Advice on African cichlids

[charlie]

Hi all, i`ll be freeing up a 40 gln or a 33 gln both with a 36 x12 foot print & i`m thinking of trying some Africans cichlids. The thing that interest me the most is contrasting colours, what would you recommend for a tank of this size , qty & sexes.
Thanks

[RoxyDog]

Welcome to the dark side darling.   

Saulosi work well in a smaller tank...here's a good example. http://www.cichlid-forum.com/tanks.  Look for "Saulosi Social Society" under 2006 tank of the month winners.  They stay smaller, and you get the nice contrast in colours.  If I had a smaller tank, that's the way I'd go for sure.

Or you can try and keep just males or just females of a number of different species.  Unfortunately you won't fit too many 5-6" fishies in that size tank.  My 31gal only had 8 fish.  Oh and think ROCKS, lots of em.    

[darkdep]

Saulosi are a good choice, and easy to find.  Other MBuna will do ok in that size as long as you keep the stocking low and you don't end up with too many aggressive males.

[BigDaddy]

Say it isn't so!  I know it can be far to easy to slip down the path to The Dark Side but you must resist!

[darkdep]

Don't listen to mr South American there.  Hard Water scares him.

[BigDaddy]

Okay buddy... that's why I have a big bag of aragonite and 50lbs of salt in waiting for a 33 gallon... 

[zippity]

Tsk, tsk, tsk, charlie, charlie, charlie!!!!

I thought you were going to go with tiger barbs and plants?

Well with african cichlids, they have great personality, quite active and pretty colors.

With a good filtration going and lots of rocks, I can see you putting in about 6-7 cichlids in a 40 gal tank. As for colors, yellow labs are always nice, mixed in with some afra's. I would most likely go with 2-3 yellow labs and 3-4 cyno. afra's. Going to a demasoni colony can only work with about 8-15 which a 40 gal is too small, unless you get babies but when they get bigger you will have to get bigger. You seen my tanks, you know what they look like and with alot of rock formation for hiding spots and to get away from any aggressive fish.

Cichlids prefer a nice PH of about 8.0, mine are at 7.8. To get this, use crushed coral and tufa rocks to help out. But cichlids are hardy especially captive bred, they can accept different PH hust dont mess with any fluctuations up and down. Any questions call me!!!


Here is a nice website to look at for lake malawi, if you want tanganyikan then click on that one but they aren't as colorful and some get way too big, unless stuff like shell dweller but not colorful or attitudes like malawis.  Check out cyno. afra (cobue)

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/category.php?cat=2


Terry

[charlie]

Hi all, i`ll be freeing up a 40 gln or a 33 gln both with a 36 x12 foot print & ;)i`m thinking of trying some Africans cichlids .

Thanks for all your suggestions so far guys , still thinking , what started this , is the fact that i just picked up a 50 gln Oceanic tank ( 30 x 18.5 X 21) which will take over my 40 gln planted Occupants & plants, so i`m left with a empty tank & looking for ideas outside of the planted world
Regards

[sniggir]

I realy like tang cichlids myself!!!! some liliups julieochromis regani, and brachardi daphodile make for a nice tank of that size

[Al]

Some nice suggestions on the tangs - but I would caution that in a small tank you might want to be careful about mixing all of those together. The julis and daffodils have mega clutches and in no time you will be inundated with fry. If you have an outlet for these or a spare tank, no problem - but daff parents and julis can be downright ornery once they have fry in their tanks and quickly take over most of the tank. Good luck.

[charlie]

Thanks for all the info , but i`ve decided to make my empty tank another planted  tank  .
Regards

[sniggir]

yes this is true but that is why you have to be carful as to what you plan on doing with your tank and resurch the fish, and build adiquit caves and hiding places for them.

[PaleoFishGirl]

Thanks for all the info , but i`ve decided to make my empty tank another planted  tank  .
Regards

YES!!! We knew it would happen

LOL

[darkdep]

Darn.  Thought we had a foothold with you Charlie.