55 gallon good setup?

[soccer'n'fish93]

HI on sunday i'm getting a 55 gallon aquarium is this a good setup? pair of convicts, pair of firemouths, and a raphael catfish???

[mostlycichlids]

If you are getting pairs male/female then no. Raphael catfish will be fine with firemouths or cons.

[pugwash]

Substitute the con pair for a pair of sajika's or HRP's and you should be good to go.

Buy 6 of each as 1"-2" juvenile's and let them choose who they want to hook up with = stronger pairs (usually).

Aquascape with cave/shelter for each fish, let them all play.

Remove & sell others once pair forms too. Put caves for each pair at either end of tank, and provide sight breaks in between.

[mostlycichlids]

Substitute the con pair for a pair of sajika's or HRP's and you should be good to go.

Buy 6 of each as 1"-2" juvenile's and let them choose who they want to hook up with = stronger pairs (usually).

Aquascape with cave/shelter for each fish, let them all play.

Remove & sell others once pair forms too. Put caves for each pair at either end of tank, and provide sight breaks in between.

Just because you throw caves in at either end don't mean they will choose those areas for spawning. Two pairs of cons or firemouths or HRP's in a 55g is asking for trouble. A 55 gallon is just too small for two pairs of full grown species.

[MySpace Mike]

No its not. I had my 2 breeding pairs of FireMouths in my 55g, and they did just fine. People act like that because it may have not worked out well for them, that someone else cant do it with success. I had 2 FULL GROWN pairs of FireMouths, my males were 5" each, and both females were 3 1/2" each, and they had no issues what so ever in my 55g. If it were me and I didn't have my Electric Blue Dempsey now in my 55g, id go with the 55g FireMouth tank again.

[star_rider]

it is not definite it will work tho..any time you put brreding pairs into atank ..all bets are off as to the predictibilty of the fish.

so if you do try this set up proceed with caution. be prepared to move fish it aggresion levels get too high.

[mostlycichlids]

If you go with convicts I wouldn't recommend anything but the breeding pair of Cons. Firemouths maybe but I have seen some extremely aggressive firemouths and some very docile firemouths. A spawning pair of Cons will surely reap havoc on firemouths.

[mostlycichlids]

No its not. I had my 2 breeding pairs of FireMouths in my 55g, and they did just fine. People act like that because it may have not worked out well for them, that someone else cant do it with success. I had 2 FULL GROWN pairs of FireMouths, my males were 5" each, and both females were 3 1/2" each, and they had no issues what so ever in my 55g. If it were me and I didn't have my Electric Blue Dempsey now in my 55g, id go with the 55g FireMouth tank again.

I was just giving my opinion and my experience with cichlids. What happened to your firemouths? You may of had success with it, good for you! BTW those are some pretty interesting stocking levels in your sig, I hope you have plans of getting some large tanks for those fish.

[MySpace Mike]

I sold my FireMouths so I could make room for the Electric Blue Dempsey and the 3 Females. Thanks for worrying about my tanks and fish, but I got it under control. I'm getting a 120g soon, and a 75g. Once the EBJD chooses a Female I'll be getting rid of the other 2 Females in the 55g.

[mostlycichlids]

I sold my FireMouths so I could make room for the Electric Blue Dempsey and the 3 Females. Thanks for worrying about my tanks and fish, but I got it under control. I'm getting a 120g soon, and a 75g. Once the EBJD chooses a Female I'll be getting rid of the other 2 Females in the 55g.

I bet it was a nice tank Firemouths are one of my favorite cichlids!

[MySpace Mike]

I love FireMouths, but I wanted a EBJD. But I will be getting some baby FM's soon, once I get all the tanks in, set up, and the fish situated.