martynmarion

I've been 'learning' the fish keeping business for the past 3-4 months. I was given 2 ten gallon tanks at school and have kept some dwarf gouramis, tiger barbs, gold barbs, serpae tetras, and even had a student unexpectedly bring me a rainbow shark that I have somehow managed to keep happy in one of the little tanks (so far).

Thanks to the many forum responders who have helped me thus far-so now for my latest project. For my 55 gal. Xmas present I want to branch out and try some cichlids. I don't think I want just 2 or 3 fish (my understanding is that oscars and jack dempseys are about all you can mix if you go that route). I would really like a community tank and was wondering what some of you would mix if you were me. I'm looking for beauty and something that a novice like myself won't kill. Suggestions?

Also, while I have read on here that it is easier to control the tank water with a 55 gal. than with the two 10 gal. I'm messing with now, how about cichlids? Are they tougher to keep than what i've listed above? Or am I biting off more than a 'rookie' can handle?

By the way, I am disappointed that no one told me how addictive all of this is. When I first joined, I wondered what all the fuss was, but now .......

Wolfgang8810

lol cichlids normaly need a higher pH and that might be difficult in some places without using chemicals. but other than that here are come pretty cichlids. http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/categ.cfm?pCatId=831 you will also not want to have plants in a chichlid tank because they will tear them up with their boisterous swimming.

Cody

yes.. some cichlids may gave you problems but other then a little bit different water chemestry there not that much of a jump..they are just 1 the smaller species are are still lager then the fish your dealing with now and can be alot more agressive in a 55gallon though if you have good mix you wont have as much of a problem..and yes this hobby is very addictive

Wolfgang8810

lol i started 6 months ago and now i have 5 tanks lol and im looking into a 120 gallon amazon tank when i move out! yay fish!

COBettaCouple

lol.. MTS is incurable.. it only grows. we have angels & julies in the same tank.. with a 55g and a good setup of rocks and caves, i think you can have a couple cichlid species in the same tank. There are so many types of cichlids and you may want to see if there is a cichlid club around you, for advice and finding cichlids not easily found at the LPS/LFS.

susitna-flower

In addition to the other problems that might arise from changing the type of fish you keep, you may find cichlids create more 'waste' from feeding in general. The 55 gal may seem large compared to what you have now, but may not be big enough as soon as you start keeping a new type of fish.

I find a 55 gal is a great size for small fish, shrimp, snails. My favorite tank is just this, with no fish over about 1 1/2 inches. This gives me lots of interest, and the water stays crystal clear. By keeping the water really clean, the cherry shrimp are exploding, over 100 females carrying eggs! They are really colorful and fun to watch! I did have larger fish in it, which I have moved over to a 125 gal tank, now those fish have grown even larger, and that tank is hard to keep clean......The only cichlids in it are kribs, which don't add very much mess......it's the bala sharks and two large pleco's . MTS is a self perpetuating problem.....the main thing is not to get enough fish when they are small to "fill" the tank. When they grow, you will have to add tanks to accommodate the size, or you will start to suffer loss to water quality. Good Luck and Welcome to Fishlore....

martynmarion

everyone-thanks for the info. I;ll keep researching the cichlids, as I seem to like the looks of some of the rams. I'm thinking of staying away from the oscars and Jack Dempseys, for various reasons. Any other advice or options for cichlid groups, keep the posts coming.

Wolfgang8810

rams are awesome! i have 2 Bolivian rams in ym tank now and ive has GBR's before the Bolivians aren't as colorful but they sure are heartier.

susitna-flower

Rams and Kribs are both lovely, a bit touchy, and you HAVE to reasearch what water they do best in, then have a fully cycled tank BEFORE you buy....

The main thing about both though is that they are shy. To put them in a community tank, they can get really stressed out before they calm down and find their territory. The kribs can be good tank mates then until they start breeding, when they defend their territory agressively, though they can't cause much damage if the other fish are not too small. A 29 gal tank is a good size for a breeding group of kribs alone.

COBettaCouple

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profile...es.php?id=1526 - we have these little guys. that site has profiles of so many types of cichlids and if you have cichlid breeders in your area, you'll be set.

zigmeister

hmmm,,, I have seen MTS mentioned in a couple places... Multiple Tank Syndrome if so, I have it badly!!!! Did just what susitnaflower said... filled the tank with baby fish not realizing they would get bigger. Now looking for my third tank and where in the heck to put it...

Wolfgang8810

lol a wonterful hobby. Maybe its more of a collection with mts and all.