Question about cichlids

[lyquidphyre]

Okay, so I called this guy in the newspaper about a 55gal and he said he was also selling some fish as well- some cichlids- which is want I want to put in my now empty 20gal

He said he has south american and african cichlids, but other than that he didn't say what kind they were. He did mention fire mouth, green terror and green texas but Im pretty sure those are too big for a 29gal. But, he said he had all sorts of cichlids he would sell me for really cheap.. being a beginner into the cichlid world, I don't know what to do or what to look for when picking these out because I want to make sure they won't outgrow my tank.

Would I be better off to not get these? Or do you think with adequate research Id be okay to pick some out on my own?

 

[rich311k]

The texas and Green Terror will get much to big and they get really nasty. The firemouth might work, they are only semi-aggresive, but 29 would be pushing it in my opinion.

 

[Jchillin]

Ask him about the other cichlids he has. Perhaps he may have some dwarfs like German, Bolivian Rams, or a nice Njisseni.

 

[lyquidphyre]

Ask him about the other cichlids he has. Perhaps he may have some dwarfs like German, Bolivian Rams, or a nice Njisseni.

I politely asked about his cichlids and what would work in a 29gal... but he was kinda vague and he had no names for any of them (other than the ones mentioned). So it was difficult because I didn't want to keep saying "what do you have small enough for a 29gal"

 

[Jchillin]

Chances are he doesn't know what they are. Is there a way for you to get some pics or visit for more info?

 

[lyquidphyre]

Hehe thats kind of the impression I got- that he wasn't sure what they are.
It would be weird to go to his house, take pictures and get back to him... ya know? Bah! If he has fish that are suitable for a 29gal, this could potentially be a really good deal.

Maybe worse case scenerio I get what fish I like, and take whatever advice he can give me when I pick them, bring them home.. and if they aren't compatible, get store credit at my lfs

 

[rich311k]

My thought is if he has those three fish he mentioned I can't imagine anything sweet or compatible surviving in there with them, unless he has more than 1 tanks.

 

[Jchillin]

He said he has south american and african cichlids, but other than that he didn't say what kind they were.

There is room in there for some other cichlids, especially since he mentioned Africans.

Picking them up and bringing them home isn't a real good idea. Some Africans require extremely high ph levels (8 and above) and are just as aggressive as the green terror.

You could look up various cichlids at fishprofiles and compare them with what he has.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Check out pics of African Shell Dwellers and remember what they look like. When you check them out, unless they are shell dwellers, there really aren't any africans that should be housed in anything less than a 55 gal tank. Even Labs eventually outgrow it and need the larger tank.

 

[Menagerie]

I wonder if he is getting rid of them for cheap because he doesn't know how to care for them and maybe they are ripping each other up.

 

[lyquidphyre]

I think he has several tanks and they keep having fry so he is just trying to get rid of em

 

[TankGirl]

I would not get any cichlids from this person, just because he does not know what he has and you have to be so very careful when stocking a 29 gallon. I'd choose very carefully when you stock it, and be absolutely sure you know what you have when you get it. If you had a 120 or something it might be worth it to get some "assorted" cichlids.

The other thing to consider is that if he does not know what he has, and he is keeping them together, they are likely hybridized and you'll have a tough time identifying them.