Advice For Cichlid Noob?

[merry78]

Hi all, have just acquired a leaking 40 gall tank that is scratched and poorly lit (yay, what a bargain!!).

anyway, as it is unsuitable for a nice planted display, can anyone recommend a type of african cichlid (SMALL species only!!) that is really colourful? needs to be african as i have high pH and hardness tapwater. Will set up with sand and rocks/caves covered in algae.

also, as regards the leak, it is only a sprung seam and still holds water relatively well, so after i empty and dry it out, i should be able to go over the problem bit with some silicon. I am trying to idiot-proof the process as i am doing it myself.
So that i can't possibly get it wrong, i know i can use ordinary bathroom silicon that isn't anti-mould etc, but can someone please give me an exact name and product description of one they have used successfully (i'm only going a small tube, not a whole big gun thing) and preferably an APN?

i have been researching the cichlids (have never kept african cichlids before) and had thought that perhaps a few electric blues and yellows might be ok, as long as i get only one male and all the rest females, or no males at all....or is the tank too small?

Any thoughts or suggestions anyone??
__________________
Cheers,
Merry

 

[Matt_northants]

What are the dimensions of the tank, as the footprint is more important than volume for RV cichlids. But you definately have plenty to choose from Neo. Brichardi are cool and interesting, as are Neo Multipunctatus. For Malawis Yellow Labs would fit fit well into any medium size tank.

 

[nukeonekitty]

You won't be able to put any mbuna in there, but depending on the dimensions of the tank, you should be able to have some of the more peaceful species.

 

[Larissa]

I'm not sure how useful this will be and you may have to do some follow up research but for what it's worth:

Tanganyika Mini-Community

Select 1 pair from each group (max of 2 pairs):
• Altolamprologus calvus or compressiceps
• Neolamprologus leleupi or cylindricus
• Julidochromis or Chalinochromis species
• Telmatochromis vittatus, bifrenatus or
brichardi
or

Tanganyikan Sand-Sifter Setup:
• Xenotilapia papilio or flavipinnis - 6
• Paracyprichromis brieni or nigripinnis - 8
• Altolamprologus calvus or compressiceps pair
• Phyllonemus typus - 4

or

• Altolamprologus calvus or compressiceps pair
• Neolamprologus buescheri
• Shell dweller pair of choice -
'Lamprologus' (Shellies) brevis,
multifasciatus (group), melegaris,
ornatipinnis, ocellatus, speciosus,
similis (group), Neolamprologus signatus

or

Victoria & Malawi Combo

• Astatotilapia latifasciata - trio
• Pseudotropheus saulosi - 7
• Ancistrus temminckii "Bristlenose Pleco" - 2

or

• Pundamilia nyererei - 5
• Labidochromis caeruleus - 5
• Ancistrus temminckii "Bristlenose Pleco" - 2

or

Lake Malawi Aquarium

• Pseudotropheus socofoli - 5
• Metriaclima estherae - 5
• Ancistrus temminckii "Bristlenose Pleco" - 2

or
• Metriaclima sp. "Msobo" - 5
• Cynotilapia afra - 5
• Ancistrus temminckii "Bristlenose Pleco" - 2
or

• Placidochromis electra - 4
• Copadichromis azureus - 4
• Synodontis nyassae - 2

Cookie cutter set-ups from: <a href="http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/cookie_cutter_40g.php" target="_blank">http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/cookie_cutter_40g.php</a> There are good pics and info here too.

 

[dthoffsett]

Unless it's a 4-foot any of the fish from Lake Malawi are out (mbuna, haps, peacocks) unfortunatly. If it is a 4-foot you could go with some of the smaller species as a species only tank, some choices would be l.caeruleus, p.saulosi, & p.demasoni.

There are several choices from Lake Tanganikya.

 

[dogboy]

hi, im new to this forum but have been keeping malawi cichlids for years, it seems everything you read says you need massive tanks for them, in my experience you dont if you are carefull, i have a 3 foot 130 litre tank with 3 pseudotropheus elongatus and 6 melanochromis maingano with a common pleco (and 8 tigerbarbs as dither fish) and the cichlids are all breeding nicely. elongatus and melanochromis are both aggressive fish but i have few problems with them so if you where to go for more peacefull fish like alounocaras of electric blues and yellows you will be fine. good luck

 

[Talleyrand]

I think a 40 is big enough for a few Mbuna. I have had a 55 gal tank with 8 Mbuna in it (plus 3 Convicts and 4 Panda Cory's, fish that couldnt make it in one of my other tanks). I would think 5 or 6 would be find in a 40. The Mbuna are in constant motion and fun to watch but after keeping them for several years I have never seen any horrible aggression from them. Nothing even close to a Red Devil or something. Fish that have gotten bullied in my other tanks end up in the Mbuna tank as they seem to be the most peaceful fishes I keep.

 

[dthoffsett]

I think a 40 is big enough for a few Mbuna. I have had a 55 gal tank with 8 Mbuna in it (plus 3 Convicts and 4 Panda Cory's, fish that couldnt make it in one of my other tanks). I would think 5 or 6 would be find in a 40. The Mbuna are in constant motion and fun to watch but after keeping them for several years I have never seen any horrible aggression from them. Nothing even close to a Red Devil or something. Fish that have gotten bullied in my other tanks end up in the Mbuna tank as they seem to be the most peaceful fishes I keep.

Out of curiosity, what mbuna species are you keeping, because I've seen some pretty nasty attacks with mine.

 

[Talleyrand]

I have two Yellow Lab's, a 2-3" and one 4-5".
A Red Zebra, 3-4"
A Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos 3-4"
A Labeotropheus fuelleborni 3-4"
And an Orange Blossom Peacock, a cross between an Aulonocara nyassae and a species of female mbuna. 4-5"

And 3 hybrids. The fish breed occasionally and three have survived to adulthood. The Red Zebra us the only female as far as I can tell.
One is large 5-6", has a cream colored body with purple vertical stripes
Another is a solid washed out blue color, 2-3"
The last is a blue fish with a fuelleborni type calico pattern of browns in jagged vertical stripes.
They used to live with a 7-8" Upside down Catfish, but he was moved to my 100 gallon tank.

These fish have lived together in a 55 gallon tank for 2(?) years without a casualty or fight as far as I know. Crushed coral bed, a power filter, and stack of rocks on the left side. I am very bored with this tank and am thinking of doing something different with it. Just dont know what yet.

They also share the tank with 3 convicts and 4 cory cats. They were residents of an odd sized tank, around 35 gallons, that housed them. They had to be removed because the Midas cichlid in the tank was bullying them.