Looking At A Change In Direction

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Mowbz

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So, ive been offered some (5, 2m3f) very nice Kribs, all between 1.5-2inches currently and ive been reading up on putting them in with Corys for the last week, across several forums. I know its a sore subject, and despite the fors and againsts, i dont think i want to risk it. The pandas are only little themselves (1")

Pandas will go into a new 2.5 foot x 1ft upstairs (just corys and a few shrimp), and the 4ft would be reworked as required.

What i know about Cichlids can be written on a beer mat in large font, so, what could i put with them?

Tank is 4ftx1.5ftx2ft 340ltrs, 75 gal.
Temp can be changed
pH is 7.4-7.6, dont want to artificially fiddle with this really. (7.6 from the tap, drops to 7.4ish in the tank)
Cycled external (9w + UV) - 1400lph. Now looking to add a further external since ive realised its turnover is 4.1x, bought the filter thinking i was getting a 50 gal tank.

Currently in tank - some huge peices of slate made into caves (stolen idea from a tank i saw on here a few days ago ;)) lots of wood, moss, and some fairly large Amazon Swords. (I am still sotcking with plants at the rate of a few a week, as and when i find ones i like!)

Whats your thoughts kind people? :)

Ben
 
What about a big group of cherry barbs? Will look good against the plants, keep to the middle-upper levels away from grumpy breeding kribs, pretty adaptable, nice displays and behaviour rather than just swimming around. Keeps it simple but looking effective and doesn't distract from the main occupants, the kribs.
 
Just checked them out. The mrs pointed them out at ma at the weekend while i was checking their plants out funnily enough and i snubbed them, but having Google'd them, there seems to be a lot of colour variation? (The ones i saw were a bit "raggedy" and washed out)

I like these ones - "Clicky"

But there are loads on Google!

Im trying to find if i could get 1 other group of small Cichlid or other species in there with them? I was going to try to find an unusual Danio species to put in the top, but might swap this with the above now :)
 
I agree they can look a little washed out in the shop, but when settled in a planted tank with better lighting they colour up much more. Males and females colour differently.

Depending on which danios you were thinking of, some prefer cooler temps.

I wouldn't add another cichlid myself...
 
You're right, I think i would feel a bit washed out if i had to live in one of those tanks :/

Ill have a look around and see what i can find :) How many should i get, and is there any other species i could put in there?
 
I'm sure there will be something else you can add.

Think of it in layers - you've got the territorial kribs at the bottom if the tank, the small active barbs in the upper areas (of which you could easily add a couple of dozen I reckon), so if you want something else think along the lines of something sized between the two in a smaller group - maybe about a dozen of a larger tetra.
 
Im trying to find if i could get 1 other group of small Cichlid or other species in there with them? I was going to try to find an unusual Danio species to put in the top, but might swap this with the above now :)

Just had a thought for an alternative to the cherry barbs - glowlight danios (danio choprae). I got half a dozen of these from an MA. A big group of these would look good - they're more orange and look great against plants, nice shape, VERY active. Another one easily overlooked in the shop but more colourful at home.
 
Just looked at the Danios, small little things! A big group would look brilliant.

Not sure on what to put in the middle, really want something different :/ Going to have to do some more digging i think, but im in no rush..

Cheers for your help on this!
 
You're welcome! Yeah as you say there's no rush, you can't add everything at once anyway. You really need to work around the kribs, so nothing territorial or likely to get in their way on the bottom. I don't think it's worth the risk adding another kind of cichlid or, as you say, corys.

What about swordtails? I've seen some beautiful ones around lately! In that size tank they can reach their full length and add some colour, without being quite as boring annoying common as guppies and platys.
 
Im the same about guppies and platys. Lovely colours on some of them, but not for me im afraid.

Am i right in thinking Swordtails are livebearers? Something for the Cichlids something to chase about when they're not too busy breeding? lol
 
Im the same about guppies and platys. Lovely colours on some of them, but not for me im afraid.

Am i right in thinking Swordtails are livebearers? Something for the Cichlids something to chase about when they're not too busy breeding? lol

I've got a few adult guppies and some fry growing out which I'll trade at lfs, but when the adults die they'll never be replaced!

Swordtails are Livebearers but if you got all males, problem solved. If you mixed sexes I'm sure any fry would get taken care of for you.

...I wish I could click my fingers and replace my stock with kribs, cherry barbs and swordtails right now!
 
Swordtails are Livebearers but if you got all males, problem solved. If you mixed sexes I'm sure any fry would get taken care of for you.

...I wish I could click my fingers and replace my stock with kribs, cherry barbs and swordtails right now!

indeed, free Cichlid food.. ;)

any leftovers can be traded in for more free food from the store.

This might actually start happening next weekend then!
 
Ill start getting the Corys new tank back together (my first tank, still love it, shame its been sat empty for a bit :() over the weekend, and just fill it with water from the main tank ( to save on acclim time) and fill the main back up. I have a reliable source of mature media (as the external is full of mature media, but hasnt been on my tank long) so ill whip the U2 out of the main tank (its full of floss, purely aesthetics lol) and throw that in, voila :) Im sure i can pinch a bit of bogwood and moss for them. i better buy more plants too.

Ill get some pics up of the new "habitats" as i go.

Cheers again!
 

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