Would This Combo Work

[sic0198]

I'll ask this here as I haven't gotten replies in the new world cichlids section.

I am thinking about trading my convicts for something else. I have a 29 gallon. Would this combo work 2 marble angels, 1 dwarf cockatoo cichlid, a small pleco, 4 cardinal tetras and 3 burmese border loaches>

 

[Corleone]

I'd switch the cardinal tetras with a slightly larger schooling species. Cherry barbs, pearl danios, etc will all give some good color. Cardinal and neon tetras are natural food for angelfish. If you start the angelfish small and let them grow up with the cardinals, a number of people have had luck keeping them together, but sometimes the angelfish will only recognize their long-term tankmates as friends, people have tried to up their tetra school from 6 to 12 and found the angelfish eat the new six overnight and leave the old six alone.

Aside from that, it looks like a good setup.

 

[sic0198]

So this would work

2 angels
4 cherry barbs
3 burmese border loach
a small pleco
1 cockatoo dwarf cichlid


My tank is a 29 gallon.

 

[Corleone]

I think so. It's around 1.25-1.3" per gallon, which in a mature tank isn't unreasonable. I might even make it a pair of cockatoos. What I would do is make the angels the last addition to the tank a couple months after the cycle.

 

[sic0198]

It's already cycled, I thought about using the same water that my convicts are in now. Should I use it or should I just empty it out and start over.

 

[Corleone]

No, the biofilter will be just as good - you can do a water change, that never hurts anything, but the bacteria will be fine as long as they stay wet and don't go too long without an ammonia source (fish or otherwise) to feed them.

 

[SJ2K]

So this would work

2 angels
4 cherry barbs
3 burmese border loach
a small pleco
1 cockatoo dwarf cichlid


My tank is a 29 gallon.

1) Only get angels if your tank is 18" tall or greater.
2) Barb will do better in groups of alteast 6.
3) Cockatoo's are better in pairs.

 

[sic0198]

So this would work

2 angels
4 cherry barbs
3 burmese border loach
a small pleco
1 cockatoo dwarf cichlid


My tank is a 29 gallon.

1) Only get angels if your tank is 18" tall or greater.
2) Barb will do better in groups of alteast 6.
3) Cockatoo's are better in pairs.

I think it is 18" tall. So this combo would be better.

2 angels
6 barbs (cherry or rosy)
1 small pleco (or I may try for 2 clown pleco)
2 cockatoo cichlids
3 burnese border loach (may be substituted with someother loach)

 

[SJ2K]

Perfect.

 

[sic0198]

About the barbs, if I go wit rosy will I have trouble between them and the angel, I've heard they are fin nippers.

 

[Corleone]

Most small barbs, including cherries, are peaceful. Tiger barbs are an exception, not a rule.