need help with stocking my 55g tank

[mar_att1]

i already have a thread going on in the fw/brackish section but i'm also getting interested in cichlids. this is my first aquarium, and i'm at the stage of considering what to put in it. the tank is already doing its cycle.

would you recommend cichlids 4 a beginner or do they need extra special and expert care? help me out with this lol please cos i dont want to do anything i would regret later.

my tank is 55g. my plants are plastic, not planted cos im not up to the challenge on planting real ones yet. however, after a little bit more experience i would certainly cosider though. any tips on maybe adding some type of plant which is easy to handle for a beginner like me? i would like to add at least a little touch of real greenery lol

any suggestions on how to set up my tank if i took up cichlids? its still very bare, just a few plastic plants here and there. i was thinking about putting a large piece of drift wood in the cetre and add some caves.

just thought i'd ask about the cichlids cos they seem to be very interesting and beautiful. and which types would you recommend for a 55g?

thanks ppl

 

[ryan]

welcome to AA!most cichlids are easy to take care of you just need the right water conditions and have compatible fish.you should have lots of caves no driftwood because that will lower the ph and you want high ph around 8.2 for most african cichlids.they also have agression towards eachother but yellow labs and acies and rusties are pretty calm with others. since your a begginer i would recommend yellow labs with some acies or you can use this list to help you http://www.malawimayhem.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2659.south american cichlids are a different story there behavior is the same and they have beautiful colours as do africans but they like lower ph and thats where you can use driftwood also you should have lots of plants for south americans they can be the fake ones thought.also it is hard to have plants with africans since they dig them up but travis simonson has a great tank with plants you can check it out its in his profile.

 

[Jchillin]

Are we talking about ARLC or SA cichlids?

 

[mar_att1]

well i'm new to the hobby so i dont know much of the difference between south american and african cichlids. i'm still doing my reading. in my opinion both are beautiful. i just dont want to make the mistake of getting them and then not knowing how to go about taking care of them

 

[rich311k]

Good for you for doing your research. In a planted tank SA cichlids are easier, African rift lake cichlids not impossible as Travis has shown, but SAs are easier. With the 55 you have you have a lot of options. So go slow and pick the theme that works for you. It will hit you.

 

[JustOneMore20]

Check out the cookie cutter setups on cichlid-forum.com. That's where I started when I decided to go with African cichlids. They also have some South American cichlids on there so you can see some examples of tank stocking. And you can look at the profiles of the fish.

 

[talloulou]

I personally think South American cichlids would be easier for a beginner. Severums are a personal favorite.

 

[Menagerie]

I have four kribs with community fish and beginner plants in a 50 gal. It's been nice and stable for well over a year. With research and looking at photos, you will come across what you really want.