tinytawnykitten Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 I have been dissatisfied with my fish keeping for a long while now and I think it's time to change things. I have a beautiful high 4ft tank and have been keeping Africans for a good few years and this year I have lost quite a few. I feel stupid posting this in here cos it's like I've failed but I just think I'd like a change from Africans completely. Any suggestions for a roughly 400L 4ft tank? I love some of the sth American cichlids but not sure what I could keep. I don't want anything too technical or too time consuming as have 2 children and work full time from home. One of the things I like about my Africans is that you don't see them in pet stores - not much anyway. So I don't really want to go down the planted community route. Just a bit lost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 So I don't really want to go down the planted community route. Have you ever had a planted aquarium? Even watching a low tech aquarium develop and grow is highly rewarding. If you're against a planted community perhaps a pair of large cichlids would fit? Their breeding behaviour is really awesome to watch IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinytawnykitten Posted October 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 Like what sort of large cichlid? Could I still have planted? I love planted and started out with a community tank, I just love cichlids too. Just a bit sick of Africans. Does that make me shallow? (Or racist?!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 What are your water parameters out of your tap? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 A pair of Oscars or Jags would be cool but I'm not sure how much room a pair needs. I reckon the best cichlids for plants would have to be angels and discus 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ismart120 Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 You could try an odd ball tank? Some nice plecos, driftwood, some of the smaller eels (if they would fit?), a severum pair? You could always try the hardier plants with them too Or, go brackish and get puffers..... Or even better, full marine... (oh wait, has to be low maintenance... hmmm) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David R Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 A pair of Oscars or Jags would be cool but I'm not sure how much room a pair needs. Jags almost certainly too big in the long run, oscars pushing it unless it's a 4x2' footprint. +1 to Smideys comment on what your tap water is like. If you're getting your water from a limestone bore then we're wasting our time telling you to keep Amazonian fish. It would be helpful to know a little more about your set up, dimensions, filtration, water etc. But I'll throw a couple of generic ideas in the mix anyway; - blackwater community. Kinda like a planted tank without the plants! Lots of tangled driftwood, fine sand, rocks, maybe some leaf litter if you want the really authentic river look. Large school of tetras, smaller cichlids like Apistogramma, rams, etc (could probably keep a couple of pairs in a tank that size), corydoras, smaller plecs, maybe angelfish. - smaller central american cichlids, similar scape to above but less wood and perhaps a few more rocks, more open areas. Possible species are convict, firemouth, salvini, sajica, along with some fast-moving midswimmers like scissortails, giant danios, rainbows etc, and perhaps some robust bottom dwellers. I'd personally avoid pairs to save on the hassle/aggression of breeding, keep an all-male group would be best (at least all one sex of the same species). - or if you want something completely different to having a bunch of small colourful fish, how about one big one? A true "wet pet" like a large male jaguar, midas/red devil, or texas cichlid is something everyone should keep once IMO! Probably best to either look out for a large male here or on trademe, or buy a group of young and grow them out, then pick the dominant one to keep. Again, I'd avoid a breeding pair to save on the hassle of raising/separating fry, but as Sam said the breeding behaviour of large CA cichlids is amazing to watch, and you could probably house a pair of texas or midas in that tank. Either way, don't worry too much about scaping as they'll sort it out themselves as they grow! - lastly. there are a few "oddballs" that would fit your tank; smaller spiny eels, smaller bichirs, ctenopoma, pantadon butterfly, elephant nose. Mix with some appropriate-sized schooling fish, a little wood and a few easy to grow plants. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hovmoller Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 Sandy substrate Tea coloured water Large tree roots Some dead leaves A group of Geophagus altifrons (or Discus) A flock of Hatchet fish at the surface An army of cories on the bottom Boom! problem solved :thup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 Like what sort of large cichlid? Could I still have planted? I love planted and started out with a community tank, I just love cichlids too. Just a bit sick of Africans. Does that make me shallow? (Or racist?!) My suggestion is always Severums. Reasonably good for a community tank, get to a nice size, pretty hardy. Not so good for planted though. And africans suck, good for wanting something else. :slfg: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 As a parent who has been there with young children, discus are too much work when the children are young. They have to have regular water changes and don't do well having to wait because of a sick child, birthday party, sports events etc. Angels are are better option than discus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M@. Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 Natives? added bounus - you get to go and play in a stream with your kids (and fits right into the not seen in pet stores thing) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David R Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 Good suggestion Hovmoller, I was going to wait to hear the size of the footprint before suggesting eartheaters but I guess even in a smaller 4' a small group of altifrons would be ok! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueether Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 Sandy substrate Tea coloured water Large tree roots Some dead leaves A group of Geophagus altifrons (or Discus) A flock of Hatchet fish at the surface An army of cories on the bottom Boom! problem solved :thup: :gpo2: That was what I was thinking or go native? thin layer of gravel and lots of rock piles and driftwood high flow at one end at the bottom 3 or 4 banded or giant kokopu school of smelt and or inanga for the middle a dozen or so bullies and a torrentfish or two Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amelia Posted October 5, 2013 Report Share Posted October 5, 2013 I also have to recommend Severums. They are an excellent entry-level fish for beginners to New World Cichlids. Not very aggressive but attain a nice size, cheap and easy to find and pretty hardy and tolerant of water parameters. You could also combine a severum or a couple of severums (they get on well in groups) with a school of larger tetras like colombians or congos, and some larger cories or hoplo catfish. Severums come in three common colours -- green, gold and red-spotted. Apart from Severums, I would recommend a solitary wet-pet fish like an Oscar or Midas as mentioned earlier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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