Severum And Blue Acara

[Llittlefox]

Okay so I'm new to Cichlids, I normally have a tank of guppies and other nice peaceful live bearing fish. Now the reason I've decided to get Cichlids is because everyone is telling me I should get Cichlids.
 
What I bought was a Severum and a blue Acara I also have a Pleco, they were small when I got them so the are currently living in my 35 gallon tank, They are starting to nip at each other so I'm going to the store in the next week or so to get a bigger tank and hopefully some more fish. 
 
Now what I don't know is what size tank I should get or some other type of fish that can live with these three. Another issue I have is i'm kind tight on money and I know how expensive large tanks can be. One more thing to add is when I buy the tank should it be longer, wider or taller.
 
The store I go to is 42 Aquatics they have a large variety of South american, or new world Cichlids as well with African Cichlids  I do know that putting African with new world is a bad Idea, at least that's what I've been told... So thank you in advanced for reading and helping me. I'm new to Cichlids... ha ha.  
 
Oh and another random thought, How do I tell there sex? Im not sure If i want to have male and females yet any suggestion on that too would be very much appreciated

 

[Wills]

Hi welcome to the forum
 
Cichlids are great fish and sometimes have a bit of an undeserved rap with aggression, dont be too afraid of it just learn to understand it and react to it
 
For these kind of fish and if your really into your new worlds bigger is always better with the tank sizes - you should look at 75 gallons or 300 liters as a minimum. Especially for the Severum. Big tanks are expensive but they last a long time and you will get a lot of enjoyment out of it so in the long run it will be worth it
 
Also your right about mixing Africans and Americans generally best to leave them alone. A few riverine Africans like Kribs and African Butterfly can work out but not your rift lakes like yellow labs etc.
 
How big are your fish at the moment?
 
Wills

 

[Llittlefox]

My Severum is about 2.5 inches and the Blue Acara is about 2 inches and my Pleco is like 4 inches. My Pleco Grew really fast lol And im probably going to get a tank around that size maybe bigger, i'm not sure yet.
 
By the way thank you for replying to this I appreciate it.

 

[Wills]

No problem This section is a little quiet at the moment but Im sure a few more people will join the in the conversation!
 
Fish sound like they are still small compared to what they will eventually achieve - I would get a bigger tank asap though as Severums do grow at a hell of a rate and you sometimes dont notice quite how much they do I once had a pair of Belem Severums who I got as tiny half inch dots from an importer and by the time I moved them on a few months later they were too big to fit in an average fish bag! I had to poly box them.
 
Wills

 

[Llittlefox]

Ha ha I do know fish grow fast, and I also know how big these guy get, I figured out how big they got after I bought them. 
 
And do you know If I get any other fish what type I should put in there, or even if I should get more? See normally I have small fish, like guppies and I usually have a busy tank with 10 to 12 fish 3 fish just seems so . . . boring I guess. I don't know if it's just me but I prefer more fish in my tank then Less.

 

[Wills]

If your planning an upgrade I would wait until the new tank is here before getting more fish but as for options you can look at things like larger tetras like Bleeding Hearts or Diamonds. Headstanders are good tank mates as are large Barbs if you dont mind mixing continents, loads of catfish options, pictus or hoplos - larger loaches can work like Yoyos or Polkadots.
 
Tons of options
 
Wills

 

[Llittlefox]

Out of all the fish you listed All I know are Tetras, Catfish, and Loaches . . I'm so under educated ha ha, I'm going to look all of these up right now So I have an Idea. And I don't mind mixing continents as long as there isn't fighting and I won't get more until I get a bigger tank.
 
Thanks again