my mixed cichlid tank.

[d1anonly22]

this 55 gallon tank has, two melanochromis johannii(electric blue johannii), one melanochromis aruatus, two jack dempseys, one 12 inch common pleco, three inch common pleco, one four inch chocolate pleco, one tiger oscar, one mystery snail, two java fern, one anubai i think i spelt that right, and one onion, plus some feeder molly fry. but most of the tank is shy, oh and i forgot two pieces of free floating driftwood with three others arange throught the tank.

[d1anonly22]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Yn5grLGNRE

[7itanium]

Nice tank... but that oscar is gonna get WAY to big for a 55g even by himself... so I hope you have another tank for him to move too.... as well as the 3 common plecos which will all get over a foot long

[sunshinetrenie]

nice set up... but id get the whole tank on a stand asap

[d1anonly22]

yeah im going to buy another tank or two or three probably, im turning an old fridge into a tank for breeding my dempsey, the mating pair are going in the freezer which is at least 40 gallons, and when the fry are free swiming im going to move them into the fridge part which is at least 80 gallons. the desk the tank is on is actually very sturdy.

[sunshinetrenie]

the desk holding it is not what scares me... its that the whole tank is not supported (at least it looks to be hanging over a bit) this weakens the joints and could possibly break the tank. the fridge idea is great lol. never thought of that but i love the idea of making use of otherwise useless items. if u do it please post pics!

[d1anonly22]

oh yeah im going to start a thread for the fridge tank when i get it started, not to worry about the tank its a truvu acrylic tank very very strong.

[7itanium]

the desk holding it is not what scares me... its that the whole tank is not supported (at least it looks to be hanging over a bit) this weakens the joints and could possibly break the tank. the fridge idea is great lol. never thought of that but i love the idea of making use of otherwise useless items. if u do it please post pics!

Generally I would agree with you... but that acrylic tank is never gonna break

I have 3 of them and have literally taken one outside and TRIED to break it and couldnt

[d1anonly22]

i had to cut a piece to make the filter fit, it took some special saw my girls dad had to cut it. even plexi is hard to break i had a 55 gallon that also needed a spot broken off for filter to fit, i had to stand on it and jump with all my weight and force.

[blue2fyre]

Nice video but i have to say that your tank is really overstocked. Also it's generally not a good idea to mix african cichlids (aruatus and johanni) and south american (JDs and oscar). First of all the plecos and the oscar are going to out grow your tank. I'm glad you are thinking of getting more tanks. Just make sure it's sooner rather than later. Oscars grow quickly. And there will be deaths if things are not change, I predict one of the plecos.

[severum mama]

Nice video but i have to say that your tank is really overstocked. Also it's generally not a good idea to mix african cichlids (aruatus and johanni) and south american (JDs and oscar). First of all the plecos and the oscar are going to out grow your tank. I'm glad you are thinking of getting more tanks. Just make sure it's sooner rather than later. Oscars grow quickly. And there will be deaths if things are not change, I predict one of the plecos.

I couldn't agree more. The oscar needs at least a 75 gallon to itself, and the JDs need more than 40 gallons to be kept together at adult size. The plecos are not suitable for a 55 gallon. And mixing old world and new world cichlids is generally not a good idea. It can work while they are small (if one disregards the different dietary needs and water parameters needed to keep them healthy in the long term), but once the fish grow and they all hit sexual maturity, all hell will break loose.

[d1anonly22]

ive keep that same pleco in tanks with africans and americans his whole life he picks on them more than the other way around, how is the tank overstocked? if you mean because of the oscar hes going in another tank and you can keep growth rates down with water temps and food. the jd's and the johannis have been in the same tank together since they were small if there was going to be any agression towards eachother it would of happened already, i have seen many overstocked cichlids tanks in my lifetime and everything went well just got to keep up with water changes, the filter i use is for a tank twice the size of mine so it gets filterd pretty well. as for the plecos getting to big for the tank that takes years. the only fish i worry about is the oscar because the johannis really dont like him and tore him up, now hes out of the tank healing until i get him his 75 gallon. my uncle has kept his two full grown oscars in the same 55 gallon tank there whole life, yes they probably should go in a bigger tank but there fine. my jds and my johannis have both already hit sexual maturity and havent hurt eachother yet not even when there breeding.

[blue2fyre]

With cichlids it can seem fine for a while then suddenly a killing spree goes on. Keeping 2 oscars in a 55 gallon is cruel, especially since a 55 gallon is only 13" wide an oscars can get to be 16" long. It's barely enough room for them to turn around.
As far as incompatibility it's not just the mix of species there are also dietary differences. What do you feed all of them? Mbuna (johanni and auratus) cannot have too much protien. They need more veggies or they will get bloat and die. Oscars and JDs need more meaty foods.
Also johannis do not do well in pairs they do better with one male and several females, otherwise they could end up syressing the female to death. I hope you do have plans to seperate these fish and give them more appropriate homes.

[fishman61]

My sailfin chocolate plecostomus is 5 years old and already 12", they do indeed grow fast. He's in a 150 gallon tank.

[krytan]

I agree with everyone else, your tank is overstocked.
What i would do is get a 75g for you JD pair, a 125g+ for your oscar and plecos and leave the johanni and auratus in the 55g but increase their numbers.
Or rehome some of your fish.

[severum mama]

ive keep that same pleco in tanks with africans and americans his whole life he picks on them more than the other way around, how is the tank overstocked? if you mean because of the oscar hes going in another tank and you can keep growth rates down with water temps and food. the jd's and the johannis have been in the same tank together since they were small if there was going to be any agression towards eachother it would of happened already, i have seen many overstocked cichlids tanks in my lifetime and everything went well just got to keep up with water changes, the filter i use is for a tank twice the size of mine so it gets filterd pretty well. as for the plecos getting to big for the tank that takes years. the only fish i worry about is the oscar because the johannis really dont like him and tore him up, now hes out of the tank healing until i get him his 75 gallon. my uncle has kept his two full grown oscars in the same 55 gallon tank there whole life, yes they probably should go in a bigger tank but there fine. my jds and my johannis have both already hit sexual maturity and havent hurt eachother yet not even when there breeding.


Clearly there won't be any aggression issues with the Johannis... they were just singling out the Oscar.:rolleyes:

The evidence that the tank is overstocked is in the slow growth rates of your fish. When kept in proper conditions, all those fish grow quite rapidly.

And I agree that 2 grown Oscars in a 55 gallon is cruel.

[d1anonly22]

i believe i did state earlier that im going to get other tanks for them i have to make room for them and get the money. but their fine for now. and like i said the oscar is some where else now healing. and doing a lot better. sorry if i made you guys mad i understand your concerns but, like said they will be going into the own tanks as soon as i can.