Tank companions for 35 gallon setup

[davidcalgary29]

I'm in the process of setting up a new cichlid tank and would like to populate it (for the most part) with New World cichlids. I have never attempted to raise them, however, and would appreciate some advice.

My tank currently has:

1 firemouth
1 red jewel
1 ornate rainbowfish

My substrate is evenly divided between sand and gravel (perhaps not for long!) and has some fairly extensive rock outcropping, along with a few plants ("corkscrew" valliseria).

All fish are, somewhat to my surprise, behaving themselves and not pestering each other, the plants, or moving around the gravel. I would like to add another firemouth, a ram (or two), and perhaps a Texas cichlid. Can anyone advise if this would really be wise?

 

[Nina7777]

yes you can add the others, but you will want to wait untill the tank is fully cycled.

 

[semper fi]

do you have a hechromis bimaculatus or a hemichromis guttatus? trade names are very deceiving. also this is an african not a new world. i would move it.

cichlids are known diggers. sand substrate does not do well since if the sand is stirred up it can clog the filter. i would go with samll natural stones for a substrate.

also you forgot to say how big the tank is. depending on the size you may be able to add the others. would need atleast a 55 for a pair of full grown firemouths.

 

[davidcalgary29]

do you have a hechromis bimaculatus or a hemichromis guttatus? trade names are very deceiving. also this is an african not a new world. i would move it.

cichlids are known diggers. sand substrate does not do well since if the sand is stirred up it can clog the filter. i would go with samll natural stones for a substrate.

also you forgot to say how big the tank is. depending on the size you may be able to add the others. would need atleast a 55 for a pair of full grown firemouths.

Thanks for the help, guys!

I have a hemichromis bimaculatus. It does have a lot of energy, but does not seem to bother either of my other fish. The firemouth, which is bigger, is more territorial. Both cichlids have ignored the sand substrate in my tank to this date.

I have a 35 gallon tank, but do not want to clutter it up with a lot fish, as has been recommended to me by the LFS (to "tone down aggressiveness"). I have three large rocks in the tank, and the fish are rarely line-of-sight with each other (a bonus), but my water volume is effectively reduced to about 30 gallons.

I would like to get another rainbow, and perhaps one or two more new worlds to balance what I do have, but I've read some absolute horror stories about the New Worlds. The LFS owner recommended that I get another red jewel to "bring out the colours" of my existing fish, but I don't want to have constant fish fights in my peaceful tank.

 

[semper fi]

hemichromis bimaculatus is a jewel. hemichromis guttatus is a red jewel. jewels do have red coloring. the way to sex the jewels is by the caudal fin. the males caudal fin with form a semicircle of blue spots while the female will have a random placing of blue spots. also the males fins are more pointed than the females. the female may also be more duller like brown than the male.

i would get another firemouth. and possibly another jewel. i did not find the jewels that aggressive unless they were breeding.