Help deciding stock for 29g

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ktluvsfish

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 21, 2008
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Southern CA
Hi Everyone,

Its been a few months since I've posted here. I had to take a break from fish keeping for about 8 months, and am finally going to set up a new tank. It is small, given the size of my apartment I can't do anything larger than a 29 gallon. The setup is going to be sand with lots of driftwood and a few river rocks. I don't want plants this time around. I am looking to keep things simple. I am interested in primarily CA and small SA cichlids (not apistos). Basically the question I am asking is this...

If had one tank only and were going to stock it with a pair of small cichlids, which would you choose and why? I am looking for something with interesting behavior as well as good looks.

Right now these are what I am considering...

Honduran Red Points
Bolivian Rams
Neetroplus Panamensis
Sajica (if I can find any)
Cutteri (if I can find any)
Laetacara Dorsigera
Thorichthys Species.. not sure which... (meeki, mixteco blue, passiones, or maculippinis)

I would appreciate any input that you guys have. Its hard to decide what to stock when it is going to be my only tank. Before I took a break from the hobby I had 10 tanks going.

Thanks,
Katie
 
I would go with the rams
 
Keyhole and flagtails could work as well. Maybe some apistos?
 
Thanks for the suggestions so far :) Please keep them coming. For those of you who have suggestions I would love to hear your reasons why, and anything about your experience keeping that fish. I am leaning more towards a breeding pair of CA's as of now, but I'm not ruling out anything yet.

C L O W N K N I F E said:
I would go with the rams also, you could also consider adding a school of rainbowfish
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Thanks for the suggestion. I have kept several species of rainbowfish in the past and they really thrive in planted tanks. I'm not sure if they would be too skittish without the cover of plants. Any experience with this?

white15 said:
Keyhole and flagtails could work as well. Maybe some apistos?
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I had a group of keyholes for about 3 years. While they are nice little fish, I found them lacking in personality. I wish I could keep apistos. That is the one type of fish that I have had horrid luck with. My water has a pH of about 7.8 and is very hard. I have not had success keeping even the most adaptable species of apistos.
 
its not ca or sa but kribensis are great.I have a pair in a 20 long with 6 rosbaras,3cory cats it really makes the tank look active.
 
bigriver said:
its not ca or sa but kribensis are great.I have a pair in a 20 long with 6 rosbaras,3cory cats it really makes the tank look active.
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Thanks for the suggestion. I kept a breeding pair of kris a while back and they were fun, but I definitely want to do New World cichlids this time around, especially since it is my only tank and that is where my interest is.

Does anyone else have any experience or suggestions regarding the list I posted above?
 
mabey a pair of convicts would look nice but you need to give all the babies away and there will be a lot of them sorry you hcould't keep your larger tanks
 
Go with sajica. Males don't get much bigger than 5". And their colors are pretty amazing. Plus males get a very nice nuchal hump on them. Hrp are another great option. Although my favorite of the genus would be centrarchus. I have a pair in my 29 and they are stunning. Mines are still small but my male already has stunning color and trailers too. I have a thread posted in the media lounge of them. The title of the thread is "my centrarchus pair". They also have awesome personality and will swim right up to greet you. Only thing is they CAN get up to 8" but it takes years. If you absolutely can never upgrade then I wouldn't get them.
 
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