bigisrick

hello im cycling a 55 gallon aquarium and I have decided to stock it with african cichlids due to there very colorfull scales what cichlids would you recomend what are the more colorful species and how many can I have in a 55 gallon setup thanx, rick

Cody

http://www.allcichlids.com/


look at that site to find alot of info about them

bigisrick

that websight kinda sucked i mean they had an impresive list of different species of cichlid but the information on keeping them and tank mate compatability wasnt very good

Linda B

We were given a Red Devil(about 6 inches long). What a beautiful fish!! The problem is he is very agressive!!! From my reading he prefers to be alone. He constantly moves gravel and moves decorations where he wants them!! So fun to watch. We were hardheaded and bought some fish!! Not a good idea, some died and we quickly gave the rest away!! He didn't eat them he just chased them until they were so stressed out!! We had several hiding places and we did rearrange his "territory" before putting the fish in.

He likes to be alone-so alone it is!!! We love him (but HE has just layed a bunch of eggs). The answer that I'm searching from everyone is IS TAZ REALLY TAZALINA ARE THE EGGS FERTILE??

And the Saga continues.......

Cody

sorry about that..i was in a hurry so i coudnt find the best..often its best just ot respond to get the post going ...i do this if i see a post sitting aroudn for a while..i do my best knowing others will follow

bigisrick

well i appreciate the concern cody but yea i definatly like this better then parousing around websites feel like a get a wider array of answers and opinions but yeah ive decided to go with an electric blue and an electric yellow to start i found a breeder in my area and he sells them real cheap as babies i dont understand why they sell fish more expensive when there fully grown i think watching them grow up is part of the fun i dunno maybe b/c there more rare well thanx for the answers and let me know what u think of my choice in cichlids

Allie

Yellow labs are great...electric blues? Do you mean Electric blue haps or cobalt zebras
Here are some sites I love:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/

This one you have to register...but it's worth it.
http://www.malawimayhem.com/profiles.php?filter=AB

bigisrick

you know i think i may get a hap and a zebra they both look beautiful im a ***** for anything blue ecspecially that vibrant of a blue

bigisrick

ohhh and to answer linda bs question how could the eggs be fertile if there was no other fish to fertilize the eggs or caN CICHLIDS DO THAT? ....sry for the caps

Barbrella

No.

If you want Africans, make sure to do your research and set up the kind of tank they need.

Make sure you get fish that will grow to about the same size, to try and lessen aggression. Lots of rocks and hiding spots are necessary.

Cody

ohh i love those kinda cichlids..and i know what you mean about the websites...i mean just an example..but like i could read about breeding..but the thing is normaly the cut off the rough edges..you know the things you have to deal with ...and when there people who are exprienced and can tell you about those things...kinda a bad example but oh well

mlinden84

I think a lot depends on what is available in your area. When I first decided to go with African Cichlids, I went to the LFS and looked at the ones they had. I wrote down the names of ones I liked, and then went home and researched them. That way I didn't spend a lot of time researching ones that I wouldn't be able to find where I lived.

bigisrick

dude you can put 16 cichlids in a55 gallon aquarium?

mlinden84

The 5 babies are only there temp. until they go to their new home (in less than a month) The other 11 I have will only get to be 4-5 inches in length.
Plus african cichlid tanks are often overstocked to help control aggression. (and make sure you have plenty of hiding places).
My tank is slightly overstocked with the pleco (he was a rescue) and I plan on upgrading to a larger tank as soon as this spring.

And I'm not a dude by the way

Barbrella

That's the way to do it!

Africans are very beautiful and when in the petstore it's tempting to just take what catches your eye. This can be heartbreaking later on if they start killing each other, so "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"!

You want to read about them and find the least aggressive species that you still find attractive.

bigisrick

well dudette sry for the feux pa but yeah i just e-maild the websight some pics of my fishtank i dont know how long until there up but you guyz should check it out and let me know what you think p.s. its a work in progress im a student and money is definatly an issue inso facto i worry more about the health and stress levels of my fish more then how pretty my tank is at this point

bigisrick

never mind you guys i just figured out how to set up a gallery so check it out and lemmie know what you think i value your opinions!

mlinden84

hehe I hear you on the money issue! I'm a student too. I've found that sometimes it takes awhile to get everything you want for your fishtank, but it's worth it, eventually they look great!

Allie

Yup me too...I see what is for sale & check em out in my identification book or good ole google.

Allie

If you are near a beach you can collect rocks to put in your tank. That what we do...collect them off th shore and soak em in a bucket of water for a few days...just in case.

Dino

It took almost 20 years for me to get everything lined up for the fishhouse.
If you want something bad enough, you will do what it takes for it to happen.

Best of luck with the Rift cichlids.

Allie

Where there is a will there is a way.