Shed A Little Light On My Situation ? :)

[kylealastairlove]

so about 2 minutes a go i was posting asking about electric blue cichlids, but i dont think i can keep them.
however i would really really like to keep some kind of cichlid but i need a little help!

i would like to know what specific kind of cichlids i could keep in my tank, so here are a few stats for you

my tank is 64 litres, been up and running since beginning of last november.

water stats-
ammonia 0
nitrate 0
nitrite 0
GH 250
KH 180
Ph 7.6

these results are from my most recent test which was on the 15th of this month

so can anybody help me

 

[snake007]

Your nitrate shouldnt be 0, have you got live plants and which test kits are you using?

You can house a pair of bolivian ram, depending on your other stock.

 

[kylealastairlove]

i do have live plants, the test kit i have is called 'king british'
what level should my nitrate be at ?

 

[snake007]

Is it the kings british test strip?

It should show some nitrate reading.

 

[Fishy friend2]

What about a German Blue Ram?

 

[kylealastairlove]

yes its the test strip, hmm maybe i have read it wrong i'll do another test in the morning just to be sure of the proper results

hmm i have been looking into rams fishy friend i dont know a great deal about them but im researching them, i seen in a pets at home store they were selling some kind of ram not 100% sure on what it was but looked to me like a bolivian ram. i do like the look of those though

 

[soybean]

I have 2 Bolivian rams in a 180 litre 1 meter tank - I wouldn't keep a pair in a 64 litre tank, if they fall out they like their space. But I wouldn't keep one either, they like company of their own kind.

Apistogrammas are probably your best bet, you could keep cacatuoides or agassizi apistos in a tank that size. Nice and peaceful, colourful, quite small.

 

[soybean]

As for your test kit, you should really invest in a liquid drop kit. You'll never get as accurate results with a strip kit, especially not nitrate. They're only around £20 on eBay for the API one and it will last you donkeys years.

Fishyfriend2, a German ram is the same as the electric blue cichlids Kyle was referring to. The electric blue is just a colour morph of the German.vyou can get gold as well. They like soft acidic water and high temperatures - probably not ideal.

 

[MBOU]

Personally I think the tank is too small for cichlids if you want to keep them in a community. Cichlids need a decent sized territory.

 

[snake007]

I think apistos will be fine, you could also raise your ph and do a shell dwellers species tank.

 

[MBOU]

Electric blue cichlids could be a number of things, could be rams, could be jack Dempsey but they are generally labled up as such... Normally if the lable says 'electric blue cichlid' it's just a very uneducated shop selling malawis and if they can't even list basic species name then I certainly wouldn't be buying fish from them!!

 

[snake007]

Electric blue cichlids could be a number of things, could be rams, could be jack Dempsey but they are generally labled up as such... Normally if the lable says 'electric blue cichlid' it's just a very uneducated shop selling malawis and if they can't even list basic species name then I certainly wouldn't be buying fish from them!!

I think its just the way the OP said it, in the cichlid section he electric blue rams.

 

[soybean]

Electric blue cichlids could be a number of things, could be rams, could be jack Dempsey but they are generally labled up as such... Normally if the lable says 'electric blue cichlid' it's just a very uneducated shop selling malawis and if they can't even list basic species name then I certainly wouldn't be buying fish from them!!

He does mean rams in this case http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/384198-electric-blue-rams/ but yes, electric blue cichlid would be a worrying shop label.