I Think Cichlids Are The New Way For Me.

[Nik00117]

Ok guys, I used to keep fish a few years ago and loved my Hobby. I can hosnetly say I kept fish for about 3 years and unlike my hamsters, guniene pigs, and so forth I never lost interset. I did truly enjoy it, like many of us do. So I know the basics of checking water levels like PH and so forth. However my last tankw as a community tank. I had a couple of guppies, cories, bala sharks, a beta, and a few tiger sharkz, and finally quite a few zebras. So now I want to deal with "bigger" fish.

I'm preparing to move into my new apartment and I would to get into fish and specifically cichlids because of their size. I want this tank to be a centerpiece of decor in my home. So it's gotta look nice which I can handle but what fish to put in is the question? I feel as if Cichlids are my answer for their a good size, I hear they have some nice colors and if you pickt he right ones fairly easy to keep.

Which is where my next point comes into play. I'm a car salesman and work 6 days a week 10-12 hour days. In fact some weeks I don't even take a week off so I can easily end up doing a 13-14 day week with 10-12 hour days. So I can't have anything high maintance.

Secondly i'm going to go with a larger tank anywhere from 250-350 liters used. Or about 65 gallons to about 92 gallons (i'm leanign towards 92 ).

So my tanks etup as of now?

65-95~ gallons
Sand
Going to get a very good filteration system
Want it to be pretty (i'm spending a lot of $$$ here)

The fish I'd like?

variety of colors easy to maintain with low aggression also good size 5-8 inchs would be nice a fish.
I would also want a bottom feeder, i'm a fan of cories would those work int his tank?

Any advice would be great!

 

[shroob]

I'd opt for a south american/amazonian tank, plenty of bogwood, plants and a sand substrate. For the colours you could have a pair or two of some dwarf cichlids (blue rams or apisto's some options) A shoal of corry's would work nicely in this tank, as well as a shoal of tetras. The centrepiece fish could be a pair of festivum (though choose deep bodied tetras if you go down this route) or even angels. Another option would be a group of earth eaters, depending on the size of your tank (list of some earth eaters)

There is certainly alot to choose from so any more input from you as to what you want would help people chip in with their ideas.

With you being away alot I would keep the tank as understocked as possible. Is there also anyone to feed the fish, I know they can go a while without food but this is normally a one off.

 

[koinukun]

I'd say go for a South American biotype too. They always look fantastic and American Cichlids have tons of personality. As for colour and hardiness you could go for Laetacara curviceps (Dwarf Flags). I have a pair and are fantastic little fish. Lots of character and spunk. This isn't one of mine but it's the spitting image.

Angelfish and Festivums are also nice and big and generally friendly although as shroob said avoid small fish as they will be eaten. I have both living with Lemon Tetra and Harlequin Rasboras and they ignore them completely. But there are heaps of new world cichlids out there, it's just up to your own personal preference.

Take your time and find some that really grab your attention. Most live quite a long time and will quickly become very friendly towards their owners.

 

[Nik00117]

I may be moving in with in the same complex that a couple of my good friends live in. My ploicy for telling poeple to feed my fish when I was away was feed a bit every 3 days. That generally worked good, however I will be home each night generally to do the basics.

Tetras wouldn't they be a bit small? Angel fish i've NEVER had any luck with period. I bought 2 pairs of them once (seperately) in a good tank with good tankmates both were dead in days. IDK why all my other fish were just fine.

 

[foley69]

why not go for the more colorful and aggressive tank with maybe a jack dempsey or a green terror these are my favourite cichlids and very colourful

 

[Nik00117]

How does this sound

90 Gallon Tank

3 Jack dempseys, (for size)
1 Red Tail Shark (for color)
4 Blue Acara (for color)
3 Green Terror (Character)

Maybe a larger bottom feeder like a pleco?

Remember this wouldn't all be at once.

