Yea...in time cichlids!

[Caper]

Hi all

I have a 55 gallon tank not set up yet. It is going to quite awhile before I do. So, thought I would take the time to read and read and read, and of coure ask a zillion questions :oops: ,up on cichilds and really plan out the landscaping before I do anything.

Originally, it was going to be a community tank...but since this will be the last tank I would really like to try cichids.

We do not get much variety in my local area but they have started taking in a few different ones. I think that what I'll do is actually find out the names of the ones they get so I can ask/read about them.

They do get the electric yellows & do want them. But, first question, I do not want babies should I try for all males or would that be tooooooo aggressive all males???

Thanks

Caper

[firenzenz]

Rather than get all males, you could put something like a peacock in with them (Alunoncara species). Nice splash of colour and will sort out any fry.

[smidey]

if you don't want babies they will have less of a chance of survival if the females are left in the tank. i have freri in my tank & there main food source in the wild is to eat fry etc. you could only keep female yellows & have basically the same colour (they have a little less black finage) but others types of africans only the male colours up (fryeri, aulonocara peacocks etc).

[herefishiefishie]

You can go for all males. In a colony, its the females I have found to be the worse to each other.

Make sure when you buy they are all around the same size.

Frenchy

[Caper]

Thanks all

I checked at the store today to see what they get. I asked them to write them down for me so this is what I have:

-venus

-hap. ahli

-kenyi

-auratus

-red zebra

-firemouth

-black convict

The ones that they had that I'm not interested in: oscars, Jack Dempsey, & parrot....and oh, angels. When I asked the girl to write them down for me, I said, "I'm not interested in the angels", she said, "They're not cichlids". I told her they were & she said "Oh, nobody told me that".

As I posted in another spot, having trouble finding websites to find out about the fish. I know there are lots out there but my problem with some of them is they go by, the "fancy" names so I'm having trouble, but still still looking.

I know convicts are definetely out. Shoot, I forgot already why :-? :oops: darn, read on them earlier maybe it was size!

As you can see by my list, they don't have peacocks.

I do want/hope to have the electric yellows but was hoping for something else as well.

One thing I've always tried to stay away from is fishies having baby fishies and I will not have fishies that must be fed fishies (just could not do that, shutters) As it is I don't know how I could deal with seeing little baby fishies being eaten So, if I can avoid that I will try:)

Keep the suggestions coming folks, I sure do appreciate the help

Is Nimbochromis Venustus the Venus Cichlid because if so it's off the list because it eats live for food??? Another one gone, hap. ahli, if I'm reading correctly they are the Sciaenochromis (various names after) and also carnivores???

Caper

[Caper]

Keeping on with the above:

I have just eleminated the following Kenyi & Auratus both too aggressive and grow to large.

I'm still reading but it looks like I'm down red zebra, firemouth & electric yellows. I'm going to stop by the store tomorrow. When the girl wrote down the names for me, she wrote the common names & I think they may have the "real" names too.

I'm beginning to think that cichlids are NOT for me

Caper