My first Chichlid Tank

[Edburglar69]

46g bow front with Fluval 404 canister
filter



Any suggestions,

[Edburglar69]

[IMG][/IMG]

[IAoddball]

Did you plan on keeping just one? What kind of cichlids did you plan on keeping?

[Edburglar69]

I have 8 in there now with 2 Zebra Danios that I have left from the fish I bought for for tank conditioning. The Cichlids are 2 Red jewels, 2 Yellow Labs, 2 Blue Neon, and 2 zebra Cichlids? Everyone is playing nice so far but, that may only be because I have allot of algae to keep them busy right now. I'm thinking more randomly piled rocks as a must have. The pic doesn't show all the nooks and crannies around the rock in their real well.

[emc7]

They are likely nice because they are all still young. Its nice that you have rocks, but to keep them for as long as possible in that size tank, you will have to fill it up with hiding places, rocks, "cichlid stones", cut PVC, whatever you can get.

If your jewels are a pair, they will take over then the tank when they breed and make dozens or hundreds of fry. They are the African convict. Yellow labs and zebras will be okay for awhile if they are crowded and have hiding places. But eventually, you will get a male that starts doing real damage to other males, or won't let them eat. So have a few QT/hosp. tanks and a plan for re-homing the large ones down the line. Yellow labs will spawn a 2", so you could keeping selling them @ 4" and never run out of fish.

[Edburglar69]

emc7, Thanks for the feedback, more cover is in the works. When using a QT/Hosp tank can I use a nylon breeding enclosure in my tank or should i get an additional tank? Would if be short term when they get feisty?

[emc7]

For cichlids, use a tank (or a plastic bin) with a sponge filter. They will jump out of little nets and you want to be able to medicate. I catch a fish that is missing part of a his tail, get him a little anti-septic and keep him in a 5 until it grows completely back which can be weeks or even months. Then I either rehome the chewee or the fish that chewed it up.

You have some time, they stat getting mean around 3" and get worse as they get bigger. Time to search for cheap used equip.

[wooferkitty]

I have always tried to keep breeding pairs in a separate tank to minimize stress but thats a ways off of just stating a tank not a bad idea to keep in mind. Sounds like with some work and research you are going to have a very colorful tank.

[emc7]

"Breeding pair" is for substrate-spawning cichlids. Mouthbrooding mbuna are harem spawners. One male has a territory he chases all competitors he can see out of and displays for any passing female. The female lays egg and hold them in her mouth for weeks until they are little fish, then she lets them out. A 15L is a good "maternity" tank size. You can isolate a holding mother and raise the fry for a while in a 15. A pair of mbuna alone together ends in the male killing the female.

[Edburglar69]

Is moving my rock structures around beneficial? detrimental? to the fish

[emc7]

moving the rocks around shakes thing up. Fish reestablish territory and dig new holes. Usually cools aggression for a while, but it can sometimes have the opposite effect. But you have to have enough rocks for the fish to care. Break up "sight line". A cichlid will often chase any fish it sees, give them "out-of-sight" places.

[Edburglar69]

EMC7, Thanks for the feedback