Community or Cichlid tank

[zackish]

I am planning on setting up a new 29 gal. tank. In the past I had a 10 gallon tank with cichlids and I really really liked them. However i didn't do too well with them and they all died off so i stopped the hobby. When recently I decided to get back into it I was planning on a community tank because they seem the easiest.
However, I still really like the cichlids and I was wondering what you more experienced people would recommend for my 29 gallon tank? I have more than enough time to take proper care of an aquarium and am willing to.

[puddlekeeper]

What kind of Cichlids did you have? African or South American?

What kind of filtration do you have or plan on having?

What type of base layer are you going to have? (sand or gravel or ?)

Do you run air conditioning during the summer - do you keep the home warm in the winter?

What about the placement of the tank?
Near a window or not? that effects algae growth.

What about live plants or not?

What type of lighting?

[zackish]

wow ok.....
I had african ones, 2 bright orange, 2 bright yellow, and 2 that bluish color with the black dots on the top.
I would plan on doing african cichlids again...

Plan on having a biowheel.

I have gravel and was going to use it but I am willing to use sand.

No air conditioner, my house stays warm, mid 70's but with a heater I dont see why that would matter. My house also stays warm during the winter.

I plan on keeping it in my room on my dresser which is across from the window, not a lot of natural sunlight.

I would like live plants rather than fake.

I plan on using just a regular flourescent tube light that goes in the regular hoods.

[cocoa_pleco]

i have 5 africans in a home made 29g with a biowheel for 75g. Its 2 red zebras and 3 hybrid unknown africans and 3 gold snails. all are healthy with no water quality issues

[zackish]

i have 5 africans in a home made 29g with a biowheel for 75g. Its 2 red zebras and 3 hybrid unknown africans and 3 gold snails. all are healthy with no water quality issues

Would you say thats the max? How do your fish act also? WHen I had my cichlids they hid a lot and wouldn't even come up to the surface to eat.

I was looking to have a good amount of fish so maybe community would be the right choice? I was looking at tetras and gourami's, etc.

[troy]

Since you were unsuccessful with cichlids the first time, maybe you should do a community tank instead. If you start with a community tank this time, you will be better prepared to take care of the cichlids.

[zackish]

Since you were unsuccessful with cichlids the first time, maybe you should do a community tank instead. If you start with a community tank this time, you will be better prepared to take care of the cichlids.

ya but last time i was so obvlivious to the hobby that I didn't even cycle my tank. I filled my tank up one night and the next day I loaded it up. I just thought all i needed was to keep accurate temperature and keep a filter on lmfao. I have learned so much just by reading stuff the past few days and I don't even have my tank yet.

[cocoa_pleco]

5's a good number. If i added a fluval 405 to the biowheel, i could go 8 max. My cichlids now are very sociable and the odd one hides for a few seconds. They like food and know which corner i feed them in and stay there.

Mbuna are tolerable of poor conditions. They will not instantly die from poor conditions, but it takes a few years off their natural life span

[zackish]

hmmm well since i am looking for more fish would something like 5 cardinal tetras and 5 blackskirts and 5 neons be too much for a 30 gallon tank?

[cocoa_pleco]

too much? too little! you could easily add 5 corys to the list

[zackish]

ya, it seems like the smaller the fish you can add them by the school not just individually lol

[cocoa_pleco]

just to give you a idea whats possible with a 30g, heres whats in my 20g planted now-

1 platy
1 betta
1 skunk botia
1 banded loach
2 baby angels
2 albino corys
6 white clouds
3 ghost shrimp
1 unknown tetra
1 black shark

filtration- fluval 205 canister


You easily can do more than just a few tetras in a 30g

[zackish]

but then if i go cichlids it drops right down to 5

[cocoa_pleco]

true. If youre aiming for visual pleasement, go with community fish. I just made the african tank since i was bored and i wanted cichlids since i pretty much had everything else

[zackish]

ya i prolly will go with the community that way i can have an assortment, no fish are as good looking as some of the cichlids though

[nanaglen2001]

OK lets talk straight

29 galons are about 120 litres.

Thats ok for maybe two pairs of "Kribs" and some dither fish like cories (about 7 ) and some small Cyprinidae. Maybe a group of 10 to 15.

And thats about it.

Everything else would be a brutal overstocking. Should you chose "Kribs" you can plant your tank heavily, cause these fish need plants, and they need sand as bottom. Put some roots and claypots or halved cocoanut shels upide down into the tank. The "Kribs" will need those as cover and later, for breeding.

A Fluval 305 or an Eheim 2029 should do nicely as filter.

