New to cichlids looking for advice

[Incisions072185]

I currently have an empty 75gal with 2 ac 110s on it. I'd like to get into cichlids, preferably jack Dempseys. So my questions are how many can I have (I was told the more the better but I'm sure there's a max) and what other cichlids can go with them? Any other advice would be appreciated as well


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[garfy]

It doesn't work that way with American cichlids.To be honest I don't believe in crowding Africans either.JD's reach nearly 10" and are aggressive cichlids.Id honestly say only one pair of JD's would be acceptable in a 55.Trust me you don't want to see big American cichlids tearing into one another.For a 55 id recommend acaras or something similar.Something in the cryptoheros area maybe.


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[Incisions072185]

I have a 75, so if I had a pair of JDs what else could go with them?


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[LayzorBeams]

It doesn't work that way with American cichlids.To be honest I don't believe in crowding Africans either.JD's reach nearly 10" and are aggressive cichlids.Id honestly say only one pair of JD's would be acceptable in a 55.Trust me you don't want to see big American cichlids tearing into one another.For a 55 id recommend acaras or something similar.Something in the cryptoheros area maybe.


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I mostly agree... Ive found out very recently that they push for territory. I didn't really always see them in such an aggressive state as i only kept smaller or less aggressive species before, or wet-pets. Now, trying to mix larger fish with the power to kill... A challenge. JDs are pretty mean, not top of the scale, but i wouldn't think it would work super well. Especially if they wanted to breed.

I have a 75, so if I had a pair of JDs what else could go with them?


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I think a pair would be good. They have personality.

Bottom feeders are the only things that could live long-term. Dithers will get eaten, cichlids will probably be killed by a pair.

Anything in the Synodontis genus should work provided it is of the right size. They are durable and they clean up the tank well. They also push back against fish that try to terrorize them. My old Syno Eupterus actually sparred with my male Texas of equal size. Synos are nocturnal, mostly, which should help keep them out of the way.

If you want to try dithers, i would go with Giant Danios. They are fast and agile and should live. Not Tiger Barbs, they will die when sleeping. The JD will probably grow big enough to eat a lot of the Tetras but Buenos Aires might work, as well as some of the other ones.

If you want to try cichlids with them, avoid anything large, overly aggressive, underly aggressive, or too small. I would say that Cons would be a good bet except they would probably pair up with the Jack Dempseys. If you have a pair of JDs already then you could add a male Con. Lots of hiding places will help.





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[Incisions072185]

As of right now I have an empty running tank. Rehomed all my fish so I could start fresh with cichlids. I really like how JDs look but I want an aquarium full of life and color so maybe JDs wouldn't be the best choice


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[LayzorBeams]

As of right now I have an empty running tank. Rehomed all my fish so I could start fresh with cichlids. I really like how JDs look but I want an aquarium full of life and color so maybe JDs wouldn't be the best choice


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Full of life and color? That seems like an African Cichlid tank to me.

Centrals are for aggression, personality, size, and subtle beauty. Not really colorful or racing around the tank...

Look into Peacocks and Mbuna for fish that are colorful and very active. They are Cichlids but they are from Africa instead of the Americas.


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[Incisions072185]

Mbunas tend to be on the smaller side ride?


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[LayzorBeams]

Mbunas tend to be on the smaller side ride?


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Im not the African Cichlid man, at all.

I basically know the general groups: Tropheus, which are colorful and horrifically mean; Peacocks, colorful and pretty peaceful; Mbuna, colorful and not overly mean but not nice; and Shellies, which are mostly white white stripes and stuff. There are Haps as well but i know nothing about them.

I think that out of the ones i listed, Shellies are smallest, then most Tropheus, then Mbuna, then Peacocks. Haps can get pretty big i think?

Mbuna can live in a 55.

As some of the other for advice on Africans.


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[Incisions072185]

Well you gave me more info then I knew, thanks. Hopefully someone will chime in with some other advice


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[Daven]

I have a 75 gallon african mbuna tank and love them. Tons of activity and colour once they grow a bit, and its interesting to see the social pecking order establish. Always some chasing, but rarely do i see any real damage unless something is really wrong with the stocking. You want to keep only one male of each species because other males will be attacked and chased until there is one. Which means the plan is usually to buy more than you plan on having in the end so that as they grow and males start showing up, you can remove them and have a good male/female ratio. They dont have sharp teeth like the americans, as they are mostly herbivorous. But they dont back down and can be very relentless if it decides a fish needs to go lol Dwarf varieties tend to be as small as 4" and the larger ones ive ran across get around 6". Most around 5" generally speaking. This is for the Mbuna side of africans, not including peacocks and haplochromis species which can tend to get larger and more open water swimmers. Those also tend to be more peaceful depending on the species compared to the boisterous mbuna. With 75 gallons, it is usually recommending 18-20 being the max to spread out aggresion, so you could easily get quite a few colours in there. Be sure to have alot of rocks and places to claim/retreat into

I love my tank and think it makes a great show tank in my living room. Feel free to check out my album if you're interested in some of the different fish i have in mine. Mine are all still pretty young with the biggest being around 4" and youngest additions around 1.5"

 

[TMRC Exotics]

Im not the African Cichlid man, at all.

