Cichlid help

[truck_317]

I just got a 55 gallon tank and i want to put more colorful cichlids in it. Right now I have 2 rainbow cichlids and 2 parrot fish and 2 silver dollars. what would be a good kind of fish to put in there. I also heard that if u have common fish that are bigger then the cichlids when u buy them the more aggressive fish wont bother them is that ture. Please help. I am looking to start putting fish in my new tank ok sunday or monday

[haynchinook334]

are you planing on up grade later? you can get alot of the smaller cichlids ( apistolgammas), and parrots you mean blood parrots or true parrots?

[truck_317]

i mean blood parrots but i just got the 55 tank and i wont upgrade for a long time but i need to know some good kind of cichlids that wont beat up on my other fish

[haynchinook334]

Servums, cons, fire bellies, jacks...pretty much any cichlid that stays under 8''. IMO

[truck_317]

how agressive are thows fish that u named

[haynchinook334]

not as agressive as a BP, IME......my BP tore my cons up. but as long as they are well fed, you'll be fine.

[truck_317]

i need to give me the full name of the fish i dont understand the nicknames for them

[Cichlaholics Anonymous]

cons=convicts
jacks/jd= jack dempsey
bp= blood parrots

[RookieOfTheYear]

firemouth

[truck_317]

ok so what does eveybody suggest what kind of moderate/semi aggressive cichlids i should get. Full names of the fish please

[Cichlaholics Anonymous]

can't go wrong with any Thorichthys, but things like Honduran Red Points are attractive as well, neither being too aggressive

[bigriver]

convict,firemouth,jack dempsey,festivum,nicaraguans,sajicas i would not ever put a severum in a 55 gallon after seeing with my own eyes at a pet store this green severum almost a foot and cramped in a 55. The list above is for a few but not all.

[bluehairman]

if you get a jack watch for ones that might have an attitude problem. my female did and killed off my oscar and almost the other one too :eek:

im new to larger cichlids also, but you can get a firemouth (as mentioned) and maybe 1 or 2 geophagus.
geophagus are not aggressive at all so get them full grown or at least bigger than the other fish. some of geophagus have lame colors but some of them can get bright.

[truck_317]

Well arnt convicts mean but u guys told me that they are not