28 Gallon Bowfront, need suggestions please!!

B

bt224

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May 18, 2007
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I am about to have an empty 28 gallon bowfront, fully cycled and ready to go. The convicts living there are about to get a larger home. I'm not real picky and new to the smaller cichlids. This can be a SA dwarf or African tank, don't care and I'm not afraid of any extra effort to maintain the tank.

The tank:
Ph is usually around 7.5 without treatment.
Medium natural smooth gravel substrate.
Lot of plants and hiding places, more could be added if needed.
Penguin 280 and Top Fin 40 HOBs.

I want multiple, active, unusual fish (don't we all). What would you put in this tank if it were yours? If required, how to I raise/lower the Ph?

Thanks!!
 
I'm partial to SA cichlids

but maybe some rams and card tetras in a biotope set up.

with rams, particularly Blue rams. they temp needs to lean a bit on the warm side so you need to match the temp tolerance to the fish.
 
I think if you want to keep your plants, your best bets are SA dwarfs and riverine African dwarfs. Kribs, A. thomasi, the aformentioned blue rams, bolivian rams (hardier than blues and they'd like your pH), and two particular apistos - cockatoo (A. cacatuoides) or A. borelli - are great at the higher pH. Borelli are small, but spectacular looking when not in the dealer's tanks (where they're often very drab). I almost forgot to mention N. anomola (golden eye dwarf cichlid) and the Laetacaras (curviceps and dorsigera) would do well, too.

If you want to ditch the plants (or see them floating pretty soon), Tanganyikan shell dwellers would do great - although you'd likely need to replace the substrate with aragonite to boost your pH and KH to make them really happy.

Eric
 
if u dont really care if the fish are a little aggressive or about ur plants buy 1 or 2 convicts
 
Jayhawk said:
I think if you want to keep your plants, your best bets are SA dwarfs and riverine African dwarfs. Kribs, A. thomasi, the aformentioned blue rams, bolivian rams (hardier than blues and they'd like your pH), and two particular apistos - cockatoo (A. cacatuoides) or A. borelli - are great at the higher pH. Borelli are small, but spectacular looking when not in the dealer's tanks (where they're often very drab). I almost forgot to mention N. anomola (golden eye dwarf cichlid) and the Laetacaras (curviceps and dorsigera) would do well, too.

If you want to ditch the plants (or see them floating pretty soon), Tanganyikan shell dwellers would do great - although you'd likely need to replace the substrate with aragonite to boost your pH and KH to make them really happy.

Eric
Click to expand...

I like the sounds of this set up ^^
 
Star_Rider/Jayhawk...I agree, I looked up some from JH's suggestions and I like them. What would be a good mix as far as numbers go?
 
they are all bottom dwellers..that is the issue.
they can all fend for themselves.

I am no expert with apisto's
with rams it's best to get three 2 females and 1 male..if there is enough cover the 3rd wheel wil need to find cover. with bolivians.it's not so defined as the male tho technically not a harem breeder...may decide to spawn with the other female..the females may duke it out for dominance.

the best bet is to have plenty of cover / caves..tho the rams will usually seek root tangles.
I have heard that you can keep both species in the tank...the bowfront may have enough of a footprint to handle more than one pair.
 
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