types of cichlids

[butterfly_koi]

This us my first time posting on this topic but am contemplating on setting up a tank for cichlids. My question is this: can you mix any types of cichlids together? For example a African and a south American?

 

[HUKIT]

With a large enough tank you could mix almost anything without aggression issues, but mixing old and new worlds more often fails than succeeds.

 

[josh7]

I would just stick with new world and Africans separate from eachotyer no matter the tank size.

 

[butterfly_koi]

With a large enough tank you could mix almost anything without aggression issues, but mixing old and new worlds more often fails than succeeds.

New worlds?

 

[Freakgecko91]

New worlds?

New world refers to north (Texas cichlid, only north American species), central, and south American cichlids. Old world refers to African and the few Asian species that exist

 

[josh7]

Also I think that if you want to do cichlids I would personally do new worlds as they have much more personality and IMO they are just as colorful as the Africans.

 

[butterfly_koi]

Oohhhh I see! So I'm going to set up a cichlid tank in my 75 gallon, any recommendations on types?

 

[josh7]

For a 75 gallon you could do 1 large aggressive new world cichlid like a red devil, Midas or flowerhorn. Or else you could do a pair of mid sized one like Jack Dempsey pair or maybe a Green Terror pair( beautiful fish) or else you could do a nice selection of medium sized cichlids with one larger passive cichlid like a setup of 1 severum, 1 firemouth, 1 blue acara and maybe a bottom feeder like a pictus catfish.

 

[Freakgecko91]

There are TONS of options in a tank that size i've seen you around the community section, which pushes me to suggest some dwarfs or smaller species. You could do an amazing south American community with laetacara curviceps, cleithocara maronii (keyhole cichlids, one of my personal favorites), and a few pairs of apistogramma spp or dicrossus spp. As for non-cichlid species, you could do 2-3 large schools of tetras, a large school of Cory cats (like 10-12, which would allow you to watch their more natural behavior), and some angels (also south American cichlids) just my opinion though

 

[bcurlacher54]

why would you go with ONE or TWO SA or NW cichlids, when you could have a tank full of beautiful african cichlids. id get bored with one fish.

 

[butterfly_koi]

What types are medium sized?

 

[josh7]

For medium sized new world are convict, salvinis, firemouths, and blue acara.

 

[butterfly_koi]

There are TONS of options in a tank that size i've seen you around the community section, which pushes me to suggest some dwarfs or smaller species. You could do an amazing south American community with laetacara curviceps, cleithocara maronii (keyhole cichlids, one of my personal favorites), and a few pairs of apistogramma spp or dicrossus spp. As for non-cichlid species, you could do 2-3 large schools of tetras, a large school of Cory cats (like 10-12, which would allow you to watch their more natural behavior), and some angels (also south American cichlids) just my opinion though

I've done the tetras and Cory cats and am bored with it. I want to start doing a larger fish. I've been working on my tank for a month now and haven't even got to the stage where I can put water in it yet all of this hard work deserves beautiful fish to show it off and cichlids are just the right fish for that

 

[jetajockey]

Dollar sunfish, warmouth (these are centrarchids) and some shiners to keep the tank active.

If it must be cichlids, I've seen some beautiful peacock and mbuna tanks. I guess it'd depend on if you wanted a lot of activity or just a couple of large fish.

 

[josh7]

If you want a little larger fish I would honestly get a Green terror pair with maybe a featherfin squeaker catfish just go to YouTube and look at some of the new world cichlids. So you can see them in action

 

[Freakgecko91]

Look into discus maybe? They'll challenge you as a fish keeper (where's the fun in life if you don't keep yourself challenged after all) and are BEAUTIFUL! You're gonna get a lot of mixed responses lol Most people have their own favorites, either new world or old world. I find old world to be boring, and that new worlds have the better personalities, but that's just my opinion.

 

[josh7]

I agree freakgecko but I think that she should try a easier cichlid species to start just my opinion but if you like discus go for it.

 

[butterfly_koi]

Dollar sunfish, warmouth (these are centrarchids) and some shiners to keep the tank active.

If it must be cichlids, I've seen some beautiful peacock and mbuna tanks. I guess it'd depend on if you wanted a lot of activity or just a couple of large fish.

Allot of activity is best, I'm not the kind of person that likes to set up a big tank for just one fish. I of course don't want it to be too large. How many fish can you put in the 75 comfortably without overstocking

 

[butterfly_koi]

I agree freakgecko but I think that he should try a easier cichlid species to start just my opinion but if you like discus go for it.

He is a she last time I checked

 

[josh7]

I think probably like 20 Africans depending on species or else 3-4 medium sized south Americans.