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Advice on suitable Cichlids for an aquascaped tank please?

Nick_593

Member
Joined
29 Oct 2012
Messages
97
Location
Pembrokeshire/ Devon
Hello everyone.

I've decided I want to give up my community tank with tetras and cherry shrimp, and would rather have just two or three Chichlids in there.

I walked in to an aquatics shop earlier and saw some Convict Cichlids, and thought how awesome they would look in my tank. But found out they aren't suitable as they will pretty much dig up the tank and destroy the plants (apparently!).

I'm looking for something similar, that wont grow too big, have some 'personality' about them like some Cichlids do, will lay some eggs to possibly have some offspring, but foremost, wont destroy my tank(!).

I was thinking some German Blue Rams, as their the only Cichlids I've kept in the past.

Does anyone have any suggestions of alternatives?

Thanks!
 
Tank size and water params?

Apistogramma, Dicrossus, Kribensis or Pelvicachromis are the obvious shout, but I think keyholes are greatly underrated. Hemichromis are very good lookign fish but a bit trickier due to aggression while breeding. Actually I think hemichromis tend to dig so ignore that suggestion.

Maybe Nanochromis or Lateacara?
 
Hi mate. Tank is 180l high tech (CO2/ ferts/ UV sterilizer etc).
Don't use test kits as lots of people advise there isn't much point, but 50% water change weekly and tank is very healthy.

Will look into these suggestions now.

Cheers!
 
Apistogramma heaven!!

Keep to one type though and have a good group of females for them.

Then a few Angels
And a big group of cory sterbai
 
And whatever you pick they will eat small shrimps so your population will reduce. But I wouldn't have a freshwater tank without at least 1 cichlid species in there.
 
Don't use test kits as lots of people advise there isn't much point, but 50% water change weekly and tank is very healthy.

While I do agree that constant water testing is often unnecessary and inaccurate, I'm also a strong believer in keeping fish in roughly the right sort of water conditions. Obviously there are plenty of very adaptable species, but a lot of the cichlid species mentioned will do much better in soft, low pH water. Especially if you want them to breed.

So I'd definitely try and get an idea at least of what your tap water is like before making a final decision on which fish to stock.

As a final suggestion, a group of peacock gobies (Tateurndina ocellicauda) would do very well in a tank your size, and are quite adaptable. Very inquisitive fish with some interesting interactions. I'd think you could happily get about 3 males and 5 females in a tank that size.
 
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