I am just starting out in this hobby. I have a 30 gal. tank set up for cichlids. About 10 days ago I bought two "alunacara" jacob.. something or other common name Eueka Red . The water chemestry is starting to balance out and I am looking for some new tank mates; Any advise? something colorful and not too agressive
Populating a cichlid tank
- Thread starter Hatch
- Start date
No, do NOT buy 'assorted mbuna'. First off, a 30gal is really too small for most mbuna, the only mbuna I'd hesitantly say to put in there are maybe 3 yellow labs. Secondly, the 'assorted mbuna' tanks are pretty much always hybrids, and the most aggressive mbuna you can find (such as kenyi, and auratus), so they'll just kill each other.
I completely agree with Sinister on this NO MBUNA!!! plus I wouldnt put them with peacock cichlids anyways. I think you would be best off just adding in other types of aulonocara (peacock cichlids) there are many types and they all different colors and awesome looking fish if thats what you already have. How many cichlids do you plan on putting in that size tank??
I agree more peacocks is the best route. They are much more chilled out than mbunas. Even ylw labs acn be insanely aggressive. . . . on the subject of buying the from the "assorted cichlids discount bin", i know the previous comments were particularly aimed at the assorted mbunas but I'm speaking for all "assorted" cichlids, if you have good eye and are lucky sometimes you can get some good deals. It really depends on the store, their supplier, and your luck. At my store. . I get livingstonies, aceis, ylw labs and etc in with the regular hybird "crap" cichlids. I work at a national chain store, cough cough ,Petco, cough, and the policy is whatever it "came in" as it has to be sold as. From talking to other lfs employees if they ever get "good stuff" in with the assorteds they are picked out and priced accordingly. So if you have a good eye and good luck you can snag a baby ylw lab, exasperatus, or a peacock at my store for $3 or even something better, realize im not suggesting tankmates . . . just giving an example.
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Ash and Sinister are right. Be careful about buying from a batch of assorted fish. How were they bred? Stick with Aulonocara or maybe some from the Haplochromis species. Check on the size they will grow to as your tank will not hold too many. These fish tend to grow much larger than the mbuna. Good luck with your set up. Post some pic's for us to see.
Thanks for all the advice. I am going to check a few other threads I posted and its off to the fish store!
My two peacocks were home bred by the store owner. They are about 1.5" and one is extremely colorful and all puffed up, they other is somewhat drab (female?) and a little timid and smaller. I will post some picks.
How about pleco's can I put one in a cichlid tank?
My two peacocks were home bred by the store owner. They are about 1.5" and one is extremely colorful and all puffed up, they other is somewhat drab (female?) and a little timid and smaller. I will post some picks.
How about pleco's can I put one in a cichlid tank?
Yes you can add in a pleco. Just remeber they grow quite large. I had one but it became too big for my 3ft tank. Swopped it for what is hopefully a male Placidochromis milomo. They get so big they knock over the rocks in the tank.
