Need some help picking fish for my tank 50 gallon

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Nailroth

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jun 28, 2013
6
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16
Sweden
Hey, i know this tank is not really a monster tank but it was all i could afford. after my 100 gallon cracked.

The demensions on the tank i got is 36.2x16.1x21.7 (LxWxH) bowfront

Im turning to this forum for help since from every other forum i have asked for some help stocking my tank i get suggestions on adding maybe 2 apisto and then lots of tetras.

Im after more of a speices tank with a large cichlid as centerpiece, i would love to have a breeding pair of a bigger cichlid with some larger tetras to fill out the empty space and some corydoras to clean the bottom of the tank, if possible.

I have done some research about diffrent cichlids i would love to have,
Oscars
Frontosa
Green terror
But the research have come up that my tank is too small for a breeding pair of any of these cichlids.
I also looked up the Convict cichlid but learned they are spitting out fry like crazy so i asked if my local fishstores would take any convict fry and i got told they don't since so many are dropping of convict fry.

I wan't to both to breed and not to breed a cichlid, i wont get unhappy if the fry die but i also want to give the cichlids all the chances to spawn and raise their fry, so not a mixed tank with all types of fish that are out there.
 
How about a pair of Salvini Cichlids? They're stunning fish once mature (especially when in breeding colors). The only downside is that they can take a while to warm up to you, unlike Oscars, GT's, RD's, etc. I've kept them in the past and firmly believe that a healthy Sal is one of the most gorgeous CA's in the hobby.
 
A 50 would be too small for a pair of quick growth oscars long term, frontosas also get too big, but they grow fairly slowly.
The green terrors could work, but you'd be better off looking at the Cryptoheros genus because most remain small enough, as do many of the Thorichthys genus.
Cryptoheros nanoluteus or pamamense stay small enough that you could also have dither fish in the tank such as live bearers or tetras, that stay in the mid to upper levels, while the cichlids prefer lower levels of the tank..
nanoluteus below

The genus Gymnogeophagus also has species that stay small enough for a 50 gal, although with them, 1 male and 3 or more females would be the best ratio
Gymno quilero

Gymno sp paso pache

The Gymnos wouldn't require a heater, as wouldn't a pair of Austraoheros red ceibal
 
A 36" length doesn't lend it self to any of the larger species so it does limit your options somwhat. I wouldn't go for anything much over the 6" mark. Having said that there are some non-dwarf cichlids that could work as a center peice in your tank. Krobia Xinguenses would be the perfect size Aquadens Metae would fit as a solo specimin a pair of Convects, Honduran blue points, or Sajica will fit. The key here is as a specimin tank and not a community you have more options. You have options, you just can't try to fit ten pounds of fish in a one pound tank as it were. Of coures there are many options available but they will all be on the smaller/med size.

Krobia xinguenses

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A. Matae

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Krobia xinguenses look very nice probably impossible to get ahold of here. I can't really order any fish apart from common cichlids like, Oscar, firemouth, keyhole, angels, discus, convict, severums, and a wast array of apistogramma.

I love keyholes but i had them before and i never saw them since my tank was heavily planted and it will probably be this time too unless it's not possible with the fish.

It's really hard to decide but ill guess ill take all of these fish and see if any can order them in or not.

Could i have any larger cichlids if i skipped the tetras and corydoras? like Severums or something? But ill see if my local petstore can order in any of these fish you have suggested.

If i can't find any i guess i would go with a group of keyhole but how many would be a good number? 2 pair or maybe a group of 6 or even more?


 
Again, you probably don't want to go with anything that gets to be larger than 7-8". Check out the video below (not mine). This is a 40B (similar footprint to your 50G). This 10" Oscar makes this tank look like a 20G, and it's not even close to being full size. Severums would probably do ok for a while, but once they hit 8-10" it's going to be tight. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaKzl5TekUY
 
How will it fare with a group of keyhole cichlids? should i get a group of 6 and keep 1 or 2 pair or can i keep a group of 6 without a problem or can i have even more?.

Would a blue acara work? they get about 6-7" from the most information i have looked at.
 
Nailroth said:
How will it fare with a group of keyhole cichlids? should i get a group of 6 and keep 1 or 2 pair or can i keep a group of 6 without a problem or can i have even more?.

Would a blue acara work? they get about 6-7" from the most information i have looked at.
Click to expand...

A Blue Acara would work in your tank.
 
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