Any Cichlid for a 5.5?

divemaster99 · Oct 27, 2014

I'm dying to get back into cichlids again ever since I got rid of my pair of cutteris (didn't really have a choice though they almost murdered all my catfish). The only tank I'm going to have available to stock until my fishroom is done is a 5.5gallon (16"x8"x10") and I was wondering what if any cichlids would do well in there for at least a few months, preferably a breeding pair of something. Options I'm considering are Apistos and Kribs (kribs would be growouts) but I wasn't sure if there were any other species that would breed in such a small tank. Any thoughts?

Murrayt · Oct 27, 2014

I honestly don't think any Cichlid could work in a 5.5 gallon. Even for short term, a 5.5 won't fit anything comfortably.

I would say a 10 (US) gallon is minimum and that is for juvenile fish. Like 2 juvenile convicts or rams. However, you wouldn't be able to tell whether they are a pair until later on anyway.

A 20 gallon is the perfect aquarium for a pair of: Rams, Convicts, and a few other dwarf Cichlids.

Concluding your question: I wouldn't have a pair of any Cichlid in anything less than 20 gallons.

castro1212 · Oct 27, 2014

What about a species of shell dwellers

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JackDempsey72 · Oct 27, 2014

castro1212 said:
What about a species of shell dwellers

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+1 this is what I was thinking. There are some really nice species of shell dwellers

divemaster99 · Oct 27, 2014

Shell dwellers aren't really my thing, they look pretty bland IMO. There's no Apistos that could go for life in a 5.5? My friend with the massive fishroom (257 tanks) has a rack full of 5s he breeds dwarf cichlids in and I doubt he's growing all them out.

Rivers2k · Oct 27, 2014

divemaster99 said:
Shell dwellers aren't really my thing, they look pretty bland IMO. There's no Apistos that could go for life in a 5.5? My friend with the massive fishroom (257 tanks) has a rack full of 5s he breeds dwarf cichlids in and I doubt he's growing all them out.

Not trying to sound sarcastic or anything but ask your friends what he has in those and what he had the best luck with. He would be your best bet. I haven't heard of any cichlid doing well in a tank that small but I have also never really researched it either.

divemaster99 · Oct 27, 2014

Rivers2k said:
Not trying to sound sarcastic or anything but ask your friends what he has in those and what he had the best luck with. He would be your best bet. I haven't heard of any cichlid doing well in a tank that small but I have also never really researched it either.

Ill check with him next time I talk to him.

darth pike · Oct 27, 2014

Some very, very advanced apisto breeders will do it with the smallest species, but these are people with over 20 years experience with that particular genus. Personally, I'd never put a pair of any new world cichlid in something that small.

ryansmith83 · Oct 27, 2014

Same here. I'd do no less than a 15 or 20 long for very small dwarves. Keep in mind that it has a lot to do with the behavior/aggression of the fish, not their size.

convict360 · Oct 27, 2014

A cichlid in a 5.5 would probably look miserable to me...this may be a deviation from it, but if I had a 5.5 I'd be doing a dwarf puffer, cause it'd still have the intelligence, but actually look comfortable in that size of tank.

Be interesting to see what your friend says.

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