fishfun

Hi all,

I'm a newbie here and recently transferred my peaceful freshwater fishies (platties, mollies, dwarf gourami and guppies) in to a 20 gallon so that I can make my 55 gallon into an African Cichlid tank.

Here's where I'm confused How do I know which Cichlids can go with which? My LFS has them grouped into African Cichlids and American Cichlids, but can all African Cichlids go together? I don't want to put the wrong kinds together, and am having problems finding lists of those that do get along alright.

Does anyone have have any lists of compatable African Cichlids? Thanks!

MissMTS

Not all african cichlids can go together. Lots of fish stores have african in a tank filled with different types of cichlids that is just labled "Misc. Africans". Don't buy fish from tanks like these because you never know what kind of fish you are getting. I would reccomend Lake Malawi african cichlids as they are the most colorful. There are three types to pick from: peacocks, haps, and mbuna. Haps usually grow to big for a 55 gallon, so I would suggest peacocks or mbuna (you shouldn't mix the two). Most african cichlids do well with a 3 females to 1 male ratio. You also want to avoid getting different types of cichlids with similar coloration because they won't color up all the way and there can be aggression problems. Aggression levels range from mildly aggressive to highly aggressive. You want to make sure that all of the fish you get have a similar temperment so that none get picked on. Slightly overstocking african cichlid tanks also helps with aggression problems. Please look at the site: www.cichlidforum.com
This is where I have gotten the majority of my information from. They have detailed profiles on almost every type of cichlid you can imagine and they have a very useful cookie cutter tool. If you click on "library" you will see the tool and they have suggested stocking schemes for all different tank sizes (55 gallon included). I would do some thourough research and feel free to let us know if you have questions on anything. Good luck with your tank

FL CommunityFans

55 gallon templates. This will give you a starting point as to what fish are ok with each other.

Make this site you're new favorite info dump regarding cichlids.

Register there on the forums and be sure to read about the different parts of the lakes and which fish are from which regions. Doing this will give you an incredible leg up on things, and you'll be able to make much more informed decisions when you go shopping. Never buy the fish first without researching. Many of these guys are overly aggressive when they mature and can wipe out a tank. Many look very similar to each other and have different aggression levels, so a tiny confusion can prove a costly mistake.

As long as you read up a bit on that site, you'll definitely get a feel for things.


edit:

looks like someone linked faster than I did

fishfun

Thanks so much for the info. Just what I need for some good reading material this evening.

So it sounds like if I go with mbuna, I should only have other mbuna, correct? And 3 to 1 female to male ratio. Is it possible to keep just 1 of any of the mbunas or should they always be in groups and if so, how many?

thanks!

FL CommunityFans

Brave souls do all male mbuna tanks. This is where you make sure you only have males of each species, as a female from any species can set them all off.

yes it is suggested to keep mbunas with other mbunas.

MissMTS

I tried the all male tank.......don't do it! I had so many aggression problems and if you buy fish as juveniles it is almost impossible to sex them anyways. If you want to try it, best of luck to you. I just thought I would warn you with my horrific experience (not to say it won't work for you).

steveangela1

I will tell you out of the mbuna and the peacocks my fav is the mbuna.. I have a tank of each... my mbuna are def more active!
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