View Full Version : Cichlids for a 12 gallon?
thinking of converting my 12 gallon back to tropical from coldwater after my disaster this hot summer we had.
which cichlids would you sergest for a small tank like this. i was thinking a small group 3 or 4, if poss, with a slate/driftwood setup
it's a 2x1x1
thanks
demon_surfer
11-12-2003, 7:33 AM
in a 12 gallon you could try tanganikan shelldwellers.
Rams, apistogramma. a single Keyhole cichlid *might* work. A coule of Krib's.
The shelldwellers are the only ones where you can get about 3 or 4 in that tank though that would still be pushing it.
maybe just two then, if you think it's going to be pushing it, i don't want a crowed tank. they wouldn't interfear with a small bottom feader would they?
i'll read up on those fish and see what i can find out.
does anybody have any other sergestions?
demon_surfer
11-12-2003, 8:33 AM
the cichlids are all really bottom dwellers however they shouldnt mess with a couple of cories.
a better idea may be to get some of these fellas and then a couple of tetras to take the top of the tank like rummynose or something.
cichlids in general are a large family there are very few that can live for life in a 12 gallon and not be cramped.
well, i don't want to cramp them, so i might have to think of something else other than cichlids
Rams only grow to 2''s don't they? so it might be possible to just have 3 of those
Sum-X
11-12-2003, 10:20 AM
Ya but I wouldn't put more than 2 Rams in anything smaller than a 20 gallon.
valerie
11-12-2003, 11:51 AM
I had a pair of rams in a 15g and the male chased the females constantly, even with the tank fully planted. I now only have the male and everythign has settled down. I have 6 cardinals in with my ram and they do fine together.
I also have a pair of L.ocellatus(shelldwellers) in a 10g. They are very cool and interesting to watch.THey also produce babies like you wouldnt' believe, I have new batches every 2 weeks.
What is your water like? If it is soft i would go for a ram or male apisto but only get 1 for the tank. Or if your water is hard get a pair of shellies(or trio depending on species)
thanks, thats interesting. the water here is quite hard i'd say
benedick
11-14-2003, 1:33 AM
that size is more than enough for a colony of a tanganyikan shelldweller.
can't find much info one the tanganyikan shelldweller. does anybody have a decent link?
thanks :)
valerie
11-14-2003, 12:05 PM
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/shelldweller_corner.php
Here are some great articles about shellies. For a 10g you can do a pair of N.brevis or a pair of L.ocellatus, or a trio of multies.
I have a pair of oceelatus in my 10g right now.I used to have 2 more females in there but once the male and one of hte females started spawning the other 2 females were getting beat up pretty bad.
Be aware these things can breed like rabbits. And not all shelldwellers are colony forming like N. multies and you will have to take the babies out before the next spawn if you want to keep them. If you get N.multies you can leave the babies in with the parents and thebabies will help raise the next batch.
tell us which species you like and we can help from there.
Originally posted by valerie
tell us which species you like and we can help from there. [/B]
well, tbh, i've never had any cichlids before, i was just contemplating starting off small to see how i got on. i don't know a massive ammount about them
valerie
11-15-2003, 1:32 AM
Well if you decide shell dwellers are what you want. check out the species articles to see which you like most. Shellies are a great little fish that are quite hardy(atleast mine are) and breed fairly easily. Plus its really fun to watch them moving their shells around all day and bulldozing the sand.
Joshuainthebox
12-22-2004, 2:42 PM
I've been reading a good bit here and through several other sites referenced on the n.multies because I may be getting a 10g pretty cheap and wanted an interesting-type cichlid for the tank. I understand that a pair is good to start with. Everywhere I read it says that they are community fish, but no one says anything about actually removing the fry. One earlier post here says that the fry can stay and help raise more. I read on one site where the guy said he had nearly 50 of various sizes at one time in a 10g with success. Although this seemed like a huge number of fish to me, I could understand it to some degree since the multies stick to their shells closely.
The question really is, what is the maximum number of multies I should let accumulate if I get them and they're breeding well? Is it a "whatever survives" type mentality or is there a number where I should step in? ThanX!!
JOSH
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My "<><" means a bit more to my soul than just keeping fish, LOL!
Jayhawk
12-23-2004, 2:40 PM
The maximum number of multis in a 10 gallon really depends on whether or not you really like doing water changes a lot! They do form a nice colony with the generations co-existing peacefully. In a 20 high I had they split on their own into two colonies. Personally, I'd periodically just pull out some of saleable size or give some away to friends, relations, etc. They're great little fish - just be sure and give them sand (could be play sand, argonite sand, etc.) since they really like to dig a lot. Their fry usually sell well or have good trade value at the LFS since they're not common.
Eric
Oh, N. brevis pairs are great for 10 gallon tanks, too.
Joshuainthebox
12-23-2004, 8:31 PM
Jay,
Thanx for the info. I will keep in mind the info about the sand, as I have read it elsewhere a ton as well. I do know what you mean about the multies not being common. I have some very nice LFSs around, but with being a smaller city in MD, they still don't stock much in cichlids let alone having multies. It may be interesting to see what they'll do about buying or trading for the fry, I'll look into it. Thanx again....
JOSH
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