OT: African Cichlids

[Conesus_Kid]

I know that some of you have (or had) African cichlid tanks. I'd love to see some pics of your setups and hear about your success/failures! :spin3:

I've got an empty 55 gallon that's going to be set up as a mbuna tank in the next several weeks.

I'd love to hear your species recommendations. The tank will be 'scaped with lots of boulders/rocks and a sand substrate.

The goal here is a simple, active, colorful tank. Lighting is a single fluorescent strip. The tap water at school is very hard, and I have a Python, so 30%-50% weekly water changes will not be a problem.

Thanks! I can't wait to see what you've got!:beer:

 

[wah-zoh]

not a very good picture and this was a few years back. they are fun to raise but nothing like what i'm doing now. i had all freshwater for about 4-5 years and now i am in to the marine. no regrets here marine is way more interesting and challenging

 

[DEEP BLUE SIX]

Personally, if I were you
I would go for some of the milder tempered
but absolutely beautiful Tanganyika Chichlids.

Such as the Frontosa and Peacock Chichlids.
They are some of the larger Tanganyika species.
But very striking and somewhat less aggressive than the Malawi Chichlids.

They make a beautiful tank.

Everyone has a different opinion of course.
I just like them better and find them more interesting than the
more commonly kept Malawi's like Mbuna.

2 photos are stock obviously for a good close up idea.
But the others from a tank.

The Peacock is becoming increasingly more popular and C. Frontosa is considered a champion prize to have as a chichlid. I loved mine whe I had one. I also had a "Lake Malawi tank" if you will at one point too.

I know someone who can provide you with some Frontosa if you want. PM me if interested.

The Frontosa's with much time can grow to Jumbo champion size and can be taught to hand feed.

 

[Haffs09]

I had a 75gal and then a 90gal african tank. I was fortunate to have my hap. ahlis and labidochromis caeruleus spawn for me. I raised enough ahlis to buy my first 125gal reef ready tank!

In the 90 gal I had 18-20, mostly from Malawi. For the most part they played nice, but every now and then tempers would flare. Make sure you add them all at once and pack them in. Unless I re-scaped the entire tank, I had minimal success adding others down the road.

 

[DEEP BLUE SIX]

All I can say is, have rock work with crevices all the way across the entire length of the tank. As well as from bottom almost all the way to the top.

They are most happy with a heavy rock scaped tank. Providing spots for most all fish to "take turns owning". They don't like open spots and it increases aggression. Try for no more than one male per species and at least 3 females or more each.

African Synodontis Cats go great with them too and are available in so many sub varieties.

I miss my Chichlids. But alas, only time right now for one hobby...

On the other side of the world-
If you ever want an absolutely beautiful fish for a species tank or mixing with large central/south american companions:

Check this guy out (pic)

I had one I kept in my 150. I had 7 different kinds of Cats, Including redtail, Tigershovelnose and as well as Pacus and an African Tilapia Buttikoferi that I kept him with. When I moved, at the time I had to sell... :sad2:

It's not easy to find normally. But I know someone who can get you one if you really want it. He'll order just about anything (and size) if I'm the customer...

 

[superkat]

i have a good size cichlid i am looking to find a new home for. he's been around awhile - 5 years...from a baby. turning my son's 20g into saltwater.

 

[DEEP BLUE SIX]

Conesus. PMedyou bud. (Frontosa $ if interested)

 

[Conesus_Kid]

Thanks, everyone!

I had SA cichlids as a kid.

I'm definitely going with mbuna for this tank. I've got access to lots of rocks, so I'm basically planning a huge rock pile that tapers down from one side to the other.

I'll be able to get a sponge for the HOB filter from my colleague (who I gave my old classroom 90 FW to) and will be cycling the tank with ammonium chloride over the course of several weeks. That will allow me to stock the entire population at once.

I'll update with pics, once I get this up and running. Right now, I cleaned out the aquarium and placed it in position. The kids were asking if we're getting another snake!

 

[tent boy]

Scott,
How fun is playing with and enjoying several tanks of fish all day and getting paid to do it. Not fair.

 

[Conesus_Kid]

Scott,
How fun is playing with and enjoying several tanks of fish all day and getting paid to do it. Not fair.

It's not without its challenges, but it's incredibly fun!!!:bounce1::bounce1:

Someone wise once said if choose a job you love, the you'll never have to work a day in your life.

 

[ggdowski]

I have been selling my yellow Labidochromis on CL for a long time...
"Re-homed" about 80 of them last Christmas.
I have three cichlid tanks. I considered moving over to frontosas.
They are peaceful but get rather large.
Lake Malawi cichlids seem to be labeled as aggressive.

Some are, some are not.

I have about 20 left in the 2" range....
I re-home these for $2/each... well below LFS prices ($9 at TRS).
If you want some 2 week old fry... I have a lot of them as well (60 or so).
LMK

 

[foodog]

Not an African, but the popular fish around here, chinatown, is the flowerhorn.

 

[ggdowski]

I was thinking about this..
If they are for your school tank...
I'll give them to you.

 

[ggdowski]

The fry I have will be about 3/4" in that time frame.
Let me know if you want any.

 

[DEEP BLUE SIX]

It is an awesome fish. (flowerhorn)

Not easy to keep it with anything else, if you can at all.
But if you just want a great specimen, then who cares.
It's a pretty nice fish!

Can't wait to see some pics of the African chichlid tank conensus!

 

[ggdowski]

Adult Flowerhorn are ALWAYS on CL for this reason.
Hard to put together with other fish.

Here are a few picts of the female labidochromis I have.
My males are larger than what is typically reported --- about 4.5-5".

 

[Conesus_Kid]

Thanks, ggdowski! I'll definitely let you know.

Those labs are beauties!

Is that female in the second pic holding?

 

[ggdowski]

Yes she is holding.
I took these pictures a while back of the two larger females I have to show people what they look like when their holding. A lot of people on CL dont realize that they are mouthbrooders. They will hold like that for about a month before releasing the fry, without eating anything. The fry are remarkably hardy. At one point I just had to many... So I let them release in the main tank... only to have another 25 or so survive. I have some big fish in there... one 8-9" Bala Shark, and three 9" tinfoil barbs among others.

 

[doryarlin955]

I have a 55g that's about 1 1/2 - 2 years old now can't remember... Anyways I have a small colony of N. multifaciatus, a type of shell dweller cichlid from Tanganyika. I have the usual community fish to fill the top half of the tank (tetras, swords, rasboras) and it's been running real smooth for awhile. The multies breed pretty regularly although few fry grow up to adults. I started out with 8 and I think I have 12 now with a ton of juvies and fry hanging out in the shells. They are really fascinating fish interesting enough to justify a 20 long just for them (If you tap on the glass they shoot straight into their shells, and when no one is watching they move around huge amounts of sand to make little mounds it's hilarious)