Starting cichlid tanks soon.

[CelticTiger]

The reason this wasn't posted in the american or african cichlid forum specifically is because I'm still contemplating whether to be stocking Africans or new world's.

I'm planning on setting up either a 29g or 55g tank in December/January, and stocking it with cichlids.

I know not many cichlids will fit in a 29g and I'm aware that africans are typically more agressive than american cichlids and when stocking Africans they have to be from the same area (ie: Lake Malawi or Lake Victoria) and that most cichlids in general should be the same size if stocked together.

I'm not a humongous fan of angelfish. I might be willing to just have a discus tank (1-2 discus and some tetras), I preffer on having a nice and (color-wise) diverse stock and I'm not a big fan of dwarfs or blue rams

So the real question is: what african cichlids go together? What south american cichlids go together? I've looked on other forums and googled but for the south american's the answers pretty vauge and don't go into detail.

Is this a good deal? It seems a bit of a rip off but I could be wrong. http://www.thatpetplace.com/african-cichlid-start-packs

I know I'm asking alot and any help is greatly appreciated. I'm obviously a noob at the cichlid game but once you enter, you'll never go back.

 

[Madness]

Well I dont do Africans, and most South American Cichlids would be to large for a 29 or 55. Africans like a lot of tank mates, Central and South Americans not so much. C/S Am Cichlids IMO are far more aggressive than Africans, hence why you shouldnt community them in such a small tank. It would help more if you did some research on new world cichs and got a list together. Mind you, there are Central American, South American and North American Cichlids. All of them are different.

 

[CelticTiger]

Well, for the South American Cichlids (The type of New world cichlid I picked) ill probably pick either one of the following: convict, red parrot, or Jak Dempsey.
I'm still up to doing a discus but that's mainly what I've narrowed it down to for the South American part. I just need to understand there compatibility (obviously discus's like to be with much much smaller fish like tetras)

 

[CelticTiger]

looks like the first 3 cichlids are pretty compatible, ill decide what two to put in a 55g for the first 2 years (ik they get humongous)

I'll still search a little on African cichlids, see if my mind changes.

 

[DMD123]

An Electric Blue JD would be a nice show specimen for a 55 gallon.

 

[Madness]

Well, for the South American Cichlids (The type of New world cichlid I picked) ill probably pick either one of the following: convict, red parrot, or Jak Dempsey.
I'm still up to doing a discus but that's mainly what I've narrowed it down to for the South American part. I just need to understand there compatibility (obviously discus's like to be with much much smaller fish like tetras)

i know this is completely irrelevant, but because you are new at Cichlids I will say this. Convicts and Dempseys are Central American Cichlids, blood (red) parrot is as well but it is a hybrid of a combination of 2 or 3 Central American Cichs.

 

[big01612]

If you wanted an African cichlid tank. You can go with some mbuna Malawi or small tanganyika shellie cichlid community (balancing out shelldwellers and rockdwellers that live together) or go dwarf American cichlid like apistogrammas, or some dwarf west African river cichlids.

African Malawi dwarf mbuna cichlids:
Cynotilapia afra (Chewere)
Cynotilapia afra (Chinuni)
Cynotilapia afra (Chitande)
Cynotilapia afra (Chuanga)
Cynotilapia afra (Cobue)
Cynotilapia afra (Jalo Reef)
Cynotilapia afra (Likoma)
Cynotilapia afra (Lumbila)
Cynotilapia afra (Lundu)
Cynotilapia afra (Lupingu)
Cynotilapia afra (Mbenji)
Cynotilapia afra (Metangula)
Cynotilapia afra (Minos Reef)
Cynotilapia afra (Msobo)
Cynotilapia afra (Ndumbi)
Cynotilapia afra (Njambe)
Cynotilapia afra (Nkhata Bay)
Cynotilapia afra (Nkolongwe)
Cynotilapia axelrodi
Cynotilapia sp. “Blue and Blue” (Mandalawi)
Cynotilapia sp. “Chinyankwazi”
Cynotilapia sp. “elongatus mdoka”
Cynotilapia sp. “Lion” (Lion’s Cove)
Cynotilapia sp. “Lion” (Magunga)
Cynotilapia sp. “Maleri” (Nakantenga)
Cynotilapia sp. “Mbamba” (Lion’s Cove)
Cynotilapia sp. “Mbamba” (Nkhata Bay)
Cynotilapia sp. “mbamba” (Nkhungu)
Gephyrochromis lawsi (Nkhata Bay)
Gephyrochromis sp. “patricki”
Gephyrochromis sp. “Zebroides” (Gome)
Iodotropheus sprengerae
Iodotropheus stuartgranti
Labidochromis chisumulae
Labidochromis joanjohnsonae
Labidochromis sp. “Mbamba”
Labidochromis pallidus
Labidochromis sp. “Perlmutt”
Labidochromis textilis
Labidochromis sp. “Zebra Eastern”
Melanochromis dialeptos
Melanochromis lepidiadaptes
Melanochromis simulans
Metriaclima aurora
Metriaclima sp. “black dorsal mbenji”
Metriaclima sp. “chinyankwazi”
Metriaclima sp. “daktari”
Metriaclima flavifemina (Thumbi West)
Metriaclima sp. “lanisticola north”
Metriaclima sp. “lime nkhomo”
Metriaclima sp. “Membe Deep”
Metriaclima mossambicum
Metriaclima nkhunguensis
Metriaclima pulpican
Pseudotropheus ater
Pseudotropheus cyaneorhabdos
Pseudotropheus cyaneus
Pseudotropheus demasoni (Mozambique)
Pseudotropheus demasoni (Pombo Rocks)
Pseudotropheus minutus “Mbowe”
Pseudotropheus sp. “dumpy”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Bee”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Boadzulu”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Chailosi”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Chisumulu”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Chitimba”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Greenback”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Linganjala”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Masimbwe”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Mbako”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Mbenji Brown”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Metangula”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Namalenje”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Ndumbi”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Ngkuyo”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Ruarwe”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Slab”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Taiwan”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Usisya”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Yellowtail”
Pseudotropheus interruptus
Pseudotropheus perileucos
Pseudotropheus sp. “Perspicax Orange Cap”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Perspicax Tanzania”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Perspicax Tanzania” (Liuli)
Pseudotropheus sp. “Perspicax Tanzania” (Puulu)
Pseudotropheus sp. “Perspicax Yellow Breast”
Pseudotropheus polit
Pseudotropheus purpuratus
Pseudotropheus saulosi
Pseudotropheus sp. “Tursiops Mbenji”

