Best Starter Cichlid?

[new fish lover]

I just bought a new 55 gal tank. Nothing but gravel it in right now.
1. What are the best "starter" cichlids. I hear Convicts are easy and cool.
Also can they survive the initial cycle?

2. What about plants. Is it a waste of time with Cichlids especially convicts.

3. Any particular decorations that would be best ie. breeding area.

 

[juanveldez]

if you are going to use fish to cycle a tank the best ones in my experince are tiger barbs. no sense in exposing a perfectly healthy and much more expensive cichlid to something like that. after the cycle is compleat I would actually go with a Jack Dempesy as they are pretty tolerant of pretty much everything. but like I said I would never use one to cycle the tank. IMO JDs are underrated as far as their personality mine is 8-8.5 inches long very very big and loves to eat krill from my hand, I can even get him to jump out of the tank if I want to. they are really personable if there is a mate with them I have mine in a divided 55 with a Green Terror female next to him.

as for plants real plants are not a good idea with new world cichlids. Plastic is the way to go, and as for breeding so long as you use overturned flower pots some rocks and drift wood you will be set

 

[rvm]

I think the plants thing is a bit of luck of the draw. My severum tank has no plants as he just rips them all up, but in my tank that has my sajicas and a Geophagus, the plants are fine.
Juan, could new fish lover have a pair of JD's in that tank?? that would be a nice setup!! Or Blue Acaras; They're lovely fish!

 

[juanveldez]

yes RVM a pair of JDs would go well in a 55 not much else would survive in there but a pleco and no live plants would. and as an added bonus JDs are fairly easy to sex at a young age.

all ya got to do is look at the gill covers if there is alot of blue espcially on the lower part it is probably a female as males dont' have alot of blue in their face it is more into the body.

 

[Vip]

I would say for a newbie cichlid get a couple of differnt ones so you get to know how they act a bit better.
Why not a Firemouth, couple of blue acaras and a couple of convicts?

 

[nibbles]

i have a cambomba plant in with my convicts and they havent touched it.. i kinda think theyre scared of it... convicts are pretty easy to keep, and if you get a pair they will breed, so that would be cool

 

[Ben]

i think the best starter cichlid ae dwarf cichlids but for cooler ones why nto get a blood parrot or as people said some blue acaras

 

[Dwarfs]

Gold severums, rainbows, and Geo surinamensis are all great fish The geo is a bit underrated, but it is a beautiful, good cichlid I'd also like to add, my geo begs and looks at me more then my severum, which would be a lot Firemouths are cool too, but are skittish and get scared easily Just get some java fern, stick it between some smooth rocks (wedge it in tight) and that should be good. Just have a decent amount of rocks and caves for the fish to retreat to. And even if the plants are well secured, don't expect them to stay that way. Last week I witnessed my severum going underneath a secure java fern, turning vertical, grabbing the plant and trying to swim up I guess he didn't like it there. To avoid having the plant being eaten or torn apart, get java fern or anubius HTH