I checked online all seem to want simliar

 

[shroob]

How does this sound

90 Gallon Tank

3 Jack dempseys, (for size)
1 Red Tail Shark (for color)
4 Blue Acara (for color)
3 Green Terror (Character)

Maybe a larger bottom feeder like a pleco?

Remember this wouldn't all be at once.

I checked online all seem to want simliar

Thats going to be overstocked I'm afraid, the aggression levels would be too much especially if fish pair up. You could do 1 GT and 1 JD plus a larger bottom feeder (wouldn't choose plecs personally, especially not common ones - maybe a dorad of some sort say a striped raphael).

 

[foley69]

i think that would be too overstocked and the aggression will cause a mass murder i would say 1 jack dempsey, 1 green terror a plec and maybe some dither fish such as silver dollars or tiger barbs also if you get all the fish young and introduce them at roughly the same time then they will all grow to tolerate each other.

 

[Nik00117]

Over stocked? 350 Liter tank? I was always taught the rule of 1 inch 1 gallon.

So a JD grows to 10 inchs thats 3 of them so thats 30 gallons

RTs grow to 6 inches (only getting one) thats 6 gallon which equates to 36 gallons,

Blue Acura grow to 8 inches thats 4 of them so thats 32 inches which is 32 gallons which comes out to 64 gallons

GTs come out to about 8 inches which are three so thats 24 inches which comes out to 88 inchs 2 gallons to spare... Overstocked? Too much aggressioN?

 

[shroob]

Over stocked? 350 Liter tank? I was always taught the rule of 1 inch 1 gallon.

So a JD grows to 10 inchs thats 3 of them so thats 30 gallons

RTs grow to 6 inches (only getting one) thats 6 gallon which equates to 36 gallons,

Blue Acura grow to 8 inches thats 4 of them so thats 32 inches which is 32 gallons which comes out to 64 gallons

GTs come out to about 8 inches which are three so thats 24 inches which comes out to 88 inchs 2 gallons to spare... Overstocked? Too much aggressioN?

The 1" a gallon doesn't apply here, its the aggression of the fish, both GT's and JD's have attitude. GT's can also get larger than 8", 10" is quite common for males with 12" not being rare either (granted might take a while to get this big). While your tank might be able to handle the bioload (probably couldnt with 6 big cichlids) its the aggression levels that limit stocking in this case.

 

[Nik00117]

Ah ok, but if we were to go to less aggresive fish then that rule would apply? Or no...

How about Blue Acara... How would you rank those.

 

[shroob]

Ah ok, but if we were to go to less aggresive fish then that rule would apply? Or no...

The 1" a gallon isn't really a rule, just a loose guide for people to follow, there are cases where you have to go under it, and where you can go over it. I think what would be better is if you suggest fish you like, the type of set up you want (eg. lots of fish or a few big fish) then people here can advise you on stocking in the mean time you can do research on certain fish and what sort of tank they need.

EDIT: Blue acaras are more peaceful than GT's but are still cichlids, and each one is different in its temperament. It also depends on what other fish you plan on keeping it with (eg. they might beat up or eat smaller community fish, but in turn be beat up by more aggressive fish eg. red devils.

 

[Nik00117]

I'm leaning towards more colorful larger fish with a variety of them. I'd hate the idea of having a tank full of just one type. Your right in the mean time I will do my research however your suggestions have bought up some interseting points.

 

[shroob]

If you go for the 90 gallon (I'm assuming US gallon and standard 48"x18"x24" dimensions) I suppose you could do a semi-peaceful cichlid tank and that way have 3-4 different fish.
Gold severum
Blue acara
Thorichthys ellioti (similar to Firemouths but I think more colourful personally)
Sajica

Though if its colour you want, then old world cichlids such as mbuna are often regarded as the most colourful, and you can have many more fish in the tank than new worlds. Have a look in the old world section for ideas or here to browse through some.

 

[Nik00117]

I just read a article that suggested exactly that so off I go to the old world. I don't think new world cichlids are for me.