Which fish are easier to keep: firemouth cichlids or convict cichlids?(Also please give tips lol)

[Krismo962]

Beautiful trailers on that HRP Jexnell !

 

[Joshuakahan]

Btw, I'm planning to have a single male of either cichlids in a 29g or a 30g.

I think they’re both very easy, but the convict will be more interactive.

 

[Krismo962]

I think they’re both very easy, but the convict will be more interactive.

+1

 

[Username...]

I guess I might consider a HRP

In all honesty I would think smaller than a Convict. Males can with care and time grow out to 6in or better. That would be a tight fit and look as silly as 12in Oscar's in a 55gal.
I would look for smaller members of the Amatitlania family like Nanolutae or Honduran Red Points. The males only grow out to 4in so relatively more space that the Convict.
As far as dithers go, to be more bio graphically natural go with a live barer like Swordtails or Plattys.
Or a nice tall bodied Tetra like Black skirts, Buenos Aries, Bleeding Hearts etc. Smaller Tetras could be late night snacks, as i have learned first hand.
View attachment 1448294
Adult male HRP
View attachment 1448295
Adult male Nanolutae

but idk that much about them so can you list water parameters etc. for HRPs

 

[Joshuakahan]

Btw, I'm planning to have a single male of either cichlids in a 29g or a 30g.

I will suggest a rainbow cichlid over either, great color and great personality in a 4-5” cichlid. You might be able to have a pair in a 29, depends how the males personality is and if you don’t mind a little more maintenance

 

[Jexnell]

Also look at the often overlooked African Jewel cichlids. Stay on the smaller side like Nanolutae and HRPs. Same water peramaters as the Amatitlania.

Not my pic, from Google

Hemichromis guttalatum
Hemichromis lifalili

Could use African red eye tetras as dithers

 

[Magnus_Bane]

A small species of schooling fish which move quick would be ideal.Some people say they've had success with zebra danois but some do go missing every few months?.My convicts don't realize how small they are and pick fights with much bigger fish and for some odd reason they always seem to win lol.

It's harder for a larger fish to turn and swivel fast enough to defend from such tiny agile assassin's. With smaller fish it's easier for em to get away and hide while a larger fish is forced to continuously run or defend itself. In a 6ft+ sized tank there's enough room for them to share but anything smaller and they will harass it till it's either dead, dying or forced to hide/defend itself most of its life. Convicts are absolutely brutal fish honestly but they are very fun to keep because of their "Big Dog" personality. Lol I honestly think that these fish should be named convicts more for their personalities rather then their colors.

 

[Krismo962]

It's harder for a larger fish to turn and swivel fast enough to defend from such tiny agile assassin's. With smaller fish it's easier for em to get away and hide while a larger fish is forced to continuously run or defend itself. In a 6ft+ sized tank there's enough room for them to share but anything smaller and they will harass it till it's either dead, dying or forced to hide/defend itself most of its life. Convicts are absolutely brutal fish honestly but they are very fun to keep because of their "Big Dog" personality. Lol I honestly think that these fish should be named convicts more for their personalities rather then their colors.

Lol true.Seen plenty of community tanks with huge cichlids in them and then out comes the tank boss,a 6 inch convict.

 

[Jexnell]

Easier to pick a fish that will thrive in your water. Do you know if your source water for your water changes, be it city water or well is hard High PH water or soft low PH water.

 

[Joshuakahan]

I like the idea, but, when you say extra maintenance, how much more? Also, I don't plan to raise any fry, will that be okay?

I just mean 50% weekly water changes to keep nitrates down since cichlids tend to be messy. If they have fry, rainbows generally raise them themselves, but you’re gonna want to remove them at some point, you could probably get credit at you LFS for them, maybe use it for food or supplies