I basically know the general groups: Tropheus, which are colorful and horrifically mean; Peacocks, colorful and pretty peaceful; Mbuna, colorful and not overly mean but not nice; and Shellies, which are mostly white white stripes and stuff. There are Haps as well but i know nothing about them.

I think that out of the ones i listed, Shellies are smallest, then most Tropheus, then Mbuna, then Peacocks. Haps can get pretty big i think?

Mbuna can live in a 55.

As some of the other for advice on Africans.


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Need to do some more African research, most all of that second paragraph is incorrect. Not trying to be mean, just saying...

 

[LayzorBeams]

Need to do some more African research, most all of that second paragraph is incorrect. Not trying to be mean, just saying...

No offense taken. This is why i have said and will continue to say that if you want to know about Africans, don't ask me. Im reading this thread to learn just as much as he is...

The reason i don't research them more is that i have no budget or space for them except Shellies.

Could you clear up what was wrong about it?


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[TMRC Exotics]

No offense taken. This is why i have said and will continue to say that if you want to know about Africans, don't ask me. Im reading this thread to learn just as much as he is...

The reason i don't research them more is that i have no budget or space for them except Shellies.

Could you clear up what was wrong about it?


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Yeah sure layzor, tropheus are from lake tanganyika and shouldn't be mixed with the other Malawi's mentioned, I think you were thinking of psuedotropheus which are Malawi mbuna with pretty nasty attitudes. Mbuna themselves are highly aggressive, with the exception of a few species these are the nasty ones. Peacocks shouldnt be classified as docile either, they're pretty aggressive as well, mine runs over mbuna. Haps are large and heavy swimmers, as are peacocks.

 

[LayzorBeams]

Yeah sure layzor, tropheus are from lake tanganyika and shouldn't be mixed with the other Malawi's mentioned, I think you were thinking of psuedotropheus which are Malawi mbuna with pretty nasty attitudes. Mbuna themselves are highly aggressive, with the exception of a few species these are the nasty ones. Peacocks shouldnt be classified as docile either, they're pretty aggressive as well, mine runs over mbuna. Haps are large and heavy swimmers, as are peacocks.

I wasn't suggesting any of them should be mixed. I knew that Tropheus were Tangs, I've read up on them previously. Although i guess i got some of the aggression levels wrong...

I do know that Trophs are mean as h*ll though...


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[Arrash99]

I agree that it sounds like you want African cichlids like mbunas like the precious person said. I have several tanks and I actually mix Africans and Americans. I understand the PH and all that but they all do great! JDs are not very colorful most of the time, but when they want to be and the light hits them right, it's like fireworks. That said, go with some Kenye, cobalt blue and red zebras, yellow labs, johani, etc... Then also throw in a few sexy peacocks and you're good to go!


Arrash
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[Arrash99]

Arrash
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[LayzorBeams]

I wouldn't do that. Not for the PH or anything, most fish couldn't give two craps.

The aggression and territorialness is the issue...

Most of the Africans couldn't live with the larger Centrals or Souths, as anything that like 10-12" is big enough to try to eat a lot of the Africans (not all of them) or too aggressive for some of them.

Maybe some of the smaller species of Centrals like Convicts or Firemouths could work, but i still wouldn't do it.

Not saying it will never work, I've seen it work. But i would day that the majority of the time, it wouldn't work long term.




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[TMRC Exotics]

I wouldn't do that.

I agree wholeheartedly.

 

[Arrash99]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm here to learn so please educate me. That said, I'm not sure if you have personal experience. I have a 100G with an Oscar, JD, several zebras,2 johani, 2 male convicts, 2 red jewels and a few others and they get along great! Just sayen.


Arrash
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[TMRC Exotics]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm here to learn so please educate me. That said, I'm not sure if you have personal experience. I have a 100G with an Oscar, JD, several zebras,2 johani, 2 male convicts, 2 red jewels and a few others and they get along great! Just sayen.


Arrash
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I do indeed have personal experience. That's a bad mixture of some great fish. Between the oscar, JD, those frontosa, then mbuna its a pretty sure bet that things will go south and soon.