fishrule101

Hey I'm planning on keeping cichlids in the near future and need all the help.
My first question: What is the tank size needed??

Two: Are they really hard to keep?? Petsmart had them listed as Diffuclt. I'm planning on getting African scince they are much colorful and take care of there babies.

Three: How important is the rock?? Many people have lots of rocks stacked on on anther. WHat for??

Four: Is there any specal stuff need like salt and stuff like that??

Five:How aggersive are they??

fishrule101

Can they be kept in a 30??

mathas

That depends on what cichlids you want and how many you want to keep.

If you don't know what you want other than "african", I'd suggest starting with the following two links and seeing what you like.

African Cichlids
African Cichlid Genus Gallery

Once you have some specific fish in mind, people can help you decide how many to get, how much space they need, what they're compatible with, etc.

The rock is to mimic their natural habitat, give them places to hide, and allow them to establish territories.

I'm not aware of any need for salt, but I have heard that they like harder water than most other tropical fish.

Definitely wait for someone who's actually kept african cichlids to answer that question, though

Depends on the type of fish and the gender.

clinton1621

Well I have had Africans in a 55 but it really depends on how many you want to have as to what size tank you need, I would say at least maybe a 30 gallon though as they do get around 5 inches or more sometimes

They are not overly difficult to keep, they do prefer live food or frozen though and are not very keen on flakes usually. They also prefer hard water and a higher ph (close to 8 ph) so you definitely want to make sure your water is not soft

The rocks are VERY important as cichlids are highly territorial and will pick out rock "caves" that they live in pretty much permanently, without enough rock or hiding locations they will be stressed and fight constantly! Another reason for using rocks in cichlid tanks is to buffer the water so its harder and retains a high ph (as I mentioned above)

As far as salt I dont think they are from brackish water so there really isnt a need for it, its really only useful for brackish water fish

They are VERY agressive, even with each other... they will kill almost any other fish thats smaller than them with the exception of maybe plecos. You also want a good mix of females in with the males, as the males will fight if there arent enough females.... Ive heard that a larger "school" of africans is better so that they arent as territorial so that may be something to consider as well

I hope this helps somewhat, and good luck! =)

fishrule101

I really want the eletric yellow one.

MousePotato

A lot of mbuna are herbivores and do like flakes. I know mine do. I don't put salt in my tank, but the rocks are very important. They need hiding places and territories.

He might be able to keep a small group of yellow labs in a 30. That way he won't have to deal with so much aggression. I have been advised, however, that it is best to keep them in a 55 or larger.

What about shellies?

Check out the cookie cutter setups: http://www.cichlidrecipe.com/crp22.htm

Edited for typos.

mathas

These links may be of interest, if this is the "electric yellow one" you're talking about:

http://cichlidforum.com/profiles/species.php?id=713
http://cichlidforum.com/articles/l_caeruleus.php

clinton1621

This is absolutely correct, as I mentioned above they will get 5 inches or better fully grown and at that point you will need a minimum of 55 gallons just for 4 or 5 fish

MousePotato

Oh, and don't be seduced by the tiny, but beautiful demasoni. They need a lot of company to keep down aggression and you will end up buying a 100 gallon tank to keep them (as I am doing tomorrow!).

fishrule101

Well what are some good chiclids for a 30?

mathas

In addition to the cookie cutter recipes MousePotato linked to earlier, here are a few more:

Cookie Cutter Setups for 20-gallons (long)

Cookie Cutter Setup for 29-gallons

The reason I also linked to the 20g setups is the following quote:

clinton1621

Good point, a 30 gallon (3 foot length) would be even better than a 20 or a 29

steveangela1

WE keep malawi african cichlids, both mbuna and peacocks. They require at least a 30g tank (but I would recommend no smaller than a 55g).

They are pretty hardy fish to take care of, and if you are looking at Malawi species, the motherhood ends when they spit the babies out, they will eat them.

They are def very colorful fish, and no they do not need salt in their tanks.
What I use is crushed coral mixed w/ sand which hardens the water and puts minerals in it. Then I have rocks stacked up to make plenty of hiding spots and caves for them, it does help especially since I keep mbuna (rock dwelling fish).

Allie