I have a 5' 120 and I'm looking to do either a Central or South American cichlid set up. I'm growing tired of my Tanganyikans and want something interesting. Open to any suggestions you guys have. Thanks.
Want Some Opinions
- Thread starter Pisces
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A few options I would enjoy:
A) Purchase a few small festae and grow them out to hopefully get a compatible pair.
B) A community of color with a male GT, female salvini and male lyonsi.
C) Get a pair of rotkeil sevs and fill it out with some of the smaller, more mellow, SA species.
With any of these, I'd get a few clown loaches and SDs to fill out the tank.
A) Purchase a few small festae and grow them out to hopefully get a compatible pair.
B) A community of color with a male GT, female salvini and male lyonsi.
C) Get a pair of rotkeil sevs and fill it out with some of the smaller, more mellow, SA species.
With any of these, I'd get a few clown loaches and SDs to fill out the tank.
If this will be your first time keeping CA/SA cichlids, you may want to stay away from some of the bruisers. They have some needs and qualities that you may not be looking for. Many of the larger species can be aggressive when kept with the wrong tankmates. Severums, Sajicas, Rainbow Cichlids are some relatively peaceful species. Jaguars, Red Tiger Mota, Festae, Red Devils are all types of cichlids that you can keep in your tank. But these cichlids are more prone to aggression and need to be kept in an appropriate mix. I guess you have many options. It depends on what you prefer and what you are comfortable keeping. Check out the stickies on this forum that describe various cichlids. That may lead you in the right decision.
I would go with something more on the mellow side. How about a pair Hypselecara temporalis and a small group of Santanoperca. Maybe a group of 3 and if you have sand in the tank they are alot of fun to watch. You could even add a couple Aequidens metae for some extra color. Just some suggestions.
The options are endless, a 5' 120 is the perfect tank for Discus or Altums. Acaras, Festivum and Severum are another option along with a SA biotope set-up with some species you don't see every day. It does really come down to your preferance and what your looking for. Pairs are nice and breeding is interesting but honestly after a few spawans if you have no outlet it becomes more of a "oh crap not again" so go down that road with some idea about what you will do with the fry. The best suggestion is to find what appeals to you and then make sure you can house and care for them correctly. Google will be a big help in reasearching potential species and of course we are always here to help you once you narrow it down. Good luck and enjoy.