chichlid tank?

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Hiya,

I have recently seen some pictures of chichlids and they r AWSOME!
im getting a 35 gallon tank, and i wanted to make it look really tropical (bright colours) and medium/heavily planted.

I saw these chichlids;
Bolivian Rams
Banded Apisto
Rio miua Apisto
Spadetailed Checkerboard Cichlid

Basically all the really colourfull ones

But i got a few questions;

1) how many and what ones could i keep together in a 35 gallon tank?

2) are they expensive fish?

3) I also like killiefish, can they go together?

 

[sylvia]

Skip the killies.
The checkerboards and rams and most apistos are usualy quite peaceful and should all do ok together. None of them grow too large either so I think you could keep any in a 35 gallon. Provide lots of cover and I suppose you'd keep them in pairs.

 

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kool,

only thing is i also like catfish, but they tend to be browns and blacks, is there a smallish cheapish catfish that will fit in with the theme?

 

[Ben]

what about a clown loach, not a catfish but colourful

 

[sylvia]

Well I don't know about cheap but a golden nugget plec, zebra plecs and clown plecs are relatively colorful (or at least have highly contrasting markings) and they don't get too big. A group of otos is also an option. There's also another catfish that grows to 6 inches and I was going to suggest as it has attractive though not bright coloration but I've completely forgotten the name now Just went blank...
However, I don't know whether they'd get along with the cichlids as they'll be competing for space and if you do keep the cichlids in pairs and they breed they'll need room as they'll become quite aggressive... You may want to skip any other bottom-dwellers and maybe get a few apple snails as the clean-up crew. The golden ones look exotic and would look very nice.
Another fish you may want to consider is something shoaling and quick-swimming for the upper layers. They'll serve both as a distraction for the cichlids and to fill up the top level. Some kind of colorful danio, barb or larger tetra would do the trick.

 

[sylvia]

Clown loaches wouldn't work in a 35 gallon - and you'd need at least 3...

 

[Dwarfs]

Well I don't know about cheap but a golden nugget plec, zebra plecs and clown plecs are relatively colorful (or at least have highly contrasting markings) and they don't get too big. A group of otos is also an option. There's also another catfish that grows to 6 inches and I was going to suggest as it has attractive though not bright coloration but I've completely forgotten the name now Just went blank...
However, I don't know whether they'd get along with the cichlids as they'll be competing for space and if you do keep the cichlids in pairs and they breed they'll need room as they'll become quite aggressive... You may want to skip any other bottom-dwellers and maybe get a few apple snails as the clean-up crew. The golden ones look exotic and would look very nice.
Another fish you may want to consider is something shoaling and quick-swimming for the upper layers. They'll serve both as a distraction for the cichlids and to fill up the top level. Some kind of colorful danio, barb or larger tetra would do the trick.

Pictus cat? Striped rafael? Hoplo catfish? A hoplo culd work nicely, pictus or rafaels would eat your small cichlids

 

[sylvia]

Ah it was the pictus but I wasn't sure about compatibility - obviously not

 

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yay thanks

 

[rvm]

Well I don't know about cheap but a golden nugget plec, zebra plecs and clown plecs are relatively colorful (or at least have highly contrasting markings) and they don't get too big. A group of otos is also an option. There's also another catfish that grows to 6 inches and I was going to suggest as it has attractive though not bright coloration but I've completely forgotten the name now Just went blank...
However, I don't know whether they'd get along with the cichlids as they'll be competing for space and if you do keep the cichlids in pairs and they breed they'll need room as they'll become quite aggressive... You may want to skip any other bottom-dwellers and maybe get a few apple snails as the clean-up crew. The golden ones look exotic and would look very nice.
Another fish you may want to consider is something shoaling and quick-swimming for the upper layers. They'll serve both as a distraction for the cichlids and to fill up the top level. Some kind of colorful danio, barb or larger tetra would do the trick.

you probably wouldn't as they are too expensive, but don't even consider zebra plecs!!! They'd starve to death in a tank with cichlids as they simply won't compete for food. they don't eat algae at all and are very shy fish so any bloodworm or food that they would eat would get taken by the cichlids before the zebras even thought about eating it!!!
Clown loaches get too big, but other loaches may work!!!