African Cichlid Tank Mates

[BaylorPerez]

With the Water parameters i have. they are perfect for the Cichlids i have, but my main concern is the Algae that will be growing as i am doing a Natural light source( not my best idea but the cheapest idea i have since the lights for a 55 are 120-200$ ).
 
Water parameters
 
Ph 8.0
Ammonia .25PPm ( added more fish so the bioload hasnt caught up yet )
Nitrite 0.0 PPm
Nitrate 20PPm
 
Gh 15PPT
KH 10
 
Now my question is or more of thinking. What tank mates would be good for a Cichlid tank, taken into effect that i will be getting 10 more Cichlids to help with any aggression that may happen due to territory disputes.
 
I was thinking of a BN Pleco to help for the Algae that i know will be growing as my water may be good for them if i acclimate them correctly.  But i was also thinking of getting a CAE ( Chineese Algae eater ). And maybe several Giant Danios ( to help with aggression as well ).
 
But some suggestions would help as to what other fish i could do ( My filter is a 80Gal filter so i can probally stock abit more than 20 fish in the 55 tank )

 

[Byron]

I am not an African rift lake cichlid specialist, but I may be able to offer a few general suggestions.  And the first is, that an aquarium of rift lake cichlids should only contain rift lake cichlids, or possibly a catfish species such as occur naturally in the lakes (the rift lake aquarists will be able to help with species).  You should have a good number of the cichlids to provide a natural environment for their aggressive tendencies and there won't be space left for anything else anyway.
 
Any fish like danios will have very different environmental needs (water parameters, aquascaping) and it is not good to mix these with the cichlids.  It would in my view be cruel to put a quiet fish like a Bristlenose in with these cichlids, aside from the parameter and environmental differences (BN need wood for one thing, and quiet dim lighting).  The CAE is a useless fish no matter what; it gets large, nasty, and does not eat algae.
 
Byron.

 

[BaylorPerez]

BN are used with Cichlids if brought into the tank when the cichlids are in a early stage. Same like my Cichlids. As for the Gaint Danio, there is a African species that lives with the Cichlids, i dont know if its the same lake as where mine come from but i can look when they get older to see if its the same lake as where they come from.
 
But i do worry about the parameters as i do have wood in the tank for a Pleco to have fun with. And to get that more natural brownish tint that a lake would have.

 

[Far_King]

Petricola catfish will work with African Cichlids.
 
http/www.seriouslyfish.com/species/synodontis-petricola/

 

[EdbetaRed]

I would advise no more than 3 species in a 55g.
 
Synodontis catfish work well on the bottom. I have seen people use Clown Loaches in Cichlid tanks can't comment though as I know they have different water parameters.
Sure somebody will be in the know about that more than I.
Would be interested to know myself how the Clown Loach gets on in harder water1

 

[Munroco]

Your water parameters are indeed well suited to Rift valley species. I'm assuming you wont have plants as they are unlikely to survive, so the only algae problem would be cleaning it from the front glass. I definitely wouldn't advise putting a bristlenose into these water conditions or with these fish.

 

[BaylorPerez]

Instead of a BN i put in a Common Pleco ( hoping for it to reach atleast 10Inch ) in my 55Gal. Next comes to add 5 more Cichilds before adding anymore fish in there

 

[BaylorPerez]

Btw the pleco is about 5Inches as of right now

 

[Ninjouzata]

What size tank are you going to move the common pleco to? Definitely does not belong in this size tank long term.

 

[BaylorPerez]

atleast a 75 when it gets to the size of its mother _-_ almost 20Inches long its mother was