Hello, I of course am looking into getting a new tank. And I am thinking of doing a cichlid species and I was wondering if I could get some hands on info from the group, and what is the best spesies to get??? Thanks, oh which ones are the most colorful too. I like the yellows and blue colors if this helps. thanks again!!
cichlid which kinds are best, and any info
- Thread starter rachelmayt
- Start date
what are your water parameters?
I'm mainly thinking of hardness and pH here.
Really if you are new to the game I'd suggest getting something like a pair of Kribensis, lovley colours, easy to breed, you can keep them in a community aquarium often and they are very hardy.
I'm mainly thinking of hardness and pH here.
Really if you are new to the game I'd suggest getting something like a pair of Kribensis, lovley colours, easy to breed, you can keep them in a community aquarium often and they are very hardy.
If your water is naturaly soft, rams are great. Good color & personality. If you have are smaller tank, shell-dwellers a very interesting to watch. If you have a large enough tank, and really want bright colors, africans are probably the fish for you, though if your tap water isn't appropriate, it will take some conditioning to make it suitable.
More info on the tank you are planning on placing them in would allow everyone to be more specific with their suggestions.
More info on the tank you are planning on placing them in would allow everyone to be more specific with their suggestions.
most of the 'mean ' cichlids require large tanks.
back on topic
can you tell us the tank size you plan on using?
back on topic
can you tell us the tank size you plan on using?
I do not know, I saw this little yellow cichlid at petsmart that looks so cute, and I would love to get him. I just do not know very much about the cichlids. What are the 'good' cichlids?? What size tank is good. I am looking at a 44g corner. Is this good enough? Or do I need something else?? Oh I have soft water. What special equipment would I need??
Soft water would not be ideal for african cichlids, and a 44 corner tank will eliminate many of the larger new world cichlids. So just some ideas from what's left....
Rams
Keyholes
Convicts
Apistogramma
Angel
How aggressive of a fish are you looking for, and do you plan to put other fish in the tank? How do you feel about breeding/would you have something to do with the babies? Some more info will help us help you narrow it down. For example, I listed convicts above but they are very aggressive, and if you get a mating pair they will breed prolifically.
Caius
Rams
Keyholes
Convicts
Apistogramma
Angel
How aggressive of a fish are you looking for, and do you plan to put other fish in the tank? How do you feel about breeding/would you have something to do with the babies? Some more info will help us help you narrow it down. For example, I listed convicts above but they are very aggressive, and if you get a mating pair they will breed prolifically.
Caius
a 44 is good for maybe 6-10 cichlids, depending on kind. What you saw was probably a yellow labidochromis, or yellow lab... They are bright and colorful, but frequently grow to be between 4-6 inches.
One other thing. All african cichlids are aggressive, so to curb the aggression, some say to overstock the tank.
another thing to keep in mind, there are two types of african cichlids. Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyka. They are very different in their behavior, and choosing one over the other is your best bet. I would recommend researching at www.liveaquaria.com
One other thing. All african cichlids are aggressive, so to curb the aggression, some say to overstock the tank.
another thing to keep in mind, there are two types of african cichlids. Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyka. They are very different in their behavior, and choosing one over the other is your best bet. I would recommend researching at www.liveaquaria.com