55 gallon tank idea, I need some approval frm you guys!

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unknown_7

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Jan 29, 2005
Messages
318
Location
Canada
I have a 55 gallon tank with a senegal birchir, and 4 juvenile female convict cichlids. I want to make my tank look brighter cause with black convicts and a gray bichir it looks very dull. Anyways I was thinking of adding some electric yellow labs, so what do you guys think?
 
I wouldn't suggest it mainly due to the fact that the Yellow Labs is one of the more peaceful Africans. I've seen Convicts do some major damage.
 
bussardnr said:
i've heard not to mix afrix=cans and new world ciclids
Also, I am not sure but I think they are both Africans.




I put a giant danio in there and females did nothing to it, nor did they do anything to the feeder goldfish I put in there and I have a senegal bichir in there that they do not bother. So I don't know.
 
Convicts are New World/American Cichlids and Labs are African cichlids. It's not a good idea at all to mix them. While there's a chance of survival it's just not good for the fish. they need different water conditions, have different pecking orders, different forms of aggression. In short, this is just not a great idea. You might try some Salvinis cichlids. Colorful and much more compatible, IME.
I also think you've been lucky mixing the bichir and the convicts thus far.
 
I have never seen a Salvinis cichlid at any of my lfs, so I can not put that in there. How about a firemouth or a Jack Dempsey?
 
Jack Dempsey's get too big to be permanently housed in a 55 gallon tank, IMO. So I would say negative on buying one of them. You could probably buy a firemouth or maybe 2 and house them in your tank, without much of a problem. I would just say that they aren't going to add the type of eye popping color to your tank that a Salvini will. Firemouth's can sometimes be a shy fish if not housed in groups of the same species as well. Just a heads up.
Personally, if it were me, I would save up to get a couple Salvini from a reputable online store to really add some flair and color to the tank. But thats just my opinion.
Here's a picture in case you've never seen a Salvini
http://cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=26
 
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