Hooray for my first Cichlids!!!!

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
R

RPatty86

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 29, 2009
5
0
0
Columbus, Ohio
Just picked up my first Cichlids ever!!!!! 2 Firemouth Chichlids (Thorichthys meeki) and one Tiger Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus). The Firemouths are only about an inch and a half long and the Oscar is about 3. They are currently in a 38 with a 13" Sailfin Pleco.

Pictures coming soon.
 
Good luck with them.

Make sure you do lots of water changes with that big pleco in there.

And please plan on a bigger tank in the future

...Bill
 
I guess Ill be the bad news bearer, sorry. COngrats on getting your first cichlids ...but...

That tank is already too small for the pleco. In about 3 months, that tank is going to be too small for the oscar by himself. If you dont plan on getting a new tank, Id get rid of the oscar and pleco before you become too attached to them. The bio-load from the waste of the pleco and oscar is going to overload your tank in about...5 days from now probably, unless youre doing 25% water changes every 48 hrs.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but better to know now than later.

Good Luck with whatever you do.

edit: ok, I see you said a 65 in august. In my opinion, thats way too long away if youre going to keep the stock you have and will be too small of a tank if youre keeping everyone. Id re-evaluate what you really want and go from there. If it were me and I had to make the choices, Id either keep the oscar alone or the 2 firemouths and some dithers. For the most part, plecos put out more waste than they consume and poop up the tank. I cant even imagine how true that must be with a 13 inch one. I had a 10 inch in a 125 and it was too much IMO.
 
congratulations!

and firemouths are a great fish to start the new hobby with.
best wishes.
 
You'll quickly learn that oscars are the greatest fish in the world;)
 
you will need atleast a 75 or 90
 
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