found it!!

[masterfishes]

this is the cichilid ive been lookin for in the unknown cicchild topic i made

http/www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_joan.php the only difference is that the ones at my lfs have verticle stripes going half way down from the top.....they r kept in a assorted cichild tank so i was thinkin it might be possible that they r an impure breed of cichilid.....anyway i was thinkin of getting this one if i can find one in my lfs again or maybe an electric yellow....can anyone give me tips and such for taking care of these, how big of tank(i want only one but if i can get a large enough tank i dont mind having a few more), what they eat, just basic tips and stuff that people new to african cichilids should know....oh ya....its gonna be a cichild only tank...no other fish..plz help me out

 

[freddyk]

The fish you are looking at are mbuna - check out the pinned artical and then return with any questions you have.

 

[masterfishes]

k thanks

 

[masterfishes]

ok now i have a few questions......will they be fine if i have only 1.....if so does the tank have to be 3 ft long?......and is it nessecary to have the rocks?......the ones my lfs sells r approx. 1-2 inches....can i get away with it being in a 10 gal for a while....how fast do they grow?

 

[masterfishes]

another question.....what r some easy to care for live plant that go good with cichlids and r available at most lfs....the only 1 i know of java fern...cant find java moss though......what i know i can get is....hornwort, camboa(i think thats how its spelled), meleon sword, water onion, some type of green and white striped grass, and some others.....is it ok to do a fix of live and fake plants?............sorry for all the questions i just want to make sure i know what im getting in to before i get in to it


Edit: i looked at the most common plants in the plants and planted tanks section: and these r the plants i like that i can get at my lfs: cabomba, hornwort, java fern, hygrophila, anacharis, and my lfs has some wierd lookin ones called banana plants......r any of these ok to go with cichlids?

 

[freddyk]

For plants they must have thick leaves that won't be chewed up. I don't know plants very well, you need to use judgement - Anubias works anyway.

One mbuna will work in a 10 gallon tank, but it will be very boring, and a very bored fish, and probably shy too. You can make much better use of the tank.

If you do get a suitable sized tank, rocks are very important to create many hiding spots. These are very aggressive fish and you must keep this in mind and take all precautions when setting it up. If you cannot do a bigger tank then 10 gallons, don't get these fish! I guarantee you'll have problems.

 

[masterfishes]

ok well thanks for helping....exactly what kind of probs would i have in the 10 gal

 

[freddyk]

ok well thanks for helping....exactly what kind of probs would i have in the 10 gal

Aggression, injuries, deaths, and simply not nearly enough room for these very active and not so tiny fish to live, even if you go with the mildest species available.

 

[masterfishes]

ok...well ill see what i can do...probably wont be able to get one for a while then....thanks for helping though

 

[masterfishes]

i read on this site: http/www.elmersaquarium.com/c106community10malawi.htm that cichlids require some salt in the water....is this true or is just optional

 

[freddyk]

Optional and unnecessary like any fresh water fish - meaning it can turn into the same eighteen page debate on whether freshwater fish should have salt. These are fresh water lakes with a high mineral content, but salinity is a different aspect altogether.

 

[masterfishes]

thanks....i just wasnt sure as it was the only web page ive found that has said that