Dwarf Agassizii(s) in a community 55g tank?

[N0body Of The Goat]

I read a little about these guys in the last 24 hours, making them another potential one for the wishlist.

However, I need to do some "brain-picking!"

Other possible tankmates currently on the wishlist are (if compatable and can be sourced):-
6 Boesmani Rainbows
6 Dwarf Rainbowfish
2 Dwarf Croaking Gourami
3(?) Kulhi Loaches
1 Bristlenose Pleco
1(?) Dwarf Agassizii

A few things concern me at this potential mix:-
Given that I read the Gourami, Kulhi, Bristlenose and Agassizii all like shelter at the bottom of the tank, would they "play nicely" if the tank had driftwood plus a nice complex of caves?
I have read Kulhis are happier in small groups and may be less shy. Would three be fine?
Would anyone like to comment on risking a pair of Agassiziis in this community, given the territorial agressiveness once spawning has happened?

This project is still just an idea, having been brought on by my new postal round including a tropical fish shop in Southampton, Tropi-Quaria! It has ignited my fascination about fish keeping. :)

[i_am_511]

Add some more Khuli loaches they should only be $3 or $4 each so even adding 2 more wont hurt you.

[N0body Of The Goat]

That confirms what I've read since posting this thread, I've read that they do better in fives or sixes. My other LFS has since ran out of stock, at least temporarily.

On the downside, the Agassizii may be tricky to source in the UK, but I found out that other peaceful cichlids are available:-
Firemouths
Keyholes
Rams

[annageckos]

Kuhlies are schooling fish and schooling fish do best in groups of six or more. In a 55 I would do more than that even. I have between 10-15 in my 55. They more you have the less shy they should be. Same thing with your rainbows, I would do more than six each. An Agassizii would be fine in your tank. I just added one to my community 55 and had one in the past. If you can't find an Agassizii, either the ram or keyhole would work too. Firemouths can be very aggressive so I would stay away from them for a community tank. With the rams you have either german blue or bolivian rams. The german blue are more sensitive to water conditions and need a higher temp, around 80F. The bolivians tend to be more hardy. There are also many other apisto cichlids you can look into that would do well in your tank.

[wolf_eyes]

What is the ph of your water? Generally apistos need soft water in order to thrive. There are some dwarf cichlids that can do well in hard water as well, namely bolivian rams, keyhole cichlids, and cockatoo cichlids.

[N0body Of The Goat]

According to the tropical fish shop on my new postal round (which re-kindled my admiration of fish), the pH of our Southampton tap water is ~8.5, which did surprise me a little. The hardness of our tap water is not something I've asked yet, nor he mentioned, but I believe it is considered to be moderately hard... Given this, I believe this setup could be great for Malawi cichlids (of which he has ~30 2cm babies in a tank), but perhaps this would be jumping in at the deep end for my first ever tropicals! :D

I'm currently researching good 55g (~120x40x50cm) starter kit tank deals with a cabinet, which appear to be either a Roma Fluval 240 for £350 (online), or a Jewel Rio 240 for £475 (at LFS). LFS owner claims the Jewel build is much better if parts ever go wrong, due to no-quibble guarantee and their ease at swapping out old parts for new.

As a rookie, one of the aspects of tropical fish keeping that most confused me over the last two weeks is that the pH and hardness ranges stated online can by and large be disregarded, unless we hope to sucessfully breed, according to the LFS owner!
Basically, he told me that he sources his sale stock from a supplier near London, who adjusts the fish to the condition of our tap water here in the south. Essentially, buying chemicals to change the tap water hardness and pH is asking for more trouble for the average keeper.

[wolf_eyes]

As a rookie, one of the aspects of tropical fish keeping that most confused me over the last two weeks is that the pH and hardness ranges stated online can by and large be disregarded, unless we hope to sucessfully breed, according to the LFS owner!
Basically, he told me that he sources his sale stock from a supplier near London, who adjusts the fish to the condition of our tap water here in the south. Essentially, buying chemicals to change the tap water hardness and pH is asking for more trouble for the average keeper.
This is true for the most part. He is definitely right on the chemicals, they are a lot more trouble than they are worth. If a fish is wild caught or a more sensitive species, however, it is generally good to follow the the ranges stated. Unfortunately most of the dwarf cichlids are fairly sensitive species. German rams and many of the apistos(including agassizzi) don't do so well at that high of a ph. Fortunately, keyholes, bolivian rams, cockatoo apistos, and rainbow cichlids (Herotilapia multispinosa) are easier to acclimate to a higher ph. I have some bolivian rams in my tank and they are donig very well in a tank with a ph of 7.6-7.8.

At that ph africans would be a good choice and there are some stocking guides out on the internet that can make it pretty easy to stock a tank. If you do want to go this route though, it would be best to fishless cycle so you can add the fish all at once. That way there won't be as much territorial disputes as if you were to add them a few at the same time. Another downside is that usually you only want to keep african cichlids with other african cichlids. There are a few species of other fish that can go with them but it makes stocking a little more tricky.