How Big Of A Tank

[jakeroberts]

hi im just wondering wat would be the smallest size tank in litres that i could keep chilids in as i am tight on space being a kid and are there any sort of thing chillids need

regards jake roberts

 

[MojoDex]

depends what sort f cichlids really an oscar needs more room than a german ram for example. malawis need a minimum of 4ft long tank IMO no doubt ppl who keep them will tell u better about that

give us an idea what cichlid you would like and we can help u further

 

[jakeroberts]

well im not to sure of the name but they are yellow with a black line on there top fin

 

[dwarfgourami]

well im not to sure of the name but they are yellow with a black line on there top fin

I'm going to guess that you're talking about yellow labs (labidochromis caeruleus)- a lake Malawi cichlid. So you are looking at a hard water Malawi setup, 4 foot as Mojodex says. 55-60 gallons min. And companions would have to be other Malawi cichlids (research carefully!), and possibly synodontis catfish, but not your general community fish.

If you are really pushed for space, but still want African lake cichlids, shelldwellers (neolamprologus) are the way to go. They are less brightly coloured, but very colourful characters, and you could keep a small colony in a 10 gallon tank.

Check out the Old World cichlids forum, those guys know a lot!