28 Gallon Bowfront, need suggestions please!!

[bt224]

I am about to have an empty 28 gallon bowfront, fully cycled and ready to go. The convicts living there are about to get a larger home. I'm not real picky and new to the smaller cichlids. This can be a SA dwarf or African tank, don't care and I'm not afraid of any extra effort to maintain the tank.

The tank:
Ph is usually around 7.5 without treatment.
Medium natural smooth gravel substrate.
Lot of plants and hiding places, more could be added if needed.
Penguin 280 and Top Fin 40 HOBs.

I want multiple, active, unusual fish (don't we all). What would you put in this tank if it were yours? If required, how to I raise/lower the Ph?

Thanks!!

[star_rider]

I'm partial to SA cichlids

but maybe some rams and card tetras in a biotope set up.

with rams, particularly Blue rams. they temp needs to lean a bit on the warm side so you need to match the temp tolerance to the fish.

[Jayhawk]

I think if you want to keep your plants, your best bets are SA dwarfs and riverine African dwarfs. Kribs, A. thomasi, the aformentioned blue rams, bolivian rams (hardier than blues and they'd like your pH), and two particular apistos - cockatoo (A. cacatuoides) or A. borelli - are great at the higher pH. Borelli are small, but spectacular looking when not in the dealer's tanks (where they're often very drab). I almost forgot to mention N. anomola (golden eye dwarf cichlid) and the Laetacaras (curviceps and dorsigera) would do well, too.

If you want to ditch the plants (or see them floating pretty soon), Tanganyikan shell dwellers would do great - although you'd likely need to replace the substrate with aragonite to boost your pH and KH to make them really happy.

Eric

[cdfishie123]

if u dont really care if the fish are a little aggressive or about ur plants buy 1 or 2 convicts

[bt224]

Thanks. The cons are moving to a 55, that's what is in there now.

[star_rider]

I think if you want to keep your plants, your best bets are SA dwarfs and riverine African dwarfs. Kribs, A. thomasi, the aformentioned blue rams, bolivian rams (hardier than blues and they'd like your pH), and two particular apistos - cockatoo (A. cacatuoides) or A. borelli - are great at the higher pH. Borelli are small, but spectacular looking when not in the dealer's tanks (where they're often very drab). I almost forgot to mention N. anomola (golden eye dwarf cichlid) and the Laetacaras (curviceps and dorsigera) would do well, too.

If you want to ditch the plants (or see them floating pretty soon), Tanganyikan shell dwellers would do great - although you'd likely need to replace the substrate with aragonite to boost your pH and KH to make them really happy.

Eric

I like the sounds of this set up ^^

[jm1212]

a pair of bolivian or blue rams with a nice, big school of neons or cardinals would look great.

[bt224]

Star_Rider/Jayhawk...I agree, I looked up some from JH's suggestions and I like them. What would be a good mix as far as numbers go?

[bt224]

And should I pull the plants and go straight with a rocky type setup?

[star_rider]

they are all bottom dwellers..that is the issue.
they can all fend for themselves.

I am no expert with apisto's
with rams it's best to get three 2 females and 1 male..if there is enough cover the 3rd wheel wil need to find cover. with bolivians.it's not so defined as the male tho technically not a harem breeder...may decide to spawn with the other female..the females may duke it out for dominance.

the best bet is to have plenty of cover / caves..tho the rams will usually seek root tangles.
I have heard that you can keep both species in the tank...the bowfront may have enough of a footprint to handle more than one pair.

[bt224]

Yeah, I'm really liking the Bolivians. What would be good mates?

[Jayhawk]

Are you thinking of shellies then? If so, aragonite (sand or very small grain) is ideal because they like to dig. N. brevis are pair forming and share a shell (you need shells - escargot shells from gourmet grocers work great) - 2-3 pairs would be max for the tank and you could have some hard water happy schooling fish up top, N. multifasciatus are colony forming and hard to tell apart, but luckily they like each other if from the same dealers tank - so try and get the largest two plus four small ones (likely 2 males and a female) but no up top tankmates - they attack other fish in waves (so, they're not just bulldozers with fins, but mean bulldozers with fins...they'll bite your fingers, or at least try to since they're only 1.5", long when you clean the tank). Brevis tend to mostly leave plants alone, multis will dig up anything and arrange it to their liking (they're bulldozers with fins - you can wake up after smoothing up the gravel to find all of it shoved off to one side of the tank).

If you're thinking of the SA fish or African riverine I listed...they'll be happier with all your plants.

Eric

[Jayhawk]

Oops - cross posted (i.e. - you hit post before I finished typing)!

Bolivians are great. Get 4 and they'll probably be fine in your tank (they're fairly social) and they're fighting is very mild mannered (mostly bluffing) for cichlids. Any dither/schooling fish is fine with them. Heck, any fish is fine with them. They're also very interested in you...not shy like many dwarf cichlids are.

Also, don't be discouraged by their drab colors at the LFS...they too color up nicely with time. Not as colorful as blue rams (they'd win many FW beauty contests), but lovely in their own right.

Eric

[bt224]

Sweet. Will a common pleco be ok in there? I only ask because I have a very small one in another tank, in which he will not make it with the cons, JD, and Firemouths once they're in. Well, he'll make a nice snack.

So far, I like the idea of the 4 bolivians (2 of each sex) and a few other little guys for color. Would be perfect in that tank.

Thanks to all!!!

[star_rider]

no to the common plec..even the smallest common will be too large.
opt for a BN or oto's.

oto's have been known to latch on to the side of a ram..but when they try..they findout real quick how mean a ram can get...LOL

I have had good luck with BN's they leave my cichlids alone..

[Jayhawk]

I kept otos with my bolivians with no problems. I also had a clown pleco in with them, too.

Eric