cichlid for a 35 u.s. gallon tank.

[hanif]

i just want one cichlid male or female that will bring life to a 35 u.s.gallon tank which measures 80cm in lenght, 50cm high and 32.5cm wide. the tank will have rocks and maybe some drift wood as decoration, so any ideas for a single cichlid that would enjoy living in these conditions, preferably a cichlid with colour and character.

thanks hanif

[caz]

why just one :D ?

[cichlidsickness]

you could pick out a nice looking female or male convict. they are very out going cichlids. very rarly hide.

[hanif]

the reason is because i feel that there is not enough room for more than one cichlid which is of the larger group of the species as there would be too much aggression, and the tank would never stay clean due to the large amount of waste produced, also i dont want to breed the cichliods, so one would do fine.

[caz]

okay. hmm i would say a nice convict also. some get very nice and pretty.

[hanif]

any other suggestions apart from a convict anyone.

thanks hanif

[ChilDawg]

Firemouths?

[ChilDawg]

hanif, I'm wondering what type of fish that you can get there with ease...if you can tell me this part, I could help a little more...You can also check out my thread on "Companion Fish???" for some suggestions.

There are some really, really nice variations on the Common Convinct--if you can find Archocentrus nigrofasciatum "Honduran Red Point" you will find a fish with whose behaviours you will already be familiar and with colors such as you may never have seen before. If you can find these fish, they'd be great for that tank!

Also, Thorichthys aureum is pretty colourful and would go well in your tank.

[Jayhawk]

In a tank that size, go for any of the Archocentrus species such as convicts, Jade Eyes, Sadies cichlid, but you have room for a pair. I have a pair of convicts in a 20 long (75 cm long by 25 cm wide and I think, 25 cm high). They're great.

[caz]

perhaps blue eyed cichlids. i have never kept one, but they look very nice and very pretty

[ChilDawg]

I think blue-eyes and jade-eyes are the same (Archocentrus spilurum).

[caz]

they are??? my bad :)

[ChilDawg]

It is an understandable confusion, though. Common names are really tough to decipher...I am interested in knowing if one of those eye colours is dominant or if they're co-dominant, but we'll have to wait for an expert to answer that question!

I just happened to find both of those common names applied to the Spilurum in the Tetra Guide to Tropical Cichlids, or a title along those lines (edited by David Sands).

[caz]

sorry i was under the impression that tbar and jade eye were the same thing for some reason. but i guess tbar is totaly different and jad eye and blue eye are the same.

[ChilDawg]

I think that the T-bar is synonymous with the Sajica.

I found out that the Spilurum (the multicolored eye one) is also called the Plumhead.

Anyone else grateful for the availability of scientific names?

[ChilDawg]

And it's called the Cutter's Cichlid.

Sorry that I have hijacked the thread a little, hanif, but I hope that it helps you find these little beauties if you want them!

[ChilDawg]

What's funny is that the septemfasciatum is also named after Cutter.

[Cloud-9]

I can understand wanting to keep only a single, perfect specimen in a well-furnished tank. In that case, you want to get a fish that will give you the maximum in terms of good looks. That calls for a fish with elaborate fins and beautiful colors. Here are some considerations:

If you live in an area where the water is not too hard, and close to neutral in ph:

A male Firemouth cichlid (Thorichthys Meeki) is hard to beat. Don't buy the first specimen you see. Shop around. The males are more colorful and attractive, unlike humans. Buy several juveniles if you want, and keep the best looking. Give away the rest. Keep the water as clean as possible with good filtration and regular water changes. Feed color enhancing foods and you will have a beautiful fish. The trick is to make sure you get a really good specimen. There are some varieties that have drab coloration. You can add some other dither fish, like Tiger Barbs for company.

A pair of discus is a nice alternative.

If you don't mind feeding guppies, Leaf Fish.

If you live in an area with very hard water:

Altolamprologus Compressiceps (Compressed Cichlids). They usually are available very small. And they grow very slowly. Do yourself a favor and pay a lot of money for one that has grown some.

[Jayhawk]

Firemouths will do great in hard alkaline water since they're from Central America where the water parameters are often akin to the lakes in Africa.

[optix]

Firemouths or convicts. I would definatly do a pair of convicts even if you don't want to breed. I have a pair in a 29 gallon and my male (which im highly proud of) is one of the most gorgeous cichlids I've owned (including my jack dempsey). He has the little bump on his head with like a lyretail effect going on and if you could get a male. He would definatly compliment that 35. I'd say get two because it's interesting seeing them interact.

[ScottoMacD]

Originally posted by Cloud-9
I can understand wanting to keep only a single, perfect specimen in a well-furnished tank. In that case, you want to get a fish that will give you the maximum in terms of good looks. That calls for a fish with elaborate fins and beautiful colors. A male Firemouth cichlid (Thorichthys Meeki) is hard to beat.

From my experiences with firemouths.

I have found that they really only show their best coloration when the are with a female or another male and are setting their dominance.

I have found (at least with the specimans I have owned over the years) that singular firemouths alone in a tank really don't tend to flourish and show that coloring that hanif is probably looking for.

If I was going to try. I would forget the single fish theory and go with some appistos and a pair of kribs. There is enough space for both and they will highlight each others coloring.

Or if you want the firemouth, I would throw in a jewel with it.

[Cloud-9]

Scott,

I have one male firemouth right now. He shows his colors even when he's alone. Maybe he just shows his colors when he sees me approach the tank. He's colorful every time I look in his tank though.

But who knows. He might show even more brilliant colors with a female in there. I'll take a picture and post it here as soon as I find my digital camera. He was the best specimen I could find two years ago.

Have you had success housing a Firemouth with a Jewel? I've never tried it. I have a small (2") Jewel in quarantine tank right now. I might give it a try in a month or two.

[ChilDawg]

Here's one thing about FMs...lately, the newest round of them from the Far East has been fed hormonally-laced foods, thus making the colours that much brighter. They might be inadvertantly displaying full-time nowadays!