Stocking cichlids help

[Madison25]

I'm more confused now with what to put in
It seems kribs are really not a good idea and because of our water to stick with Americans.
What about Oscars and/or Acaras? Best to keep them alone, can you mix different breeds of them? Also with the advice around breeding...where is the best place to get them then if they are not bred right? Online?
Sorry for so many questions, just when I think it makes sense someone else says something contradicting
Thanks all!

 

[GaryE]

We are a bit contradictory. When you get two source3s giving you info that contradicts, unless one seems more credible, ignore us. Go to a site like Seriously Fish and research the fish yourself. Either of the people trying to help could be kids who know less than you do, online. We're faceless people here.

Checkerboards are in zero danger, and are hard to find because Brazil is controlling all fish exports now. They come in, but prices are higher. They are not overfished. They've traditionally been inexpensive, and with costs rising, aquarists expect them to remain cheap. There's little incentive to import them from Venezuela or Colombia because of that.

Rams can be very inbred. But you can't pair them when you buy them, and in a decent sized tank groups will get along fine. They are not aggressive fish. Wild imports are rare but when I have kept them, they are feisty. Domestic rams are usually very different - much calmer. You will rarely see wilds. I think I've seen wilds 3 times in 50 plus years with tanks. So if you like them and can find healthy ones, they'd work.

So would an easier fish, the "Bolivian ram", M. altispinosus. They are a bit bigger and less flashy, but they are nice and hardier fish.

Kribs are soft water fish from Nigeria. That's where a poster saying they are east African confused the issue a lot. Eastern Rift lake fish come from quite hard water, and east Africa is known for hardwater species. The rainforests of western and central Africa are similar to Amazonia when it comes to water. The only real issue is that African rainforest fish are generally a little tougher than Amazonian ones, if there's conflict.

If you take a jump to a soon to be huge Oscar, expect to double the size of your tank. They are large, messy fish. Acaras are also larger than dwarfs and territorial. But they aren't the size of Oscars - not even close. You were originally attracted to smaller species.

Decide which species you like the most of the ones you were attracted to. I won't tell you what to get - but I can help you with choices to build around the Cichlid you really want.

 

[Madison25]

We are a bit contradictory. When you get two source3s giving you info that contradicts, unless one seems more credible, ignore us. Go to a site like Seriously Fish and research the fish yourself. Either of the people trying to help could be kids who know less than you do, online. We're faceless people here.

Checkerboards are in zero danger, and are hard to find because Brazil is controlling all fish exports now. They come in, but prices are higher. They are not overfished. They've traditionally been inexpensive, and with costs rising, aquarists expect them to remain cheap. There's little incentive to import them from Venezuela or Colombia because of that.

Rams can be very inbred. But you can't pair them when you buy them, and in a decent sized tank groups will get along fine. They are not aggressive fish. Wild imports are rare but when I have kept them, they are feisty. Domestic rams are usually very different - much calmer. You will rarely see wilds. I think I've seen wilds 3 times in 50 plus years with tanks. So if you like them and can find healthy ones, they'd work.

So would an easier fish, the "Bolivian ram", M. altispinosus. They are a bit bigger and less flashy, but they are nice and hardier fish.

Kribs are soft water fish from Nigeria. That's where a poster saying they are east African confused the issue a lot. Eastern Rift lake fish come from quite hard water, and east Africa is known for hardwater species. The rainforests of western and central Africa are similar to Amazonia when it comes to water. The only real issue is that African rainforest fish are generally a little tougher than Amazonian ones, if there's conflict.

If you take a jump to a soon to be huge Oscar, expect to double the size of your tank. They are large, messy fish. Acaras are also larger than dwarfs and territorial. But they aren't the size of Oscars - not even close. You were originally attracted to smaller species.

Decide which species you like the most of the ones you were attracted to. I won't tell you what to get - but I can help you with choices to build around the Cichlid you really want.

Thank you. I assumed people have different experiences so info will be variable.
I do think my original plan is better with the smaller ones. So on the basis that's what I want...
Rams... where is the best place to find them? Are the ones on online shops generally good? I'll have a look at Bolivian Rams.

