New Tank Help

Cribbinator

Cribbinator

Fish are Friends, Not Food
May 26, 2004
89
0
0
Alpharetta, GA
www.thecribbs.com
Hello All,

I was looking for a Cichlid sticky but didn't see one. I need some help. I want to change my tank to a Cichlid tank. I've already given away all of my community fish and now I have a fresh empty tank. I've always loved Cichlids and wanted to do a tank. I have a few questions:

1.) I heard there are two types of Cichlids, African and South-American ? What region are Malawi ?

2.) Do both regions of Cichlids need different tank setups ?

3.) I really like the large rock and cave setups that I've seen with Cichlids, do all Cichlids like this setup ? What kind rock can I use ? Where do I get these large rocks ?

4.) I assmume that since I already has freshwater fish in the tank I can use the same setup ? I plan on getting a finer grade subtrate than I have now and I plan to scrub the tank down and install new filters.

5.) What Cichlids are the easiest to care for and hearty ?

Here is the equipment I have ready for the tank:

50 Gallon Tank
Marine-Land Dual-Wheel Filter (Hang-On)
150w Heater
Airpump

Any other tips or suggestions would be helpful.

Thanks!

James
 
There are actually cichlids from other places than Africa and South America, but those places have the most variety.

Malawi is an African riverine lake, so Africa on those.

Both do indeed need different setups. African cichlids in general like more alkaline/hard water whereas South American in general like more acidic/softer water. No worries on either though. If your water is in the 7 pH range, you're good to go on most of either and there's no reason to adjust the hardness and/or pH. Substrate choices can help buffer this in regard to Africans to the higher ranges they like.

Texas holey rock and lace rock are a couple popular choices. The holey rock should be used only with Africans as it buffers the pH and hardness. With South americans, you can use driftwood and other inert large stones.

If your tank is already cycled, I would suggest you leave it as is and change the substrate and decorations out slowly. You don't want to kill your biological filtration by thoroughly scrubbing down your tank and decor and starting over.

The easiest cichlids to keep and care for bar none are:

African: Pseudotropheus species - lots of colors here red, blue, yellow, etc.
South American: Amatitlania (Archocentrus) nigrofasciata - Convicts

Looks like you're all setup for either. They both should be found readily at your local fish shop.
 
Thanks, good info.

So the Peacock Cichlid and Zebra Cichlid ... those are African right ... how do I tell which ones are Convicts ?

So other than the Ph, the water levels can be the same as what I originally had setup ? My only concern is that the fish I had in there lived a long time but I tried to add some new fish in a few months back and they all died ... the new ones that is ... they were cheaper fish but I don't want to buy $7+ Cichlids and have them die right when they get in ... the levels looked fine I just have a bad case of algae that I'm trying to get rid of.

So what subtrate should I use ? I heard Cichlids like sandy/fine subtrate ... I have small river rock subtrate right now ... about 1/8" and 1/4" pebbles.
 
Convicts are south american i think. They are white with black stipes. There are many types of peacocks out there if that is the route you want to go. When you say zebra cichlid I believe you mean red zebras? They are bright orange with no stripes, no idea why theya re called zebras lol.


If you want to go with african cichlids I suggest Mbuna. They are a group of rock dwelling cichlids that like in lake Malawi. They are pretty aggressive but very colorful.

Here's a link to my 55 gallon thread. I have a video posted there that can give you an idea of how these fish look and move.
 
I suggest checking out this site... http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/

It should help you see just how many types of cichlid setups there are... and also just how many different combinations of genus/specie of fish there really are..
 
Nice tank blue2 ... is all that rock real rock ? I can't seem to find large rocks like that at my LFS, can't find much online either. I'll check out the link provided earlier on some cichlid setups. That is the look I want to go for ... so no plants ? I heard they tend to uproot plants alot ;) Also, are undergravel filters not used anymore ?
 
My rocks are all real. I got them from my local landscaping store. Mbuna eat plants so all the plants in my tank are plastic. A lot of cichlids out there like to rearrange things. I have 2 cannister filter on my tank. I can't really use an undergravel because I have sand.
 
Thanks RDTigger. So how do I tell if rock at my local hardware store is safe ? I've read in the past that some rock can be harmul as it will add acidity to the water or vice versa ??? I have tons of landscape and hardware stores in the area. Any specific type of rock names I should be asking for over there ?
 
Most rock you'd find around will be safe, as long as it's clean before going in.

Look at the link RDT posted above, there was an article on safe and non safe rocks. Stuff like marble, granite, limestone, slate, etc.. will be pretty common at the landscapers and can go into your tank.

Local rivers, beaches, creeks will have rocks you can get free ;)
 
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