I'm really new to the scene, and have been reading as much as I can about all things related to aquariums. I'm setting up a 30gal with an Aqua Clear 300/70. I know this is a relativly small tank compared to many on here, but it's the max I can fit in my current situation. I really like the look of some African Cichlids, as well as some cockatoos. But from what I've read, the African's wouldn't get along with the SA/CA's. But at the same time, I've seen many people say the exact opposite. Basically, I'm looking for advice on stocking a 30g with cichlids, or if this is considered too small, what other kind would you recomend? Thanks,
Setting up a new tank
- Thread starter audiophile42
- Start date
I don't know too much about SA/Ca's i can't offer you too much info on them together. However with most fish it depends what type you get. I'm sure someone here can point you to species that arent so aggressive towards each other.
I would start off small first. Maybe keep 2 or 3 in the tank.. hope this helps..
I would start off small first. Maybe keep 2 or 3 in the tank.. hope this helps..
It's not so much mixing African and American fishes as it is mixing compatitble species. You can't really fit too many common American Cichlids in a 30 gallon in the long term, i recommend firemouths for American Cichlids as they are very pretty, colorful, and not too aggressive (though I've had a beast of a monster firemouth - there are always exceptions), i think 1 or 2 would be ok in a 30 maybe with some Africans. I'm sure someone (like Ash) can point you to some compatible African species.
Thanks. I have another question. I've read that it is a very good idea to "over-filter" a tank my size with cichlids. Would the filter i've picked out (Aqua Clear 300/70) be enough for them? I'm also planning on using sand for a substrate instead of gravel.
Update. I was planning on getting a 30gal later this week. I went out today to a LFS to look at the different types of cichlids, and so I could get the scientific names of them to research. While glancing around the store, I came upon an older looking tank. It's glass, thick glass, with the cheesey looking fake wood panel. But, it's a used 40gallon breeder on sale for $90, with hood. Now that's less than I was gonna pay for my 30gal. It's a little dirty looking, the guy said I could just clean it up by spraying it down and scraping it with a razor. I thought scrubbing it down with bleech would help to. If i really, REALLY cleaned it out after using bleech, would it be safe to stock? The 30g is newer, and looks a little better. But, the 40g breeder is much bigger, and I guess it would be much better for the cichlids. Dimensions are 36x18x18. Would this accomodate the cichlids(African or not) quite a bit better? Would I be able to put some of the more aggressive colorful ones in there with the increased size of the tank? Thanks again for the input