I'm now thinking any of these:
Rams
Cockatoos (really like these still)
Chequerboard
Tetras
Cory

What combo will work best and how many? Or any suggestions as to what else would work with them I'd appreciate.

 

[Wills]

Can I just throw an other option in - Cupid Cichlids, quite a small cichlid, really beautiful, peaceful and naturally gregarious so do best in a group. I kept mine in a group of 6 with a Mouth Brooding Severum and a Threadfin Acara with some Headstanders, Whiptails and Flagtail Catfish - this was a 500 litre tank though. I had them together for about 4 years maybe 5.

Wills

 

[Madison25]

Can I just throw an other option in - Cupid Cichlids, quite a small cichlid, really beautiful, peaceful and naturally gregarious so do best in a group. I kept mine in a group of 6 with a Mouth Brooding Severum and a Threadfin Acara with some Headstanders, Whiptails and Flagtail Catfish - this was a 500 litre tank though. I had them together for about 4 years maybe 5.

Wills

Ooo will take a look thanks.

 

[Byron]

Thank you. I assumed people have different experiences so info will be variable.
I do think my original plan is better with the smaller ones. So on the basis that's what I want...
Rams... where is the best place to find them? Are the ones on online shops generally good? I'll have a look at Bolivian Rams.

I'm now thinking any of these:
Rams
Cockatoos (really like these still)
Chequerboard
Tetras
Cory

What combo will work best and how many? Or any suggestions as to what else would work with them I'd appreciate.

Depending upon which ram, the temperature difference between these species prevents them being together. The common or blue ram, Mikrogeophagus ramirezi in any variety, needs warmth, in the range 27-30C/80-86F. They will not live their normal lifespan in cooler water which indicates the importance of temperature. No corydoras can be housed this warm long-term, they need it around 23-25C/73-77F. And tetras would depend upon the species--rummynose, cardinal tetra, and green neon tetra are suited to warm water. Many of the others are not.

The Bolivian, M. altispinosus has a somewhat lower range, 24-27C/76-80F, which would accommodate cories but not at the upper end, and be suitable for many tetras, if not all of them.

 

[Essjay]

Fish like rams - both species - need to choose their own mates. Getting any male and any female could end up in a dead fish if they don't like each other. I doubt on-line shops would bother sending a bonded pair.
There are two ways to buy these fish. The first is to buy half a dozen of them and make sure the store will take back the 'spares'. If two pair up, return the other 4 to the store. The other way is to go to the store and stand motionless in front of the tank till the fish forget you are there. This could take half an hour or so. Watch the fish. The males will be obvious - they'll be the ones challenging each other. The females will be the ones ignoring the other fish and spend their time searching the bottom of the tank for bits of food. If a male allows a female to stay near him and not chase her off, they are more likely to be a pair, but that's not 100% guaranteed.

 

[anewbie]

My experience with domestic cockatoo is they can be quite aggressive so i would leave them out; a fish you might consider is a species from laetracara - with a personal preference for araguaiae. They are a little larger than rams but are nice fishes in a well planted aquarium. I've not personally kept cupid so no comment though i've read good things about them.

Btw @Byron don't dock me too many points for writing east instead of west; minor slip as I noted they were soft water fish and yes kribs are quite hearty - my nanacara hated them and that is another story. Btw nannacara is another nice fish - not as colourful but full of character but if you include a female they can be quite aggressive when they have frys so you might leave off the females. Borelli are a bit more docile than cockatoo and also can be quite nice but not sure i'd mix them with laetracara araguaiae which is bit larger. Still it gives you a few more species to read about. You could also consider keyholes in a group of 6 or so.
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btw @Byron here is a post indicating that columbia will not export checkerboard for 1 year due to overfishing:

Some species will not be exported from Colombia for a while.

The Colombian authorities have, due to overfishing, banned the collection and export of the following species for the whole of 2022 and 2023: Corydoras axelrodi, Corydoras metae, Apteronotus galvisi, Eigenmannia virescens, Dicrossus filamentosus, Rineloricaria eigenmanni and Farlowella vittata...

www.apistogramma.com

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and if you want wild rams i can name a few sources where they are available once or twice a year - but as noted they do require warmer waters and you would want compatible fishes if you go that route.