Dwarf Cichlids For 2 Foot Tank

[jonnyf84]

Hi, I have never needed any help choosing which fish for which tank but after moving my nezzies to my bigger aquascape i now have a spare 2 foot tank and i would like to try my hand at keeping cichlids. Now the only cichlids i have kept before are blue rams and parrots so i don't know much about the group and i am wondering if it is possible to keep some in a tank this size? And if so what would you recommend? The tank is heavily planted but that can easily be changed to suit the fish.

Any advice for a cichlid newbie would be fantastic.

 

[Athena]

I keep Short-Bodied Pink Convicts - the male doesn't grow much bigger than 3" and the female is half his size. Although mine are in a 3ft tank, I think they would fair just as well in a 2ft tank provided they were the only inhabitants as they are quite territorial and get a bit aggressive at spawning time (which is every couple of weeks!).

They are adorable fish, though - extremely interesting, all the personality you would associate with their larger cichlid relations - just smaller bodies!

I have photos of some of mine on another thread - look in the Hybrid section and scroll down to my post about pics of pink convict fry. (I posted in Hybrid section because I am aware that they are a mix of normal Pink Convicts with something else (parrot?) - but there are various theories as to what the other mix is and I think it's difficult to pinpoint unless you know the breeder and he can verify the original mix).

Anyway, that's just one idea for you to ponder over...

Regards, Athena

 

[jonnyf84]

thanks Athena. They are nice and they do look a lot like minature Parrot fish. Are you aware of any other cichlids thats grow to this size and no bigger?

 

[Athena]

Have a Google for info on these:

Cockatoo cichlids
Panda dwarf cichlids
Kribensis

and then there are all those of the Apistogramma species (some are very striking colours!)

The only other dwarf cichlids I've kept are the GBRs and Bolivian Rams.

Regards

Athena

 

[jonnyf84]

i've also kept the blue rams and they are nice but i fancy a change and i think the bolivian rams will get too big for a 2 foot tank, same with the kribs unfortunately because i do like them, cockatoo's are fantastic fish but large males can get over 3 inches which again is a bit big. Apistogramma sp. are simply stunning and if i can find some that don't grow too big then i think i will get them, i very rarely see the in lfs's though. Thanks again.

If anybody else has any more suggestions then i would love to know.

 

[Athena]

Those panda dwarfs (apistogramma nijsseni) only grow to 2" (males) but I'm not sure of availability in UK. Never kept them myself. Nice looking fish, though.

As for the kribs, max size for a male adult is about 4" I think - so a pair in a 2ft tank would not be a problem and I've seen info on some sites that say they can be kept in a 2ft tank minimum. The females are smaller, so if they were the only fish in the tank I don't think it would be a problem as they would have the whole tank as their own territory. The same goes for Bolivian rams as they reach about the same size.

The Cockatoos can be kept in a minimum of 50litres accordingly to what I've read - so a standard 2ft tank is likely to be fine as they are usually around 60-70 litres. Their maximum size is usually around 5cms and up to around 7cms for some males. Again, not too big for a 2ft tank.

Well - that's all based on what I've read - but as I've not had personal experience of these I can't say how well it works in reality.

Athena

 

[Davo86]

Those panda dwarfs (apistogramma nijsseni) only grow to 2" (males) but I'm not sure of availability in UK. Never kept them myself. Nice looking fish, though.

As for the kribs, max size for a male adult is about 4" I think - so a pair in a 2ft tank would not be a problem and I've seen info on some sites that say they can be kept in a 2ft tank minimum. The females are smaller, so if they were the only fish in the tank I don't think it would be a problem as they would have the whole tank as their own territory. The same goes for Bolivian rams as they reach about the same size.

The Cockatoos can be kept in a minimum of 50litres accordingly to what I've read - so a standard 2ft tank is likely to be fine as they are usually around 60-70 litres. Their maximum size is usually around 5cms and up to around 7cms for some males. Again, not too big for a 2ft tank.

Well - that's all based on what I've read - but as I've not had personal experience of these I can't say how well it works in reality.

Athena

What are the dimensions?

Cockatoos Cichlids will be fine in a standard 2x1x1
Other apisto cichlids require slightly more.

