Another "help w/55 gal!" thread, lol

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J

JenTN

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Dec 17, 2007
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Knoxville, TN
Okay, I know you guys are sick of this, and I have searched to death. After a VERY long conversation w/ the most knowledgeable LFS in our town, I came home with 6 beautiful Cichlids. 2 blue acei, 2 venestus, and 2 yellows that I think are labs. Okay, well, found out on aother forum that I need to return the venestus as they will get to big for the 55g, add more acei and possible yellow labs.

Here's my question: I would like 3 species, keeping the acei and the labs- what other species can I add to get some red coloring in my tank? And would about 9-10 total fish be okay? (weekly water changes)

Thanks in advance guys!!
 
the most knowledgeable fish store eh? lol if they were they wouldnt have sold you 2 venustuses to cram into a 55 gallon. i would return those bad boys, and since you want red in the tank, what about adding a red zebra or two? i have a few aceis in my 180 gallon and they are pretty big, but if you only have two you should be ok.

i think the red zebras would work, but be cautioned that they can get a little aggressive also. i wouldnt get more than two-.

but, thats just my opinion and there are alot more knowledgeable ppl on here that may come up with a better fish for you that is red. i would not get any auloncara (peacock) variety because the mbunas are just too aggressive and stressful for them. and a red empress (male) would just get too big for a 55 also although they have remarkeable blue and red color.

have you looked at rusties? i love their color, and they would look striking against the yellow labs and they also are a dwarf type species so they wont reach monster size lol. i love those guys too...
 
you could have 14 fish easy in a 55.

i would have 6 yellows
5 acei

and 3 red zebras
 
If I plan on getting a larger tank (90-120 gal) in addition to the one I have (move 55 gal to kitchen, put new in living room) could I keep the venustus and move them when I get the bigger tank in the next 6-12 months or so? I like the venustus, and they are my daughters' favorite fish.
 
it is more so with the foot print of the tank. A four footer is just too short for a venustus in my opinion. There are other haps that will stay smaller for that size tank as well as peacocks.
 
Right....so if I get a 6 ft within the next year, can I keep these guys until I get it...will they grow over 6" in a year?
 
It's a tough call, happy healthy fish grow FAST. So it's a double edged sword, you might be able to keep the venustus but you run the risk of stunting them if you keep them in there for that long. On the other hand, they might be completely fine, but they'll probably grow faster than your other fish which could cause other problems.
 
NewETown;1908603; said:
It's a tough call, happy healthy fish grow FAST. So it's a double edged sword, you might be able to keep the venustus but you run the risk of stunting them if you keep them in there for that long. On the other hand, they might be completely fine, but they'll probably grow faster than your other fish which could cause other problems.
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Ok, thanks, that makes sense.
 
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