Help stocking a 37g dwarf cichlid tank

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AquaD

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Aug 4, 2010
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Hey everyone!
I just got back from a local pet expo and won a 37 gallon Marineland LED aquarium kit. I've wanted to do a planted tank for a while and I also really enjoy cichlids. So I figure I could do a dwarf cichlid planted tank! The only question I have is what kind of cichlid could work in a 37g. I am hoping to try and breed them, and I want to keep some cory cats. My biggest concern would be finding a cichlid that I can get a good mating pair or harem without having to buy a lot of fish and then have to find some space after I get a compatible pair.

Thanks!
 

jeremy36

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Mar 24, 2011
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I can almost guarantee that if you get a male and femail convict cichlid they will breed. Get your water perfect and keep it a little over 82 degrees. I have a 55 gal and put three convicts in, a week and a half later I had about 30-35 fry swimming around. That was in Feb. I am almost at the point of having to get rid of them, they have thrived in my tank. I thought that at least half of them would die or get eaten by the other femal(not the brood) but no, most of them are over a half an inch long now except a little runt, thats my favorite, that I call "tiny tim". I didnt even want to breed them but I guess I got lucky, not sure if Id call it luck b/c I live in a very rural part of the colorado rockies and there is only one fish store around and im not sure if I can dump 30 some convicts at their door. Anyway hope this helps.....good luck and PEACE
 

user_name

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May 23, 2010
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Angels would work nice in this tank, because of all the extra vertical room. You could try any of these:

angels, rams (German, Bolivian, ect.), Apistos, Keyholes

You could do any of these, but personally I wouldn't choose angels, because they can get nasty when breeding. In a 37 they should be fine though.

Make sure that you have a place for fry to go (ask your petstores if they will take any babies off you for store credit/ money.
 

TabisFish

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Jan 21, 2011
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If it were me (loving rams) i'd put one of each ram in there and a school of neon black tetras :B and panda cories
 

user_name

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May 23, 2010
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I can almost guarantee that if you get a male and femail convict cichlid they will breed. Get your water perfect and keep it a little over 82 degrees. I have a 55 gal and put three convicts in, a week and a half later I had about 30-35 fry swimming around. That was in Feb. I am almost at the point of having to get rid of them, they have thrived in my tank. I thought that at least half of them would die or get eaten by the other femal(not the brood) but no, most of them are over a half an inch long now except a little runt, thats my favorite, that I call "tiny tim". I didnt even want to breed them but I guess I got lucky, not sure if Id call it luck b/c I live in a very rural part of the colorado rockies and there is only one fish store around and im not sure if I can dump 30 some convicts at their door. Anyway hope this helps.....good luck and PEACE
Breeding convicts will tear apart anything else in the tank, they've been known to kill anything when breeding. I also wouldn't reccomend them because of the large amounts of fry they give birth too, plus their getting so common that nobody will take many babies off of you.
 

jeremy36

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Mar 24, 2011
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Steamboat Springs, Co
Yeah no kidding there are almost too many to count, thiy're still cool fish and VERY beautiful, especially when the females are "in heat" so to say. The colors really shine but they are pretty aggresive, if you want a community tank be careful when choosing which cichlids, also whenever you wanna introduce new fish (IMO) you should move around all the decor. Know what im sayin.....
 

AquaD

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Aug 4, 2010
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Unfortunately I am located in Wisconsin :'(

I think I am going to hit up one of the local shops that carry a lot of cichlids tomorrow and check out what they have. I'd ideally like to maybe get some Apistogramma agassizii, since they are harem breeders but I am not sure I can get them, or if I had to order them online I don't know if I can get a male and two females
 
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