Help me choose my new tank inhabitants

[Dragonmommy]

Hi all, I thought I posted this but maybe I didn't.

OK I have the 55 gallon up and running and do to an equipment problem in my little tank I had to put my fishies right into the big tank without cycling. I did add a 3 week old filter from another tank though to help it along.
So once everything is stable I want to add more fishies.

Currently I have

1 african cichlid (lake malawi, yellow dude)

3 zebra Danios which I would take back to the store if I could catch them

4-5 guppies, they wont be around long

a dozen or so feeder goldies, I am sure only a few will make it past the cichlids when I get them

a few little itty bitty snails

I need a pleco butt hey only one they had was like 10 inches long and they wanted 25.00 bucks for him, so I will probably get one in the next town over.


I would like cichlids (lake malawi), but what else goes with them?

My husband says he wants an angel fish and didnt seem to understand that cichlids arent into having angel fish as tankmates... so is there anything similar that I could put in to please him?

If you have photos of what i should add, or links to photos please include them, thanks!

Thanks so much for your input

 

[Fishyfanatic]

If you are going to have Malawi Cichlids, plan on having only Malawi Cichlids plus a pleco in the tank. I suspect that your yellow fish is a yellow lab. A good site for info is www.malawimayhem.com. They have a bunch of pics. Check out the Maylandria and Pseudotrophus species. You'll probably want to specifically look for the Mbuna family.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Also, if you wish a cichlid tank, everything else in your tank will have to go. The feeder goldies for one, will due nothing but cause you problems in my honest opinion. Don't look for them to just get eaten when you add cichlids. If the fish are not able to easily be eaten by the cichlid, they will likely ignore one another save for some picking and nipping.

 

[DepotFish]

Get rid of the goldfish and danios first, they don't share the same water preferences as cichlids. I could see juvinile cichlids learning to get along with angels as long as they have their space. I think you might need to get hubby a tank of his own

 

[Fishyfanatic]

The Angels and Africans will not mix. The Africans are too aggressive.

 

[Dragonmommy]

I know they wont mix, I just needed someone to say it so my hard headed hubby can read it!!!

As for the goldies, well they may have to hang out till spring when they can go into the pond but I am unwilling to give them a death sentance now. They are such sweethearts, they hand feed, so does the cichlid who really needs a name. He is a yellow lab BTW

The Danio's will go... as soon as I catch them, they are FAST! The local biker bar is setting up a tank right now and they asked me to help so the danios may find a new home at the biker bar. LOL... I guess I should explain that my dad (not me) is a regular and since the bar is 2 blocks from my home I am often playing designated driver.

 

[Dragonmommy]

I almost forgot, I have kept goldies with lake malawi cichlids before and the goldies conform to the cichlids water standards, not the other way around. I make sure of that.
Maybe when i gix the little tank the goldies can move in there... or they can wait for spring and in the mean time I will fatten them up a bit.