need help and suggestions on African Cichlids

I have a 55 gal that I will be setting up for Africans. This will be the first for me as I usually do SA. I have the tank A huge piece of Holey rock. HOB for up to 60 gal. lighting can be low to moderate. Sand or pea gravel (or mixture of both). So give some advice on set up and stock. Can be species only or community type mix. I want to set this up correctly for whatever species I get.

cichlids are really undepanding in my opinion. the main thing to watch is the temperment and the food requirements.

i would also consider some more filtration as it is recommend to have 10x filtration for an african tank at least.

thanks CG I'll get more filtration.

Go with sand, you will want plenty of caves. You can plant with amazon sword, anubis, java fern and moss.

most africans will tear up the plants. either by digging them up or nipping the leaves.

Go with white sand.Looks great real bright and clean looking.Go to menards and get a 50lb bag for like 3.99,so get two bags and that will be plenty.Put some lava or pond rock for decor.Make plenty of caves with the rock for safety it will help with agression.feed them hikari pellets,and some emerald entree once in a while.they to need vegetables for good color and health.You will just have to try to find out yourself as to what fish will go good together.They will fight a lot, it should subside,but if it last a long time you should figure something out or fish will die.Every fish has thier own personality so I or no one else should tell you what fish you can or can't put in YOUR tank because you might come up with a different conclussion.Good luck have FUN because it gets addicting

i much prefer holey rock myself.

edub wrote:

Good luck have FUN because it gets addicting

I'm sorry but

I know you are new and don't realize but Vixen has so many tanks she probably lost count! LOL So addicting...yeah she knows all about that!!

My bad. Holy rock is really cool too.We just don't have that where I live and some people don't have a lot money for rocks, so it was a cheap way to have a nice cheap set up.yeah sorry I ramble on and on and on sometimes.

yep every fish does have its own personallity and even tho normally some species are more aggressive than other but there is allways exceptions.

A colony of saulosi would look nice in a 55, being that both sexes are colorful and they don't get very large.

Here is one of my tanks . It is a 65g P. Saulosi tank . Maybe it will help you get some ideas .
Ray

https://s327.photobucket.com/albums/k458/lifeisgood1954/65g%20Saulosi/?action=view&current=20110105043026.mp4

I'm concerned also I don't get cross breeding. I want species that will not give me hybrids. I like the salousi

You could go with a small group of mbuna and a small group of peacocks.

I have a ton of hap. ruby greens in grow out.

David, I have plants in every tank that has enough light to grow them. Vixen is good with plants. If you feed your fish enough veggi they should leave the plants alone for the most part. I have found that fish that nibble on plants need more veggi in their diet. But there are some plants that will get eaten no matter what, but the majority of plants work with Africans just fine.

fern do as you please but seriously africans eat plants. if you have a ton of plants and dont mind a few getting nipped or destroped go for it.

with any fish they is always a chance of crossbreeding in a community tank. to limit this you could do your saulosi and a peacock or hap group. i would not recommend most tangs with the mbuna tho as the mbuna tend to be a little aggressive.

Mbuna do nothing but fight with everyone.Peacocks good choice very pretty.Frontosa of course a good choice

i just fear with a 55 a front will grow to big but also no not mix the front with hyper fish like mbuna as most of the time it will be picked on. also fronts will eat smaller fish lol. i know from experience lol.

If I had a 90 or bigger I'd do fronts but all I have is the 55 to start with.

I have a breeding group of Swallow Tailed Peacocks in a 55 and they are happy little fishes ! Give me babies all the time !
Ray

Forgot it was a 55g.My big Frontosa gets left alone and just watches my blue humphead dolphine chase my peacocks and mbunas around. My med size frontosa just chase each other.Frontosa like a good show to.

Late on the draw here but a personal favorite for a starter african is the Labeo's, they are mellow, not as much rockwork is needed, forgiving on water to some degree. Personally don't do plants with them simply they are algea eaters / veggie scavengers, now with mine they've been here for thus used to eating whatever everyone else is eating.

My colony has some of those sunken bottle/vase decorations with holes in them, some homemade caves and swim thrus (I'll have to post some pics of them), sanded some pieces of pvc junctions and siliconed gravel to it which the fry love to hide in. Substrate is earthtone gravel I got at the rock yard with crushed coral mixed in to keep the ph up for them.

Peacocks are another great fish, lost of choices.

David, I listed the ones that will do just fine with Africans. I have found out many of the ok and not ok plants to put with them. Yes the list of not ok is longer than the list of ok's..... but it is very doable.

I would do a large group of rare Vics or a mix of one Mbuna species and one Peacock species.

mbipia mbipia copper black. I love these vics. Velvety black with red trim on the fins.