I need help on choosing fish for new 60 gallon freshwater tank

**crazy4cichlid21** · 09-30-2012, 2:48 PM

I am just setting up a new 60 gallon i am waiting for the water to cycle for a little and testing it everyday. I know thats over kill but its my first tank so i am excited. I am wondering what do you recommend stocking this tank with. i want cichlids and a pretty big community of fish so i figured since africans are smaller they would be better. I also want clown loaches so the ph would be pretty low for the"ideal." ph of africans cichlids. Can i mix africans and make a community tank that needs to be a lower ph to make it possible to mix these fish. I want they beautiful colors of the cichlids but there needs are hard to combine other freshwater fish. can i make the ph 7.0-7.3 and have the cichlids be able to survive and thrive? please help, also maybe some suggestions on better ways to stock my tank i am open to ideas.

**evnsmm05** · 09-30-2012, 4:24 PM

Hi congrats on the new tank and I still test my water 2 times a week just to make sure the water is good and not stressing my fish

. Do you want a cichlid community or cichlids with other types of fish? Cichlids need to be kept with same type of cichlids. As in don't put new worlds with African or south African. I love cichlids they are beautiful. Clown loaches however are not good with cichlids they will probably will not survive. The only bottom dwelling fish that I have been able to keep with my cichlids is a Chinese algae eater. They killed 2 common plecos and 1 armored pleco. If you do end up mixing because your lfs miss labeled which has happened to me rearrange their rocks and fake plant during water changes it really helps. Also Africans range from 4-10 inches depending on the cichlid. Good luck!!!

**crazy4cichlid21** · 10-01-2012, 2:19 PM

i want a cichlid community mostly smaller africans and have some larger bottom dwellers because i like the look. I wanted clown loach but i have pretty much came to the conclusion that wasn't going to work out. I am interested in trying a smaller pleco like a rio-negro or thomasi. I am also interested in maybe a elephant nose i have seen and heard of some people that keep smaller cichlids that have success keeping larger peaceful fish i just want anyones thoughts of a cool larger fish i can add to a group of cichlids. keep in mind i have purchased 0 fish yet so recommendations on cichlids that would be less aggressive and easier to make a community tank with. thanks

**cicrush13** · 10-02-2012, 7:52 AM

Look at synodontis petricola for a bottom feeder

**rufioman** · 10-02-2012, 1:55 PM

Petricola=adorable.

**crazy4cichlid21** · 10-02-2012, 2:02 PM

The petricola does look like a very cool fish I will keep that in mind as a bottom dweller for this tank. I still want to learn more about if I can add a peter elephant nose to a African cichlid tank. I heard elephant nose can be bullies so I figured he could hold his own in a tank with smaller lake Malawi cichlids any suggestions? Also I was thinking about maybe red tail sharks maybe I am a newbie so please help. I know cichlids are aggressive but does anyone have experience with elephant nose or red tail sharks and African cichlids?

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**Fractalis** · 10-02-2012, 3:06 PM

to make the water harder add calcium such as dry bones, coral skeletons, and limestone

**crazy4cichlid21** · 10-02-2012, 3:55 PM

I know how to make water hard my water is going to be a lower ph because I want a African cichlid community tank I just want to know of any odd ball fish that would work in a lake Malawi tank. I want to know if I can get a few cichlids a elephant nose 2 red tail sharks and maybe a pleco don't want to overstock though. Can anyone please tell me if I have some electric labs I am thinking a buffalo head cichlid some acei maybe zebras 2 red tail sharks and a elephant nose can all live together I will have plenty of rocks and sand substrate just need help please anyone??

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**Fractalis** · 10-02-2012, 3:59 PM

parrachanna sp. ?

**crazy4cichlid21** · 10-02-2012, 4:26 PM

No parrachanna there huge. I want a Gnathonemus petersii aka elephant nose. I also want to have 2 Epalzeorhynchos bicolor or red tail sharks. That's about 16" of fish using the 1" per gallon rule I want the other 44" of fish African cichlids from lake malawi. I am think labs,zebras,acei,buffalo head,and maybe some others need to do more research can I mix all these fish and make a community tank I am willing to let go of the red tails but I am pretty much want a elephant nose and Africans as my community tank can anybody please share any information about this good idea or no please help?

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