riftlaker

is it possible to keep,1 male yellow lab, 1 female yellow lab & two demasoni females or 1 male demasoni, 1 female demasoni & two yellow lab females in a 30G tank? that is 1m/3f but they aren't the same species. also, does demasoni come from lake Malawi?

zowie717

Hello! demasoni does come from Malawi, and i know that cichlids can interbred with different species as I have been told so you can end up with hybrids that you would not want to sell. you may want to look at a bigger tank and they are quite active fish and messy and will get larger. they need room to hide and swim and must have there rocks and caves. Dwarf cichlids may be the better route to go for that size of tank. also do you have your tank set up? fill out your aquarium information, also make sure to plan in case you do have fry. The other members could answer if these species would interbred with each other. I do not have demasoni so I do not know. ; )

riftlaker

i am most concerned with the aggression, not breeding problems and what species of dwarf cichlids are there? i know shell dwellers are quite small any other kind of cichlids?

fishrule101

There's convicts!! They are cool little fish!! Three would by right at home in a 30! Firemouths, bolivian rams, or Cockatoos would also fit in a 30. Just be sure to take pictures of the fish and your tank once you get them. Oh and

Angela_96

I do not suggest malawi's in a 30g tank. Demonsoni are malawi cichlids. They need at least a 4 foot long tank (55g and up) and heavy stocking to reduce the aggression.

For a 30g tank I would look in to west african dwarfs, apistos, or shell dwellers. If you have acidic water go with the african dwarfs or apistos, if you have hard water the shell dwellers are better.

riftlaker

Will convicts get along with cardinal tetras? i've heard they are pretty aggressive. if i am going to have south American cichlids i might consider keeping some tetras.

zowie717

I dont have any SA cichlids but I wouldnt dare with my africans....they would rip a tetra up in seconds....Cichlids are agressive fish. but mabye others know on this one?

Shawnie

I would not put cons with tetras...especially if you get a breeding pair

ATKINSON

Agreed, they may look cute but dont judge a book by its cover!!
OR Dynamite comes in small packages!!

alicem

I agree, 55G is minimum for Malawi cichlids.
What are the dimensions of your 30G?
36" long x 18" deep x 12" high? Not tall enough for an angel, but you could have a Bolivian ram pair and some corydoras.
36" long x 12.5" deep x 16.75" high? Not much floor space for very many substrate dwellers and still not quite tall enough for an angel in it.
Another size?
This info will help us when suggesting how to fill your tank out: room for top swimmers, bottom dwellers, etc.

What is your tap water like?
We like to suggest fish that do well in your dechlorinated tap parameters.

Do you have a large fish selection locally or are you ordering on line?
If local, you are limited to that, if ordered, selections are limited to your pocketbook.

A hardy school of tetra are interesting to watch and are a good choice for your size tank.
Then some substrate dwellers for that area.
Leaving room (after a while when algae grows) we can suggest something to control that.

Are you wanting a cichlid as centerpiece and build around it?
Are you thinking a community tank or a species only tank?
Are you putting live plants in the tank?

Most importantly, what is your vision for this tank?
Are you looking for color, activity, breeding, fish parenting, peaceful, challenge... ?
alicem