Tanganyika Cichlids:
Neolamprologus multifasciatus
Paracyprichromis nigripinnis
Neolamprologus brevis
Callochromis macrops
Altolamprologus compressiceps
Julidochromis regani
Neolamprologus cylindricus
Neolamprologus pulcher
Julidochromis dickfeldi
Neolamprologus brichardi
Neolamprologus tretocephalus
Ophthalmotilapia nasuta
Neolamprologus leleupi
Julidochromis marlieri
Julidochromis transcriptus
Cyprichromis leptosoma
Neolamprologus sexfasciatus
Xenotilapia papilios
Altolamprologus calvus
Neolamprologus gracilis

South American Dwarfs:
Apistogramma:
(agassizii
atahualpa
baenschi
borellii
cacatuoides
commbrae
geisleri
gephyra
gibbiceps
hongsloi
iniridae
macmasteri
ortmanni
panduro
paucisquamis
pertensis
rubrolineata
sp. "Abacaxis"
sp. "Putumayo"
sp. "Steel Blue"
steindachneri
uaupesi
xingu)
Biotecus sp.
Crenicara punctulatum
Dicrossus filamentosus (Crenicara filamentosa, checkerboard cichlid)
Dicrossus maculatus
Dicrossus sp.
Laetacara curviceps
Nannacara anomala
Nannacara taenia
other Nannacara
Microgeophagus/Papiliochromis ramirezi (the Ram)
Microgeophagus/Papiliochromis altispinosa (Bolivian Ram)
Taenicara candidi

West African Dwarfs:
Anomolachromis thomasi
Hemichromis (Jewel Cichlids)
Nanochromis nudiceps and parilus
Nanochromis transvestitus
Pelvicachromis humilis
Pelvicachromis pulcher (also known as the Krib, Kribensis, etc.).
Pelvicachromis roloffi
Pelvicachromis "sacrimontis"
Pelvicachromis subocellatus
Pelvicachromis taeniatus

 

[CelticTiger]

Thank you, that's a lot of information and a big help. I appreciate it.

 

[master chi]

If you choose to try africans in a 29 galllon,You should either go with some shell dweller from Lake Tanganyika,or keepaspecies tank of Ps. Saulosi,a group of those would look really nice. The Saulosi are considered dwarf mbuna,but are still pretty rowdy fish,that will grow to be around 4''.In a 55 your option increase greatly. Mbuna keepers have the best odds picking 3 species,trying to find the most peaceful groups,common suggestions include the aforementioned Ps. Saulosi,Labidochromis Caereleus,Iodotropheus Sprengerea,Ps. Socolofi,Cynotilapia WhiteTop Hara,Cynotilapia Cobwe,Cynotilapia Zebroides Jalo reef. If you choosembuna you must be very careful to choose only one from each genus,with the exception belonging to most in the Pseudotropheus group,which is actually just a holding group for fish with currently undetermined genus.You can also keep Malawi Peacocks in a 55,there you would be able to keep one species,or try doingan all male tank with multiple species.To finish I will give my suggestion.since I am by far partial to Lake Malawi Mbuna,I will suggest...

in a 55 gallon tank..
Labidochromis Caereleus/1male+4 females
Cynotilapia sp. WhiteTop Hara/1male+5 females
Iodotropheus Sprengerea/1male+5females

Getting the proper male to female ratio is very important,because at least 70% of mbuna aggression is associated with breeding behavior. The males will greatly pressure the females to spawn. keeping the extra females takes the pressure on any one fish away,and spreads it out amongst the other females.The best way to achieve this is to purchase roughly double what your final count will be of each species as juveniles,then as they mature remove any extra males who become subdominant,continue the processuntil you have1 male per group and at least 3 females per.Having extra females though is a plus,and is the only proper way to overstock a Mbuna tank.subdomiant males will show behaviors such as hiding in corners,behind filter intakes,and heaters,and often the dominant male will cause them to color down,meaning you may see a subdominant fish show really nice coloring,but as soon as a dominant male shows interest,he will color back down,becoming more dull. You can also try your hand at venting the cichlids... Basically as the fish become sexually mature,net eachone and check its anal,and vent hole Females will have 2 holes which differ in size (oO) ,and males will have holes equal in size (oo),you can google venting mbuna to see images for reference too!

In the 29 gallon Pseudotropheus Saulosi is the only Mbuna I would keep.
With these you house 1 male with a few females or try adding 2 extra males,and increase the female count to around 9 total. this would be 12 fish total in a 29 gallon tank.That's pretty good for such a small tank too!!