of my time putting my substrate and areas of my tank to how I liked it only to find the next morning the fish had other ideas.

 

[josh7]

Make sure you cycle first thing do a fish less cycle and don't do oto catfish they will be killed by the cichlids.

 

[a91eagletalon]

what would you suggest for an algae eater

 

[parky]

I had a pleco in my tank and still have him now just your normal run of the mill common plec.

 

[josh7]

No do not do a common Pleco in a 55 that's bad advice they get 18 inches. You honestly don't need an algae eater your best friend is your sponge when it comes to algae.

 

[gilpi]

No do not do a common Pleco in a 55 that's bad advice they get 18 inches. You honestly don't need an algae eater your best friend is your sponge when it comes to algae.

+1. I had a pleco in a 55 gallon for nearly a year, had to remove him and sell him, this thing was an eating, growing, pooping machine.

 

[frozen]

I've had 2 bristlenose plecos with my mbuna cichlids for years now without problems. They don't get big like regular plecos and are better algae eaters. Don't get Otocinclus.

If you get 2 Demasoni you will end up with 1 for sure. Demasoni are very aggressive with each other and it's best to keep a group of 12 and more or just 1. Those cichlids are harem breeders so you should keep about 3 females for one male. Electric Yellows are ok with any mix of male/female. They will bicker but not hurt each other. Most Mbuna males will not tolerate another male of its kind in the tank. If you want a really colorful tank you could go all male.

Don't bother with a ground cover plant. I've had luck with anubias tied to rocks and vallisneria. My Cynotilapia hara male can make a 3 inch mountain of sand in a day when he gets in the mood.

Also if you add a lot of rocks make sure they are not on top of the sand bed but directly supported by the tank bottom or you could end up with a rock slide when one decides to dig under the rock.

 

[jwh0818]

I wouldn't do plecos with Africans to begin with. Check out the syno species.

 

[a91eagletalon]

let’s scratch the cichlid idea then for now. Because for this tank because I really wanted to be heavily planted and I want a ground cover. I will make a cichlid tank later. but I want my tank to have colorful fish like the cichlids but I also dont really want a bunch of little tiny fish swimming around I would like some bigger fish. but beggars can’t be choosers what in your option would work best for what i am wanting. if you need a picture of my tank I can post one.

Thanks
Matthew

 

[parky]

If you want large fish with colour that like planted tanks why not look at discus?

 

[a91eagletalon]

wont they get to be for a 55GAL and they are pricey fish.

 

[parky]

They are a little price depending on what you got for and your right might not be the best fish for a 55 as you normal start with a group of 6 before finding a mating pair.

 

[josh7]

They get to large for a 55 IMO and definitely need great water quality it's a difficult fish to keep. For a planted tank look into these fish they would all look good.
Pearl Gourami
Dwarf Gourami
Cherry Barb
Bristlenose Pleco
Rainbow Shark
Siamese Algae eater
Oto catfish
Cardinal Tetra
Cory Catfish
Kuhli Loach
Zebra Loach
Lemon Tetra
Denison Barb
Giant Danio
Stripped Raphael Catfish
Angelfish
Harlequin Rasbora
Rummy nose Tetra

 

[frozen]

How about some rainbow fish? Some of those are quite colorful.

 

[josh7]

They should work as well.

 

[GlubGlub]

Dwarf cichlids? Apistogramma, rams, or kribs? Depending on what else is in there and what you get you could get multiple pairs I think.

 

[parky]

I have german blue rams, gold rams and electric blue's great fish full of personality