dwarf cichlid community tank?

[KATALEKEEPER]

Could this be a reality in my 75? My area of "specialty" is rift lake cichlids, so pardon me if its a terrible idea lol. I was thinking : one convict, one Amatitlania nanolutea, and then a amatitlania saijica? I haven't really though of the other stocking yet. Those are just my favorite smalls. Would it be a sin to include small africans like kribensis?

 

[The Masked Shadow]

duanes

 

[Deadeye]

Could this be a reality in my 75? My area of "specialty" is rift lake cichlids, so pardon me if its a terrible idea lol. I was thinking : one convict, one Amatitlania nanolutea, and then a amatitlania saijica? I haven't really though of the other stocking yet. Those are just my favorite smalls. Would it be a sin to include small africans like kribensis?

I experimented by throwing a few kribs with a convict, parrot, and jack. One survived and is doing fine.
Wouldn’t really say they work together once full grown, but it has gone well so far.

 

[Fishnerd360]

Those aren’t really dwarfs, but seeing as they are all close species, I wouldn’t do it as there will probably be some pairs forming causing hybrids. What about true South America dwarf cichlids? A communities of those would work. Or a colony of shell dwellers if you have harder water.

 

[Krismo962]

A convict will grow pretty big in a 75 ,a 2 year old male that i had in a 50g grew to be about 5".So isn't exactly a dwarf ,apistos are dwarfs.When kribs breed they can be pretty agressive ,convicts too.Have you considered a single large cichlid?It's pretty much like having an underwater puppy except they don't drown and most of em want to tear your fingers up when you stick your hand in the tank lol.

 

[duanes]

A 75 with a group of nanolutea and dither fish would work well.
I have kept both species but I would never keep them together
If it were me, I wouldn't add any other cichlids at all, especially another Amatitlania such as sajica.
There are two major issues with adding another species of cichlids, and especially Amatitlania.
One is territoriality, the other is cross breeding and ending up with mutts.
Male sajica get about 5 Xs larger than nanolutea and are very territorial, an adult male could easily tear any nanolutea to shreds, and probably would, because a 75 is a rather small footprint for them as adults, my male sajica killed any other cichlid i tried to house with it in a similar size tank (including other male sajica).
A full grown nanolutea will get about the size of the female sajica in the pic below.


My nanolutea did well in a heavily planted and rooted tank.
They share their natural habitat with live bearers, like the local Panamanian mollies, with tetras that would include Astyanax, Hyphobressobrycon, and Roeboides, and small gobies like Awaous, and these would all make interesting and diverse tank mates. The live bearers and tetras would tend inhabit the mid and upper regions of the tank, and nanoluteus the lower areas nearer the substrate.


Awaous goby below

and some Panamanian Roeboides tetras below

 

[KATALEKEEPER]

A 75 with a group of nanolutea and dither fish would work well.
I have kept both species but I would never keep them together
If it were me, I wouldn't add any other cichlids at all, especially another Amatitlania such as sajica.
There are two major issues with adding another species of cichlids, and especially Amatitlania.
One is territoriality, the other is cross breeding and ending up with mutts.
Male sajica get about 5 Xs larger than nanolutea and are very territorial, an adult male could easily tear any nanolutea to shreds, and probably would, because a 75 is a rather small footprint for them as adults, my male sajica killed any other cichlid i tried to house with it in a similar size tank (including other male sajica).
A full grown nanolutea will get about the size of the female sajica in the pic below.
View attachment 1444710
View attachment 1444711
My nanolutea did well in a heavily planted and rooted tank.
They share their natural habitat with live bearers, like the local Panamanian mollies, with tetras that would include Astyanax, Hyphobressobrycon, and Roeboides, and small gobies like Awaous, and these would all make interesting and diverse tank mates. The live bearers and tetras would tend inhabit the mid and upper regions of the tank, and nanoluteus the lower areas nearer the substrate.
View attachment 1444712
View attachment 1444718
Awaous goby below
View attachment 1444714View attachment 1444715
and some Panamanian Roeboides tetras below
View attachment 1444717

that would be a fun tank! Thanks for the advice

 

[KATALEKEEPER]

A convict will grow pretty big in a 75 ,a 2 year old male that i had in a 50g grew to be about 5".So isn't exactly a dwarf ,apistos are dwarfs.When kribs breed they can be pretty agressive ,convicts too.Have you considered a single large cichlid?It's pretty much like having an underwater puppy except they don't drown and most of em want to tear your fingers up when you stick your hand in the tank lol.

yeah I may just go with a flowerhorn lol