New to cichlids

[rmp206]

hi I was thinking of setting up a cichlid tank. I dont have any experience with them and would like to get some basic information. I have a 36gl bowfront established tank that i would like to change over. I was looking at Malawian cichlids how many could i hold and what species are the best?

[Fishfiles1]

you could go with a cuple of Yellow labs

[Coler]

labs should be kept as one male specimen with other mbuna or ideally in a group of 1 male, 2 or 3 females.

how long is your tank ? generally, for Malawis generally, and in particular Mbuna (a specific grouping of Malawis, of which yellow labidochromis caereulus - yellow labs - are part), you want at least 3 foot long set-up and to be honest the best advice is 4 feet.

if you don't, and you probably don't, have the greatest tank for Malawis, there is a pretty good selection of Tanganyikan (tanganyika is another rift lake) Cichlids which could be combined in there; any of them available locally ? equally a pair of Jewels and some community fish would be nice, or Rams, or Apistogramma species.

[rmp206]

my tank is about 32" wide

[Fishfiles1]

you could go with some blue rams, or gold rams , o IMO Bolivian rams

[Coler]

I was editing behind your back ^ :)

32'' is a bit too tight in my opinion for Malawis; couple of other suggestions above. Just going looking now for a couple of threads on some nice 30 - 40 g Tanganyikan set-ups that people on here have done...where's jpappy at I seem to recall he put a great one together

[Coler]

here's one http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=131457

[rmp206]

thanks i will look up more threads on smaller tanks. what is the average size you would want for a malawis tank.

[Coler]

ideally say 55 gallons, 4 feet in length but bigger is of course more fun :D

I'm a case of do as I say though, not as I do, because I keep them in a smaller set-up, and believe me I would like to change up yesterday but space does not permit.

[jpappy789]

large n. multi colony!

[rmp206]

i was wondering if anyone has ordered fish off - thatpetplace.com i was looking at ordering some gbr.

[rohape]

I ordered 2 dwarf puffers. 1 arrived dead, and the other died when we first began acclimatization. They sure refunded us for the two fish but not for the stinkin $35 shipping! So we have a $35 box at our house.

But that's just my first and last experience ordering fish online.