Cichlids For planted aquarium

[NetBloke]

Hello Everyone

I am trying to decide how to stock my tank. It is very deep at 3 feet. It is planted and seems to be doing quite ok with plants. I have a couple of plecotomaus and some zebra tetras (which will be moved to another tank as they were starter fish to get the tank going). There are also some rocks and wood caves and features for the fish to swim around.

So I would like some interesting fish. I have had Cichids before and love them but I need to be sure they want totally destroy the plants. Are the small afircan ones very destructive?

Perhaps I would be better off with a simple community tank.

Anyway anyones advice is appreciated!

 

[Jaybird]

I have a mix of south/central american cichlids with plants. If you keep with hardy plants like java fern, amazon sword, etc. you won't have too much trouble.

My problem is that I like the leafier types of plants and I am constantly replanting, or picking leaves out of the tank (after they pluck them from the plant).

 

[talloulou]

My severum and firemouth pull up everything but java fern which they leave completely alone! Not sure why but apparently they don't like the taste of it and so they leave it be.

 

[Menagerie]

The ultimate planted Mbuna tank: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=39189&highlight=
Travis has gone through many trail and error with that tank and has found the best mix of cichlids. I keep various Pseudotropheus species (or what used to be known as Pseudotropheus, I can't keep up with the names!) and cannot introduce pants--even plants people say are cichlid resistant and they constantly rearrange the substrate. SA cichlids tend to do better with plants, but some of them will also rearrange the tank, uprooting plants.
How many gallons is the tank?

 

[Thebluyak]

my red top zebra, yellow labs, and swallowtail peacock dont bother my plants a bit unless pulling algea off of them at the bottem. I have java fern, dwarf onions and babomba. They actually like to sleep around the plants more so then the rock work.

 

[Voodoo Chilli]

The smaller, South American species would be my choice if I had a planted tank.

 

[NetBloke]

Thanks everyone! The general opinion seems to say smaller south american cichlids. What are peoples favorites? Are they readily available?

 

[Piffchuck]

Any of the Laetacara species are nice , But my favourite cichlid (And a very under rated one at that) for a planted tank is the Festivum , They can grow up to 6 inch and I have never had any trouble with them uprooting or pulling plants to bits same go's for the Keyhole Cichlid another over looked cichlid IMO , Bolivian Rams are also a good choice .

 

[mr funktastic]

bolivians, blue rams, apistos and angles are all timid cichlids that are not to big on destroying plants. if u want to get into africans u really need to plan ahead and only specficif plants will work. i can keep various crypts with my africans and they are find but i put some java moss in the tank all tied up to rocks and pots and they completly rip it appart and destroy it. they dont even eat it lol just rip the crap out of it. travis has strategically made places for the cichlids to dig and kept his tank algea free. it is actually a mis conception that the cichlids eat the plants. they eat the algea on the plants and happen to rid them upa little in the process. what size is this tank? aswell.. what lighting, substrate, ferts, co2, filtration....... all those things are helpful to the members here on AA so we can suggest things more specific to your tank.

 

[NetBloke]

Thanks for the reply! The tank is 3 feet high and 2 foot square. A tall tank.

I think I have everything but Co2 covered. I am goign to try the cheap systems first and dswap to the monitored bottle system after I see how well it works for me.