[roulfi004]

I've seen a pet shop (a well reputed one over here too) put 4 or 5 yellow princess cichlids (3-4inch each), in a small 3 gallon tank, thats around 30 cm long, with a large rock (relative to the aquarium size) inside

The fish gave a very interesting and active display. It was an attractive little tank...

At first i was amazed, and like any other "stubborn" (excuse the term) fishkeeper, my mouth opened up to release the most famous yet distrubing word ever spoken and written in Fishkeeper's universe. The word that haunts our deepest souls: "isn't this Overstocked?"

So the fishkeeper kept his cool somehow (amazing!) and explained how it worked. It seems that this tiny aquarium delivered a strong current of water to the fish who seemed in an everlasting swimming state, giving out a nice display when the fish move around the rock

The trick was the filter. It was highly effective to keep the water well oxygenated and free of harmful chemicals, while the fish did not miss the lack of space because they were on a constant movement

I have to note that after 2 months i passed by again, and that aquarium was still there, with the same fish who survived!

... How's that Versus "overstocking" a little more than 5 cichlids in a 29 gallon tank?

[zackish]

well i think they were lucky because in a 3 gallon tank that seems like way too little, I don't even think one cichlid would do good in a 3 gallon tank, maybe they were healthy but extremely stressed perhaps?

Anyways, I was thinking last night this might be a little much but:
10 neon tetras
10 cardinal tetras
3 dwarf gouramis
and 2-3 corys

now the 10 tetras might be a bit too much if I want to have the other fish as well so could i bump the tetra school down to 5-7 each?

Remember I have a 30 gallon tank, what do you all think?

[nanaglen2001]

It depends on how you want to keep the Cichlids. With them you have 2 possibilities:

Overstock heartily so that the agressivness is kept on a low level, cause every fish has so many enemies, that each fish stays calm, cause it would be much too triresome to fight every one. But then you only see fish swimming around.

Or: you keep only a couple or maybe two couples, with some dither fish and those animals can behave in their natural way...but then you need more space for each individual.

[zackish]

It depends on how you want to keep the Cichlids. With them you have 2 possibilities:

Overstock heartily so that the agressivness is kept on a low level, cause every fish has so many enemies, that each fish stays calm, cause it would be much too triresome to fight every one. But then you only see fish swimming around.

Or: you keep only a couple or maybe two couples, with some dither fish and those animals can behave in their natural way...but then you need more space for each individual.


what exactly are "dither" fish

[RobbieG]

Bolder, more active fish like Danios that zip around in the wide open spaces. They let the shy fish know that it is safe to come out and play.

[zackish]

Bolder, more active fish like Danios that zip around in the wide open spaces. They let the shy fish know that it is safe to come out and play.

o well danios are boring ahaha but thanks for the info!

[nanaglen2001]

But they will do miracles if your futeure Cichlids tend to belong to the shy ones.

I use Mollies as dither fish in my big tank.

[roulfi004]

Whatever you get i suggest you get as little fish of the same species and color as possible. If schooling, for example, get 6 or 7, enough for them to feel safe, look nice, but not more. This is to keep enough space if you want to add more fish

You will, if you are like me, frequent stores just to look around and see what new they got.

Then, you are going to find something you will like that you dont have. So having enough room for new fish will soon be important

Just be careful about compatibility

That said, neons look niceer in numbers because they are too small!

[zackish]

ya thats what I plan to do but I am hopefully gunna load my 30 up with a good variety so I won't have to worry about adding to much.

[Lady Hobbs]

It does not matter what fish you decide to get, that tank must be cycled or they will all die. Fish can not tolerate the high levels of ammonia and nitrites that come with an uncycled tank so read up on cycling first.

I would go with the dwarf cichlids in that tank.

[NWMountainTroll]

just to give you a idea whats possible with a 30g, heres whats in my 20g planted now-

1 platy
1 betta
1 skunk botia
1 banded loach
2 baby angels
2 albino corys
6 white clouds
3 ghost shrimp
1 unknown tetra
1 black shark

filtration- fluval 205 canister


You easily can do more than just a few tetras in a 30g
You have a black shark in your 20g?

[zackish]

It does not matter what fish you decide to get, that tank must be cycled or they will all die. Fish can not tolerate the high levels of ammonia and nitrites that come with an uncycled tank so read up on cycling first.

I would go with the dwarf cichlids in that tank.


I am more than aware of that. I just got my stuff tonight and plan on adding water tomorow night and start the cycling!

[cocoa_pleco]

You have a black shark in your 20g?


hes a baby, about 3-4". Once he gets bigger him and the angels are going into the 55g