Questions about Cichlid's

[crono_vivi]

Hi, I'm new to this hobby. I'm thinking about getting the 29G starter kit that All-Glass Aquarium has(btw, is this smart? That way I could just upgrade from the equipment that came with it as I go?). I was wondering what type of Cichlid's I could keep in a 29. I'd like to keep more than one species, if possible. Also, what book do you guys recommend on Cichlids? I want to get a good resource.

 

[Menagerie]

I'm thinking about getting the 29G starter kit that All-Glass Aquarium has(btw, is this smart? That way I could just upgrade from the equipment that came with it as I go?).

It's okay, but you will probably need to up grade the heater sooner than you think and depending on the filter, you may need one of those too. Personally, I would check the classifieds and Penny Saver-type papers for a good deal on a tank and get my own heater and filter.

Cichilds are great and in that size tank, I would stick with dwarf or smaller cichlids. Most of these are fairly docile, unless breeing.

As for a good book, I can't think of one off the top of my head.

 

[spence0416]

Pretty small tank for cichlids. I'd try for a species tank as their colors will be better when they pair off and start to breed. Jewels, Firemouths, Convicts, and shell dwellers would probably be your best bet. All of these besides the shellies will still need to be watched for aggression.

Besides coloring the true personality of the Cichlids come out when breeding. To me a breeding pair of cichlids are more entertaing than any other tank I've seen. Great personality and great color isn't that what we all look for in our tanks?

 

[Voodoo Chilli]

I highly recommend, "Enjoying Cichlids". It's a great general-purpose book that covers both New and Old World species.

 

[Menagerie]

I have rams and apistos in my community tank. Their coloring is great and their behavior is fun to watch. I think you would be fine with rams and/or apitos in that tank. Shellies are another opition. I have a few in a ten gal with a sand substrate.

 

[poppab02]

The absolute first thing I would do is test your tap water. Buy species that do well in those water conditions. If you are new to this hobby you do not want to be fighting the water quality battle. Simply pick cichlids that do well with whatever your water conditions are in your area.

A 29 gallon is going to severely limit your options as far as fish species. I think most all of the species that will do well have already been mentioned. If you have the option I would go with a 55 g because it opens up alot more options including almost all of the african cichlids plus water quality is much easier to maintain and aggression problems will be much less. If you want to get a multiple species tank a 29 is too small for anything but rams and apistos together.

As far as buying a tank, definitely go with Menagerie's suggestion of scouring the classified's, check Ebay for tanks available for pick up in your area, and even garage sales. you can often get great deals on tanks and stands and then have plenty of money to splurge on better heaters and filters. The heaters in those kits sometimes have a tendency to give out, although I have had good luck with my 29 and two 10's. The filters are underpowered, they're fine for community tanks but cichlids tend to make a mess. However if you're very good about keeping the tank cleaned then they can work.