75g Looking to start African Tank

[dr exum]

I have 3 Synodontis, other than that I’ve maybe bought 2-4 of the Petco/PetSmart Cichlids over my life, never had an African tank.

Looking to do an African tank,

Stocking? PetSmart Africans? Is there a centerpiece African cichlid?

Was going to get a bunch of those Fluval rock caves...

Thanks!

 

[tlindsey]

I have 3 Synodontis, other than that I’ve maybe bought 2-4 of the Petco/PetSmart Cichlids over my life, never had an African tank.

Looking to do an African tank,

Stocking? PetSmart Africans? Is there a centerpiece African cichlid?

Was going to get a bunch of those Fluval rock caves...

Thanks!

The Petsmart's in my area always have only small mixed unsexed African Cichlid. I suggest you find a lfs that has juvenile and matured colored up males on display. Maybe can do 4-5 male African Peacock. Please avoid any females this will cause problems.

 

[Stephen St.Clair]

Don't waste your money on the prefabricated plastic cichlid caves. They are expensive and unnatural looking. Review online African Cichlid hardscapes. There are so many examples regarding 75 gal. African tanks.
Shop local rockyards & landscape companies for decor. You'll save a bundle. Make your own caves.

 

[DJRansome]

Skip the chain pet stores, order online for quality and variety. Look for a vendor that uses scientific names so you can get the fish you want. Are you thinking Lake Malawi or Tanganyika? Do you have a favorite species you want to stock around? There can be a centerpiece species, but not usually a single centerpiece fish.

 

[tlindsey]

Skip the chain pet stores, order online for quality and variety. Look for a vendor that uses scientific names so you can get the fish you want. Are you thinking Lake Malawi or Tanganyika? Do you have a favorite species you want to stock around? There can be a centerpiece species, but not usually a single centerpiece fish.

Excellent advice.

 

[Gourami Swami]

There are tons of different directions you can go with africans, there are lots of different styles of setup to choose from. The basic categories that you could keep in a 75 would be-
Mbuna
Tanganyikan
Peacocks (Malawi)
Tropheus (Tang)
Most of us like to choose a direction and stick with it; i.e. if you go mbuna, do just mbuna, and not a bunch of random tangs thrown in. With that said it is possible to mix them though there can be some difficulties.
I would go on youtube and search up a bunch of tanks with these different types of fish, see which looks the most interesting to you, and go for it! On sourcing the fish, petsmart/petco will have mbuna (the "mixed africans" and peacocks. For the tanganyikan cichlids you would have to either order them, or go to a proper lfs.

 

[Longmayitreign]

Petsmart's have venustus, that could be a centrepiece.

 

[dr exum]

Helpful info! Been scouting the LFS....

How important is PH?

I think my tap is 7.0 or there abouts....

No females due to fighting or excess babies?

 

[tlindsey]

Helpful info! Been scouting the LFS....

How important is PH?

I think my tap is 7.0 or there abouts....

No females due to fighting or excess babies?

Depending on the species of African species the 7.0 should be ok but Malawian African Cichlid comes from over 7 as you probably already know. They actually sell substrate such as crushed coral that will actually help raise ph. Yes adding females will cause fighting because males will compete for breeding rights.

 

[DJRansome]

Females only causing fighting if there are not enough females for each species. An all-male tank is more challenging than a mixed gender tank IME. What about something like 4 species of Lake Malawi mbuna with 1m:4f of each? Almost every fish is colorful.
1m:4f yellow labs
1m:4f acei
1m:4f rusties
1m:4f Cynotilapia zebroides