Dwarf Flag Cichlid Tank

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BellycrawlerJaws

BellycrawlerJaws

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Sep 25, 2010
1,902
3
38
Long Island, New York
So I was thinking about setting up a tank for a pair of Laetacara curviceps, since my LFS just got them in. I was thinking about doing a 15 gallon planted tank for a pair, and only the pair.

Tank would be...

-15 gallons
-2 florescent light fixtures
-2 filters (AQ 20 and AQ 30)
-Lots of live plants (Anubias, Java Fern, Java Moss, Willow Moss, Amazon sword (maybe), water sprite too
-1 pair of Laetacara curviceps (Would buy a group and let them pair off and remove the others once a pair is formed)
-Cichlid stone in the "bushes"

Questions...

1. Would the tank be large enough for just the pair?

2. Would the 2 standard Aqueon light fixtures provide enough light for the tank?
 
My Laetacara males have all been rough on their mates. I had two pairs, each in their own 20 gallon tank, and both males mauled their mate. I lost one and the other survived, but none of her fins ever grew back.

I would get 4 - 6 and put them in a 55 gallon with some dithers. My pairs spawned better in the tank with other Laetacara -- it gave the pair an outlet for their aggression and kept the males from murdering the females.
 
i would say get a 20 long and get about four or five, i have used this setup before with nannacara anomala and it was quite successful. yes they are a tad smaller that curviceps but it should translate well. i have kept curviceps they were all male tho so i never experienced any spawning aggression scenarios with them specifically
 
Mine were never hard on each other, but they were in a 40b planted tank. As for your questions, the two standard bulbs should be fine for the plants you want to grow. Remember that florescent bulbs have a half life of 6 months, so you will want to plan accordingly.
 
I will do my best to get my hands on a 20 long, if I can't I'll use my 15, but I will look for a smaller species too (Dorsigera).

Btw - nice fish!
 
petco has the $1 a gallon atm... the catch is you have to buy the hood. which you can online or anywhere you can for cheaper. it takes a regular 30gallon hood
 
So I decided to make the 20 long a planted tank instead of setting up another tank... Bought an Aqualife T5 HO 30" fixture for my tank. 48 watts of light on a 20 gallon tank, so just about 2.4 WPG :)
 
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