Cichlid community?
- Thread starter jrawebb83
- Start date
Yeah you could.A 75 would be better,and stick with Africans,or dwarfs.American cichlids will get too big to keep more than 1 or 2 in a 75.
Okay thanks. I think I'm drawn more to the african species anyhow. I like jewel cichlids and some of the blue and yellow ones that I don't know the name. Unfortunately the lfs where I saw the best prices has them listed as "small assorted cichlid's".
Those are usually hybrids,you might want to stay away from them.
Research,research,research.When you come up with a good combination, then buy those.You will still probably be limited to the number of different species you can keep.
I don't know if they were hybrids. I've seen them at other stores listed with specific names. Let me clarify though, one was blue and another was yellow, not one fish with both colors.
You're right about research though. That's the stage I'm in now and until I actually have a tank for them.
You're right about research though. That's the stage I'm in now and until I actually have a tank for them.
For most Cichlid communities, species are usually the same with variations in them. Eaxmple: Mbuna need to be kept with other Mbuna, etc. Rift lake need to be kept with other rift lake. Don't mix rift lakes. Don't mix Old World with New World. These are general guidelines and not absolutes.
You could buy online. The shipping can be a bit steep but it greatly expands your options and you are more likely to get healthy fish. The "assorted african cichlid" tank will have their fair share of hybrids but sometimes you can pick out some nice fish if you know what you are looking for. The Assorted tanks also usually have some super aggressive species you should stay away from.
If you are interested in mbuna I say start by looking up Yellow labs (Labidochromis caeruleus), yellow tailed acei (Pseudotropheus acei) and rusty cichlid(Iodotropheus sprengerae). These are your more mild mannered mbuna.
Now if you want a true community tank you could set up a Lake Tanganyika. This will provide you with fish that look and act differently. I don't know much about tang tanks so I can't provide a species list. But I do know a tang community is a really nice and enjoyable tank.
If you are interested in mbuna I say start by looking up Yellow labs (Labidochromis caeruleus), yellow tailed acei (Pseudotropheus acei) and rusty cichlid(Iodotropheus sprengerae). These are your more mild mannered mbuna.
Now if you want a true community tank you could set up a Lake Tanganyika. This will provide you with fish that look and act differently. I don't know much about tang tanks so I can't provide a species list. But I do know a tang community is a really nice and enjoyable tank.
There are a lot of cichlid "community" options you can go with in a 4' tank, depending on your definition of community. The 75g will give you many more options than a 55g, especially if you're thinking CA/SA cichlids. I'll take community to mean a tank with more than a single species. You could go with malawi mbuna, malawi peacocks, a tang tank with shellies, julies, and calvus/comps. Other options would be a good community of dwarf cichlids, such as rams or apistos, keyholes, or checkerboards, and fill it out with dithers. Rainbow cichlids would be another great option.
I would not do jewels in a "community" tank. They're known for their nasty temperament but you could do a jewel colony in a 75g. As for the mbuna you get at the big box stores, many of those are hybrids, you really need to know what to look for to avoid them.
I would not do jewels in a "community" tank. They're known for their nasty temperament but you could do a jewel colony in a 75g. As for the mbuna you get at the big box stores, many of those are hybrids, you really need to know what to look for to avoid them.
Yea I was reading up on jewels last night at work. There were mentions of extreme cases of aggression especially during breeding. As far as community I was referring to having more than one species, but I want to keep them all from the same region to avoid issues, and/or provide a big enough tank so territories can be established with no issues.