newbie here!!!!....I'm so excited!!!! gonna start my first cichlids tank!

[Drake Titan]

I just acquired a 55 (48x13x21)gal tank!!!
heater (250w)
filter (ac 300)
light fixture
all for $100!!!!

so after I build my stand and hood...and after i cycle my tank I'll be getting some cichlids! (i did also order a emporer 400 from bigals.com, i know that filter won't be enough)

now for the hard part...what kind of cichlids!!!!!!

I currently have a 10 gallon with 3 Comets in it....but this will be my first tank with cichlids!

I'd like to go with on tiger oscar....but my girlfriends wants something "prettier"...so meaning i might do Africans!

I know i can only go with one oscar in a 55...but how many african can i go with in that same 55...i've heard of overstocking to contol aggression....the thing with african is there names are all in latin and stuff....haplo-this....acuna-that labi-something and so on...could someone that has an african tank give me the names of a few good beginner africans that are pretty, and that would work well together.

btw...i have been lurking here for a few weeks and researching and studing everything i can find about cichlids...but these africans still confuse the heck out of me!

one oscar would be so much easier!

[Tightdog1]

thats a good deal i picked up both my 55g like that, exceot i got fluval 304s and biowheel pro 60s inline. but used tanks are the way to go if they are from a quality source.

ok back to the real reason you posted a thread. the oscar would be nice and easier, and africans can be hard to deal with (thats y i will never buy them and im stubborn, lol) neways if i wer you i would go out and get some blue acaras, i am in love with them i love their iridescent blue colors and the orange on their fins, i fell in love the first time i saw them, theya re easy to breed and they breed all the time, in fact a little too much!. check out their species profile:
AC Blue Acara (http://www.aquariacentral.com/species/db.cgi?db=fresh&uid=default&ID=0195&view_records=1)

this is my fav pic tho:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/pictures/bacara3.jpg
Photo credit: Kevin Wynn
i am allowed to post aquariacentral species profile pics here in the forums right?

[Slappy*McFish]

Ditch the oscar idea...go with africans or even central americans.
If it were me and went with africans, I would get some Malawians or victorians..probably 5-6 peacocks or mouthbrooders..Haplochromis schoutedeni(lake victoria) is a favorite of mine. Or you could just fill the tank with 7-8 pseudotropheus demasoni..my favorite african cichlid. Jewels would be cool too, but prefer softer water than do the lake cichlids.

If you went with central american cichlids, you could go with firemouths, convicts, salvinis, etc.
You could also go with geophagus, keyholes and acaras in that tank as well..if you went South American.

[optix]

if you want some african's that breed readily and are great parents get some neolamprologus brichardi's "fairy cichlid" from lake tanganyika. They are an excellent beginner african

[Mantis_22]

I love oscars more than any other fish, they are the most intelligent in my opinion and remind me of my first dog, very friendly and loving... :)

[ChilDawg]

I'm not sure that you have enough filtration for an Oscar in a 55, but wiser heads than mine shall confirm or deny my assertion.

[optix]

an emporer 400 should be enough in a 55 for a single oscar

[ChilDawg]

That would be a step up from the AC 300, no?

[optix]

an emporer 400 is guesstimated up to 100 gallon's and it's got the good ol biowheel. If you slap it on with the aquaclear 300 that would definatly be enough. im currently running two emp. 400's on the 150 but I know its not enough so im looking into getting a canister, possibly a fluval 304

[nboylie]

i have an oscar in a 50 gal with 2 ac 300's and he is fine (he is full grown, most of that time there was only 1 300, and he was fine until i got the other one. Just more water changes and I was fine) I really like oscars too, I think you should go with one. Whats your girlfriend talkin 'bout? oscars are beauts! get a tiger oscar if she really wants a pretty fish!

[Jayhawk]

Congrat's on the big tank. Many good ideas are listed above.

You said your girlfriend wanted something pretty. Do you know if she just wants looks or would like something pretty and really interesting?

First off, what is your water like? If you don't want to mess with changing your water, here are my suggestions:

Hard Water w/high pH

The Neolamprologus brichardi (fairy cichlid) listed above is both pretty and has really cool behaviors and they are tough as nails. Get 4-6, and you'll definitely have a pair form. They're only 4" but what's cool about them is that they are great parents, and the older fry help the parents guard the next generation. In a tank that size you could get a good example of their true natural behavior. Personally, I'd go for Neolamprologus pulcher (closely related to the brichardi but prettier IMHO and also known as the daffodil cichlid).

Hard Water w/high pH

Pair of convicts plus either a pair of salvini or a pair of firemouths. Either way, you get two pairs of tough, interesting fish.

Soft Water

Listen to someone else unless you like dwarf cichlids which are my only experience with soft water fishes (I live in a city with high pH, hard water).

Hope that helps!

