Cichlids And Stuff

[Uncoordinated_fish]

Hey guys so I have decided to not get a BGK.

I was wondering what would be some very colourful, not to big and non aggressive cichlids.

I am more interested in the cichlids that don't need salt in the water just fresh water.

Thanks

 

[fluttermoth]

What are the dimensions of the tank and is your water hard or soft? Do you have sand or gravel?

What are the current inhabitants of the tank?

 

[Wansui]

German blue rams, bolivian rams. These two are very colourful, peacful and intresing. They also form monogamous pairs. Bolivian rams are easier to keep than GBR. It would help if you gave us the dimensions and PH of you tank. The two fish I mentioned prefer slightly acidic water. I would say the very minimum sized tank they would be able to be kept in would be a 20g, but would be better in a 30g +

 

[Uncoordinated_fish]

What are the dimensions of the tank and is your water hard or soft? Do you have sand or gravel?What are the current inhabitants of the tank?

tank is 2ft x 1ft. Substrate is gravel. I don't know what you mean by hard or soft water and I have 2 clown loaches which I probably will get rid of because they will get big

 

[Wansui]

Yes you need to rehome those clown loaches. How tall is the tank? we cant get an accurate volume from just the length and width, we also need the height. Hard water is alkaline (7+) soft water is acidic (less than 7 on the ph scale) With 7 being neutral. Knowing the ph of your water is essential.

 

[Uncoordinated_fish]

I don't know the oh of my tank I will be getting tested this Saturday when I get my new fish because I have cycled my tank for a week the height of my tank is 1.3 foot

 

[Wansui]

You cant cycle a tank in a week, unless the filter media and gravel are from another well established tank... and even then it may take alittle more time. Please read this http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/421488-cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first/ If you stock your tank now, you'll likely have alot of dead fish on your hands. 

 

[Uncoordinated_fish]

You cant cycle a tank in a week, unless the filter media and gravel are from another well established tank... and even then it may take alittle more time. Please read this http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/421488-cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first/ If you stock your tank now, you'll likely have alot of dead fish on your hands.

gravel I got from my old tank and I got this special conditioner that puts good bacteria in the water and filter
Anyways back to the main topic so what are some non aggressive and colourful cichlids

 

[fluttermoth]

Do you get a lot of limescale in your kettle or showerhead? If you do, it means your water is hard, if not it's soft.

 

[Uncoordinated_fish]

Do you get a lot of limescale in your kettle or showerhead? If you do, it means your water is hard, if not it's soft.

No we don't get any limescale

 

[fluttermoth]

Okay, probably soft water then; you could have a look on your supplier's website; that should give you an average hardness and pH

Blue rams are a very delicate little fish; they need very soft water that is consistently low in nitrate to do well, and they also need much warmer water than most fish, so tank mates for them are quite limited.

I would look at either Bolivian rams (they never look much in shop tanks, but colour up beautifully once they're settled) or one of the Apistogrammma species (there are lots!).

As your tank is already established, and has fish in, I don't think you need to worry about cycling, but you should look into getting some test kits of your own as soon as possible. They really are an essential piece of kit for all fishkeepers, as so many stocking and health issues are directly connected to water quality.

 

[Wansui]

 

You cant cycle a tank in a week, unless the filter media and gravel are from another well established tank... and even then it may take alittle more time. Please read this http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/421488-cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first/ If you stock your tank now, you'll likely have alot of dead fish on your hands.

gravel I got from my old tank and I got this special conditioner that puts good bacteria in the water and filter
Anyways back to the main topic so what are some non aggressive and colourful cichlids
 

That still doesn't mean your tank is cycled. To know for sure I would advise you to buy a master test kit. This tests for ammonia nitrite nitrate, PH and high PH. You need to be sure your tank is cycled, for the welfair of your fish. Until then I can't in good conscience suggest to you any more fish.

 

[Uncoordinated_fish]

Bump, still looking for some cichlids

 

[fluttermoth]

As I said, Bolivian rams or one of the apistogrammas would probably be best for you

 

[Ninjouzata]

I agree with flutter. There are oodles of apistogramma to choose from. I am looking into getting an apistogramma hongsloi soon Peacock gudgeons are very colorful but not a cichlid (in reference to your other thread).