Cichlid Newbie

[L4byr1nth]

Ok everyone, down to business! Firstly, here's some information.

Got my new tank - a Fluval Roma 240 litre.

Here's my current stock;

1 RTB Shark
1 Golden Loach
1 Butterfly Pleco
1 Peacock Goby
4 Neon Tetra (Did have more - #40## Golden Loach!)
2 Guppies (Not fond of them, much too skitty for my liking)

Here's the stock I know I'll be adding in the near future;

1 Gourami (Not decided yet, but probably a Moonlight or a Powder Blue)
9 more Neon Tetra

I tend to run the tank quite warm (27 degrees), with a medium amount of natural plant cover - as well as various rocks and mopani driftwood. Sand substrate.

Right...

I'm quite interested in Angels and Oscars.

I'm looking for a single centrepiece fish for the tank. My fishies are all very peaceful and placid (apart from those bloody guppies!), and I'd like a fish that would fit with them.

It needs to not outgrow my tank, which is where I'm having a problem finding a suitable Oscar. At the same time, it needs to not munch on my stock, which is where I'm a bit wary of adding an Angel.

So you see my dilemma. Any ideas as to what to go for?

Ben.

 

[star4]

Hi your tank is too small for an oscar and even a small one would soon eat your guppies & neons and possibly your goby and rapidly outgrow the tank. Angels would be ok but again the guppies would need to be re-homed. Neons and angels (I havent kept the 2 together) but is usually said to be too risky as angels will eat neons, however I have heard of them being in the same tank without problems. I am presuming your golden loach is a chinese algae eater, this too would have to go if you had angels and I would recomend you re-home it with gourami too as once these get to adult size they are known for latching on to deep bodied fish and sucking all the slime coat off.

 

[minxfishy]

Tank is too small for any Oscar, whilst they may look cute and small, potentially given the correct tank size, water condition and food, they can reach 14-16", more likely 12-14" and would eat all your stock, even at a small size.

Angels are ok for the tank, depending on height of it, but assuming approx 18" tall to allow for the height growth of the angels, however, they will also eat your guppies and neons.

 

[LIL860]

Im having to rehome my 5 inch Oscar as he has bullied my 6 inch silver shark to death! He has also bullied and killed a angefish when he was younger so i would never put them together my self!

 

[L4byr1nth]

That's a shame - there are some lovely Tiger Oscars at my LFS...

Ben.

 

[term_22000]

Hi your tank is too small for an oscar and even a small one would soon eat your guppies & neons and possibly your goby and rapidly outgrow the tank. Angels would be ok but again the guppies would need to be re-homed. Neons and angels (I havent kept the 2 together) but is usually said to be too risky as angels will eat neons, however I have heard of them being in the same tank without problems. I am presuming your golden loach is a chinese algae eater, this too would have to go if you had angels and I would recomend you re-home it with gourami too as once these get to adult size they are known for latching on to deep bodied fish and sucking all the slime coat off.

The Golden loach is also known as a weather loach. These fish do really well in mostly every tank. I have one in my tank right now with two jack Dempseys and he does great. They don't latch onto fish. They tend to clean the bottom of the tank from the excess food.

 

[star4]

Both the chinese algae eater and the weather loach have a Golden variety, the weather loach or Dojo loach being a sub tropical species.

 

[Verminator89]

The Golden loach is also known as a weather loach. These fish do really well in mostly every tank. I have one in my tank right now with two jack Dempseys and he does great. They don't latch onto fish. They tend to clean the bottom of the tank from the excess food.

There different fish They arent the same fish

 

[Verminator89]

Certainly the larger cichlids are going to be too big for your tank. Oscars are huge, i had two in a 300L and it looked cramped (it was temporary untill i got rid of them). Also the larger cichlids could give your guarami trouble if you get one. Definately will bully a powder blue as they are so small. I had a juvi 1.5" Oscar that ate 12 mountain minnow in 2 weeks of being in my tank. 2 months on he is now nearing 5" already. They grow quick! and potentially huge as minxy says. Go find mattlees post on his Oscar, Keith!

There are some nice smaller cichlids that are pefectly placed to fit in with your stocking ideas. There are firemouths, which look stunning. Even more stunning are Ellioti, these get even better colouration than firemouths.

Other candidates could be appistos or dwarf cichlids. Appistos getting striking colouration. Have a google around for some, they are amazing.

You mention angels in your initial post. These could work. Getting somewhere between 1-3. I know they say 3 is the worst number of angels to get as a pair will bully the 3rd if they spawn, but i'ver never had an issue and neither did my grandad when he had 3. So i'm not a believer of this.