Eric

[Tightdog1]

—l‹ïys‚̓”‚¥”w‚¦‚¦m‚ƃtƒHr‰ºt‚Ä‚áT‚Ä‚¥ƒŒƒCsˆÄƒAc‚R ‚O‚OˆÄd˜a‚¦mp‚S‚O‚O‚»‚¨‚ñ�B

[optix]

ehhhhhh what:confused:

[ChilDawg]

My sentiments exactly!!!

[dcallen]

Hi,

Oscars are nice fish and the Tigers are very nice looking fish, so if you want to go with one fish then that would be an excellent choice. If you want more colorful fish and want to keep more than one fish then the Africans would be a good choice. What is your pH like where you are? If it's naturally high then this would be a good fit for the Africans. If you go with Africans I like the Peacocks, the males can color out very nicely and they are hearty fish as well. The Mbuna's are nice too and very colorful but a bit more aggressive than the Peacocks. Either way you can build a very nice tank with that 55 gallon. Good luck!

[Drake Titan]

thanks for all your suggestions....keep em coming


i'm still a week or two away from starting to cycle, I'm sure I'll have questions in the mean time!

I currently don't know what my water conditions are like....I did order a water test kit along with the emporer so as soon as I can test the water I'll post the results!


tightdog...what the heck are you talking about?

[Tightdog1]

CORRECTIONfrom my earlier post that was in japanese MY BAD I was on some1 elses computer and its in japanese sorry didnt realize till now sorry!

here is what it says in english:

well he probably has enought filtration for the oscar cause he has an AC300 and an emp400.

[net_shark512]

I am not bad mouthing Oscars. I had a full grown one in a 55 for a long time. They are a handful sometime,here is why. Mine use to break my intake tubes off of the filters, he beat a heater up to the point it didn't work anymore. They are very messy eaters spew the food out from behind the gills, He would rearange the whole tank to the point it looked like crap. I am just saying I loved my Oscar but sometimes I just wished he wasn't so much work. Also you have to keep your water quality up these fish are known to get Hole in the Head. SO I guess I am bad mouthing Oscars but in a GOOD WAY. Just some info I thought I would share. I am sure there are people out there that would agree or disagree.

[Slappy*McFish]

Agree with above statement..I like oscars as much as anyone, but they really arent suited for life in a 55g...personally, I would rather have more than one fish. Oscars seem to enjoy being in small groups, and one by himself will likely die of boredom..lol. If I wanted to keep oscars I would buy at least a 120g and keep about 3 of them. I would also invest in a nice, efficient wet/dry filtration system.

[Tightdog1]

oscars are very curious fish, they wil go over to the heater and smack it with their body, sometimes breaking it and then exposing the broken glass, they also love to dig and esxplore the aquarium, aka break stuff.

[Kit Walker]

If this is your first venture into cichlids I would go for South Americans as someone else previously mentioned. SA's tend to be more forgiving with compatibility than Central A's. Blue Acaras are very nice, and will live happily with other SA's such as the eartheater family.

[ChilDawg]

Originally posted by Kit Walker
SA's tend to be more forgiving with compatibility than Central A's.

Really? I am thinking of quite a few species of C/As that are so well-established in the hobby that I wonder about this statement.

Also, the Eartheaters are not a family per se, they are a subsection of Cichlidae.

[demon_surfer]

some nice pretty cichlids how about jewels? maybe a Green terror that would be one big fish like the oscar and they can have brilliant coloration. How about a couple if discus?? they are cichlids and very colourful. Mbunas are very fun, mine having begging for food down to a "T". Severum are also colourful and quite decent sice. If you want something really colorful how about a couple of tropheus?? they can be a little more expensive but they are awesome looking. These guys ship them, look at their pics they look really nice

JD's tropheus (http://www.jdtropheus.com/)

[Kit Walker]

ChillDawg,
I can name a few compatibale CA's as well, but why don't you name them to help the guy who posted this topic? If you wonder about my statement read it again. I said "I would tend" to go for SA's being in my opinion based on SA's in general. I didn't say "all CA's" are less forgiving and that the topic starter should "rule out" CA's.

Also, I realise that Cichlidae is the family but as this topic starter seems new to cichlids I used the term family not as a taxonomic status but to refer as a collective. Would you be happier if I adviced a cichlid newbie to find fishes of the Tribe Geophaginii which is the true collective?

I'm doing little editing here to maintain the generally high level of civility demonstrated in this discourse. - HT

[ChilDawg]

I read adaptability instead of compatibility. That happens sometimes when I'm tired and posting, which I shouldn't do.

[ChilDawg]

Firemouths, or any members of the genus Thorichthys, Rainbow Cichlids, less-aggressive Archocentros species, Nics, etc., etc., are very compatible amongst themselves.

[optix]

haha thats funny chilldawg, I was juuust about to post that same thing about firemouths.