If the width and height is more than 12" then there would be a number of dwarf cichlids suitable although very few can match the apisto for its appearance

 

[jonnyf84]

Thanks for your replies. Yes the tank is 2x1x1, but with filter, heater, substrate, plants and bog wood i would say it is no more than 50L (thats just a guess though), i could strip the whole thing and have a purely stone layout - i imagine they would be happier with this anyway yes?. I really do like the look of a lot of the apistogramma sp. Are they readily available in lfs'?

 

[Athena]

You might find that your LFS will order whatever you want in - I know mine does, if they are able to. For example, one time I wanted some Ottos and they didn't have any but they put an order in for me. Another time I wanted GBRs and they found a breeder and ordered in for me.

Have a word with the manager next time you're in yours and see what they say.

My LFS never have the same species of fish over and over - it varies from week to week and you never know what you might find amongst the usual tanks of platys/guppies/mollys! Last week they had some gorgeous dwarf puffers....

OMG - why not forget about having cichlids and have a dwarf puffer tank instead? They are absolutely adorable!!! If I had room for another tank I would definitely go for DPs - I just fell in love with the little guys. There was one that came right up to the front of the tank just staring at me with his funny little eyes - and they look like they are smiling for some reason LOL

Athena

 

[Davo86]

Thanks for your replies. Yes the tank is 2x1x1, but with filter, heater, substrate, plants and bog wood i would say it is no more than 50L (thats just a guess though), i could strip the whole thing and have a purely stone layout - i imagine they would be happier with this anyway yes?. I really do like the look of a lot of the apistogramma sp. Are they readily available in lfs'?

Your looking at about £15 per pair for apisto cautoides (cockatoos) and they should be available in any good chain store.

an ideal setup for apstos would be fine gravel/sand, some nicely placed bogwood for them to dig caves under and plenty of plant coverage

 

[jonnyf84]

thanks guys. You know i did think about puffers, they had some in my lfs last week but they weren't dwarfs so i couldn't get them, they are just so inquisitive!!!! If i can find them then i will probably get them instead of cichlids.

But at the mo i have 2 clear favorites:

Apisto Borreli & Apisto Rotpunkt (alacrina)

what do you think?

 

[Athena]

Yeah, both are lovely - some look quite stunning, depending on the colour mix.

But I still say puffers will give you hours more fun! Yes, they are such nosey little creatures LOL

I suppose you could go to your LFS and ask them which would be easier for them to get hold of for you (the apistos or the dwarf puffers)...and then set your tank up according to their reply.

Hope you manage to find what you want. You'll have to let us know what you end up with and post us some pics eventually!

Good luck - Athena

 

[jonnyf84]

Hope you manage to find what you want. You'll have to let us know what you end up with and post us some pics eventually!

Thanks Ethena, i will.

 

[backtotropical]

Hi Jonny,

I too have a spare 2ft tank which I intend to set up for Apistos. I'm pretty sure I'm going for A. Cacatuoides.

I'm going with Eco-Complete as a substrate, nice and fine and not too jaggy, black, and also good for plants. I subscribed to PFK magazine to get a Fluval U3 filter (ideal I hear you say?) and I already have the heater etc.

One thing to note. When doing my research on Apistos, I have read that Borellis are quite shy and do much better if you house them with a group of small shoaling fish like tetras. I'm not sure if this applies to all Apistos or just the Borellis, but its something to bear in mind when considering stocking capacity. Maybe someone could confirm for us?

Others to consider are Nannacara Anomala and Nanochromis Transvestitus, stunning!

I'll be watching this thread closely for updates.

Cheers

BTT

 

[Essjay]

I have a trio of A borellii. They are in a 2ft x 1 ft x 14 inch tank with about 7 microrasboras (can't be certain how many, it's impossible to count them!) The borelli are anything but shy. All I have to do is walk past the tank and they dash over to stare at me. If they don't see me, one gentle tap on the glass to attract their attention and they come rushing over. And as for feeding time, as soon as I open the lid, there are three fish mouths poking out of the water waiting for me to drop the food in. If they behaved like this in the wild, they wouldn't last five minutes!