Most striking medium sized cichlids?

[BadGaskets]

So what would you say would be the most striking medium sized cichlids are?


By "medium" I mean cichlids that would be happy in a 100-150 gallon tank (4ft to 6ft long)?

Specifically South or Central American where neutral pH water is ideal

 

[SilverArowanaBoi]

So what would you say would be the most striking medium sized cichlids are?


By "medium" I mean cichlids that would be happy in a 100-150 gallon tank (4ft to 6ft long)?

Specifically South or Central American where neutral pH water is ideal

Electric Blue Acaras, Male/adult Firemouth Cichlids, Red and Gold Severums, Blood Parrots, Discus, Koi and other colorful kinds of Angelfish, Electric Blue Jack Dempseys etc.

Depends on what you are looking for. Discus and EBAs are great for calm peaceful tanks, EBJDs, BPs, and Severums are great for mid range aggression tanks and Firemouths are great for more aggressive tanks.

Also a single Oscar could work in a 125-150 gallon tank, they have bold orange, olive green and black coloration although you could go for albino among other variants.

 

[Festae Forever]

Altum Angels are among the most striking IMO.

 

[duanes]

Most Central American cichlids do not come from neutral pH water, they are found in areas where pH is on the high side, cichlids such as Thorichthys (Firemouths) and Amatitlania (convict type) that are usually found in waters with a minimum pH of 7.5 or above.
Here in central, and eastern Panama where I live, riverine pH averages 8.2

If your water neutral and soft, cichlids from the continent of South America would be a better choice.

And the term "striking" is quite subjective,
I consider the 2 Uruguayan/South American cichlids from the genus Gymnogeophagus below striking

Both would be good candidates for your size tank, and.....your neutral pH water type.
Gymnogeophagus Paso Pache left, Gymnogeophaus Rio Yerbalito right.
Both of these would work in community tank, with other southern South American species, that require a winter cool down.

 

[BadGaskets]

Interesting. I'm plumbing a 120 gallon that will have a sump in an unheated utility room and plumbing through the crawlspace, so providing winter cool down might be doable quite naturally. I live in a warm Zone 9 climate so our daily low in the winter is usually just around the freezing point. The exterior closet never really goes below about 55f.

 

[fishguy1978]

H. Temporalis the chocolate cichlid would work. Severums like the Heros efasciatus "red tiger Rio curare," Liberifer or Notatus are very striking. The Notatus being harder to find. Altum angels in a large group would be very nice or any group of angels really.
H. multispinosa "rainbow cichlids" are quite striking especially when in their spawning colors. They are smaller so a larger number can be housed together and they don't have the convicts nasty attitude even when spawning.
Striking is of course very subjective. I enjoyed keeping L Tanganyika shell dwellers because of their shells and being so different. They're not colorful and many find them boring. Sit and watch them though and their little spats and interactions are quite fascinating.

 

[duanes]

Interesting. I'm plumbing a 120 gallon that will have a sump in an unheated utility room and plumbing through the crawlspace, so providing winter cool down might be doable quite naturally. I live in a warm Zone 9 climate so our daily low in the winter is usually just around the freezing point. The exterior closet never really goes below about 55f.

This is a perfect scenario for Uruguayan cichlids, your U.S. zone 9 is very much like Uruguay, and northern Argentina.
Beside the cichlids, that area is rich in tetras, plecos, and even southern Cory Cats.

Above left, Geophagus iporaguensis from southern Brazil, above right, Gymnogeophagus balzani, and Corydorus erhardti from northern Uruguay.
Below Australoheros "red Ceibal", left in normal color. right in spawning color

Below Crenicichla saxatillis caught in Uruguay by MFK member Ken Davis

I kept all the above, in unheated tanks

 

[arielucidates]

I personally love the look of a group of Uaru. I think they would work in a tank like a 125 if you don't add too many other fish. But they probably get a bit bigger than you were thinking.

 

[Hybridfish7]

I will go by genera
Amatitlania
Cryptoheros
Hypsophrys
Panamius
Herotilapia
Rocio
Thorichthys
Trichromis
Cribroheros
Australoheros
Andinoacara
Gymnogeophagus
Krobia
Rubricatochromis
Pelvicachromis
Hemichromis
Pseudetroplus
Heros

 

[Jp2295]

Id say a group of geophagus would be perfect some sveni or red head tapajos