EBA or HRP with tank mates?

[ska]

I’ve just bought my first fish tank, 110L (29 gallons), 45x36x81 cm, after dreaming about it for years.
I’ve been spending the last few weeks researching and soon came to the conclusion that I was most interested in a community tank with a cichlid (or more preferably a pair) as the focus point.

My question is whether it would be realistic to keep a pair of either Electric Blue Acaras or Honduran Red Point in a tank of this size? Sources online differ so much that I don’t know what to believe.
If the tank is big enough what tank mates should I choose with the pair/single fish?

 

[Wills]

Welcome to the forum

Both species would be ok but you would be limited to what other tank mates you could have. With the EBA you would be looking at an upper dwelling schooling fish as a tank mate, maybe Lemon Tetras and with the HRP you would be best with some kind of live bearer. In that size tank you'd be a bit tight for space should the pair reject each other which could result in the loss of a fish though.

In terms of which to choose you would be best off finding out what kind of water you have hard or soft, the EBA would be the best choice for soft water and the HRP best for hard water.

Depending on what kind of water you have there are some smaller cichlids that might be a better option in a tank this size, expecially if you want the option of tank mates.

Wills

 

[ska]

Welcome to the forum

Both species would be ok but you would be limited to what other tank mates you could have. With the EBA you would be looking at an upper dwelling schooling fish as a tank mate, maybe Lemon Tetras and with the HRP you would be best with some kind of live bearer. In that size tank you'd be a bit tight for space should the pair reject each other which could result in the loss of a fish though.

In terms of which to choose you would be best off finding out what kind of water you have hard or soft, the EBA would be the best choice for soft water and the HRP best for hard water.

Depending on what kind of water you have there are some smaller cichlids that might be a better option in a tank this size, expecially if you want the option of tank mates.

Wills

Thank you for your answer

Well, I actually decided to go with the Fluva Flex 123L (32.5 gallons) and got að pair of kribensis and a school of barbs.

Since I got the krib pair I've been thinking that the tank really doesn't allow more than one cichlid that is larger than the kribs. Any ideas for a species? Or would I be doing the poor guy a disservice by making him live with kribs?

 

[ska]

I forgot to mention that my water has a pH around 7 and is soft

 

[Essjay]

I wouldn't add any other cichlid to a tank that already has kribs. They are African cichlids and apart from Rift Lake cichlids almost all other cichlids are American, and it is not a good idea to mix cichlids from Africa and America as they cannot understand each other's signals, both physical and chemical.

 

[ska]

Ahh, I see. Well, I quite enjoy the kribs so I'm not too disappointed.

I would like some nice looking and colorful fish that occupies the rest of the tank as the kribs stay close to the bottom. Would gouramis work?

 

[Wills]

There are other cichlids that can go well with Kribs but you would need a bigger tank things like African Butterfly Cichlid or Nanochromis Transvestitus are good candidates. Maybe something like Egyptian Mouth Brooders? But in this size tank stick to one species of cichlid and I actually think you've made a great choice with the Kribensis.

What are the barbs you have got in there? I always like Rhombo Barbs with Kribs they seem to compliment each other.

In terms of other tank mates it would depend on your number of barbs but how I wouldnt do Gourami as they could fight (and probably loose) with the Kribs. My first thought was something like a Golden Wonder Killifish, a trio with a male and a female, stunning fish and they stay at the surface so good clearance to your Kribs.

Wills

 

[ska]

I have Rhombo barbs I'm going to look into killifish, I didn't know they existed. Seems like an interesting fish

 

[Jeremy c]

I’ve just bought my first fish tank, 110L (29 gallons), 45x36x81 cm, after dreaming about it for years.
I’ve been spending the last few weeks researching and soon came to the conclusion that I was most interested in a community tank with a cichlid (or more preferably a pair) as the focus point.

My question is whether it would be realistic to keep a pair of either Electric Blue Acaras or Honduran Red Point in a tank of this size? Sources online differ so much that I don’t know what to believe.
If the tank is big enough what tank mates should I choose with the pair/single fish?

A electric blue acara would not be a good community fish for that size of tank. I have a full grown male and he gets a little aggressive sometimes, even in a 120 gallon. A pair alone in that tank size should be ok.

 

[Essjay]

I think the OP has already decided on kribs as the cichlid now.