Cichlid for a 29 gal. tank

[armenkk1]

I want to get a colorful fish for my 29 gallon tank that is currently cycling. Anyone have any good suggestions on a fish that could go in there. I only want to put 1 fish that is around 4-6 inches. here is a pic of the tank:

 

[herp_mommy]

I only want to put 1 fish that is around 4-6 inches.

sounds so lonely. Have you seen lake Malawi?

 

[armenkk1]

is it possible to put a couple in there?!

 

[pookie71384]

I have a 29 gallon with a female convict and mayan cichlid...you can go for a convict...they get about six inches long and have a great personality...never get boring to watch

 

[Jason7894561230]

I personally wouldnt put cichlids in a tank that small. I reckon cichlids like kribs, rams and other dwarf species are great.
Also shell dweller cichlids are great for a tank that small a very nice colony could fit in there

 

[pookie71384]

he only wants to keep one fish...a twenty nine gallon is more then enough space for one convict...those dwarf cichlids need special care...in my opinion if you want to keep a single fish in your tank I'm pretty sure you want something that is going to be entertaining and beautiful...and gets the size that your looking for...convicts need almost little care to none...all you need is a filter...water...water conditioner and a heater...that's all...you don't have to worry about ph and all that other stuff...just do your regular water changes every week...you don't even have to wait for your tank to finish cycling...there that hardy...trust me...I own convicts and have since I was young...this is the fish for you

 

[armenkk1]

he only wants to keep one fish...a twenty nine gallon is more then enough space for one convict...those dwarf cichlids need special care...in my opinion if you want to keep a single fish in your tank I'm pretty sure you want something that is going to be entertaining and beautiful...and gets the size that your looking for...convicts need almost little care to none...all you need is a filter...water...water conditioner and a heater...that's all...you don't have to worry about ph and all that other stuff...just do your regular water changes every week...you don't even have to wait for your tank to finish cycling...there that hardy...trust me...I own convicts and have since I was young...this is the fish for you

how big do they get?

 

[pookie71384]

about six inches long...seven if you get lucky...they never stop swimming...always doing something...get excited when you get near the tank...great fish

 

[armenkk1]

could I put a pair in there to breed so I can make a little extra $$

 

[pookie71384]

absolutely...just know that they have babys a lot...like every three to four weeks...if you have someone to give them too your straight...they make great parents...don't have any other fish in the tank though...they will kill anything that comes close to the babys...that's when there at there most aggressive

 

[armenkk1]

I will sell as many as I can, and wil feed the rest to my Oscar

 

[pookie71384]

lol there you go...its always good to raise your own feeders...looks like you found the perfect fish lol...do you know how you can sex them?...if not I can help you with that

 

[armenkk1]

isn't it like the males have pointer fins and a bump on their head? correct me of I'm wrong?

 

[pookie71384]

males do have pointy fins and bumps on there head but the bump on the head develops when there mature...usually in pet stores you'll find young convicts...about two inches or so...the easiest way to sex them at the store is females have orange markings on there stomach...some may have a solid orange spot and some may have orange specks...at about two inches or so that's the easiest way to tell...males will have no coloration of orange on them...again at two inches or so the males have more pronounced pointed females at that time...to make it easy just look for orange on the stomach...that's your female...no orange at all is a male

 

[Jason7894561230]

No offense but there is absolutly no point in breeding conivct as they are so common no place will want them. I would do a colony of Shell dweller cichlids which are very differnt and cool. And in a 29 you can keep atleast 7

 

[pookie71384]

I do agree with jason...you can find convicts anywhere but he's going to raise the fry for his oscar...that's a good idea...better then getting feeders at the petshop

 

[Zactheninja]

If you only want one fish, get an oscar.
Lots of fun personality.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

If you only want one fish, get an oscar.
Lots of fun personality.

Nnooo! An Oscar can easily reach over a foot in length. IMO they need at least a 75g tank to allow enough room for the fish to swim and turn around.

 

[Zactheninja]

I'm aware of that, don't let the fish get that size.
Trade him in and get a new one.
Or upgrade the tank.

 

[pookie71384]

oscars are my favorite fish but kind of get to big for a twenty nine gallon and make a mess out of a tank that is to small for them...you will have to over filtrate your tank as I did when I had to seven inch oscars in my twenty nine gallon tank...I have four filters and bubbles...here's a video of my oscars in my twenty nine gallon tank