After thinking about it for years and realising that planted tanks are simply not my thing I've decided I'd like to setup a small tank with cichlids.

Any suggestions regarding stocking this thing would be wonderful. I obviously don't want anything that grows huge or breeds like crazy. Nothing terribly high maintenance would be nice also. Just a nice, reasonably simple tank with a bit of colour. I have a pair of bristlenose I'd like to keep in there if possible but they have another tank they can live in if they have to move.

The tank is about 400mm high and 450 wide.

Thanks!

Shellies and Leleupi?

Yellow and Dems would be the perfect combination for your requirements.

Thanks guys, both good options. I was thinking maybe yellows and dems but I wasn't sure if they'd be a little too big. Do you know how many I would be looking at? I'd be keen to keep it a little understocked. Currently looking into external filters, so many options and I feel like I haven't bought fish equipment in so long! It's like starting again!

Pair of dwarf flags, rams or apistogramma? More similar in terms of water requirements to your bristlenose and would give you options for stocking other non-cichlid fish (corys, tetras, pencilfish etc).

IMO 160L isn't enough for dems and yellows, probably barely enough for yellows alone if you want a decent group. I think shellies and/or Altolamprologus would be your best bet if you want rift lake fish.

After thinking about it for years and realising that planted tanks are simply not my thing I've decided I'd like to setup a small tank with cichlids.

Any suggestions regarding stocking this thing would be wonderful. I obviously don't want anything that grows huge or breeds like crazy. Nothing terribly high maintenance would be nice also. Just a nice, reasonably simple tank with a bit of colour. I have a pair of bristlenose I'd like to keep in there if possible but they have another tank they can live in if they have to move.

The tank is about 400mm high and 450 wide.

Thanks!

Kribs would be compatible with bristlenose, apistos, various rams. Most of the dwarf cichlids would be good.

Your tank is probably too small for dems and yellows you might get away with it though.

I read that you shouldn't keep leleupi and shellies together apparently the leleupi kill the shellies..

Thanks heaps for that. Had a feeling that was going to be the case. I've been researching and they just seem too large as adults. I've generally had bad luck with Rams in the past, but this seems to be a problem lots of people have. The others you mention seem like good options to look in to. Shellies weren't something I thought of but I've always admired them when I've seen them in fish shops.

I do adore kribs but not when they breed! Haha.

Back to researching, I think this has to be the hardest part of keeping fish! So many options and so few tanks these days.

So it's 90cm long?

I read that you shouldn't keep leleupi and shellies together apparently the leleupi kill the shellies..

:iag: speaking from experience I wouldn't do it, tried it a couple years ago and lost two shellies in a day.

A small group of Calvus maybe?

I read that you shouldn't keep leleupi and shellies together apparently the leleupi kill the shellies..

I never knew that. I had some of them in a tank together for a while without any noteable issue. As far as I knew it was just Alto's that were advised against keeping with shellies.

I guess you learn something every day.

So it's 90cm long?

Yes, sorry I left that bit out.

90x40x45 is a bit small for Yellows and Dems.

But you may get around it by raise them from fry together. And keep decent number in each group especially for dems at least 12. Heaps hiding places, rocks, caves ect...

I cannot see anything else are better then yellow and dems for your setup at moment consider your tanks size and your requirement for colors.

May be single species of Kribs or Neolamprologus brichardi also an option.

Good luck :thup:

Thanks for the feedback.

I'm starting to think once I clear out the guppies from the tank then I might set up and see if I can find a couple of brichardi. I swear they used to be for sale everywhere but I haven't seen any in a long time!