setting up a cichlid tank...?
 

I'm looking into starting up a malawi cichlid tank.

I am totally overwhelmed when it comes to choosing a species of
cichlid. I know that there's thousands of different kinds, but is
there some common types that are generally good starter cichlids? By
that i mean less aggressive, cheaper, and able to fit in a 65gal
tank...?

I'm also being told many different things from fish stores in my area
- and don't know who to believe. One guy says "buy all males, and
over-stock the tank with many different species for less aggression",
but another says "buy only a few species, and have 3 females to 1 male
- and never overstock.. " I know i'd like to consider breeding
sometime down the road, so i'm leaning more towards the 1 or 2 species
with 1 or 2 males route... Is that advisable?

Thanks for any help!
S.Chappell

This is a wide-open question in a certain sense. Do you have any idea on
what species you were considering or is it still wide open? Honestly, my
suggestion would be to visit some of the more travelled cichlid forums such
as www.cichlid-forum.com, www.cichlidnation.com, www.malawimahem.com, etc.
and take a look at the fish that are appealing to you. Then visit a LFS and
see what they have available Lastly, buy a decent reference book. Books
and magazines are often overlooked by beginning hobbyists but are one of the
best points of reference you could have. Good luck!
wrote in message
...
I'm looking into starting up a malawi cichlid tank.

I am totally overwhelmed when it comes to choosing a species of
cichlid. I know that there's thousands of different kinds, but is
there some common types that are generally good starter cichlids? By
that i mean less aggressive, cheaper, and able to fit in a 65gal
tank...?

I'm also being told many different things from fish stores in my area
- and don't know who to believe. One guy says "buy all males, and
over-stock the tank with many different species for less aggression",
but another says "buy only a few species, and have 3 females to 1 male
- and never overstock.. " I know i'd like to consider breeding
sometime down the road, so i'm leaning more towards the 1 or 2 species
with 1 or 2 males route... Is that advisable?

Thanks for any help!
S.Chappell

wrote in message
...
I'm looking into starting up a malawi cichlid tank.

I am totally overwhelmed when it comes to choosing a species of
cichlid. I know that there's thousands of different kinds, but is
there some common types that are generally good starter cichlids? By
that i mean less aggressive, cheaper, and able to fit in a 65gal
tank...?

I'm also being told many different things from fish stores in my area
- and don't know who to believe. One guy says "buy all males, and
over-stock the tank with many different species for less aggression",
but another says "buy only a few species, and have 3 females to 1 male
- and never overstock.. " I know i'd like to consider breeding
sometime down the road, so i'm leaning more towards the 1 or 2 species
with 1 or 2 males route... Is that advisable?

Thanks for any help!
S.Chappell

I don't think the LFS's you're going to are giving you eroneous
information, just differing points of view. Overstocking a tank is a common
way to deal with aggression. Is buying a larger tank and going with fewer
fish a better option to overstocking, it is to me. But, that's my opinion.
Many keepers of Mbuna overstock their tanks to control aggression. The fish
eat and breed just as much as they would in a lesser stocked tank. Who's to
say which way is better for the fish. It's up to you to decide which way to
go.
Since you've already narrowed it down to Lake Malawi cichlids, I don't
know that there are easier and harder fish. I'd avoid the most aggressive
species, Melanochromis, Labeotropheus, etc. Then decide if you want the
larger haps. Brightly colored males, dull females or if you want to go with
a straight Mbuna tank where in most cases both male and female are equally
colorful. The Mbuna tank will be cheaper, but you may find the hap species
to be more interesting.
If you want interesting fish, you may want to look into some of the Lake
Tanganyika species. The four foot by 18" tank gives you more options than a
55 gallon would. It's up to you to decide on how you want to fill it. If it
were me, and I was going to do a Lake Malawi tank, I'd do something like the
following:

4 Aulonocara lwanda (1m/3f)
4 Labidochromis caeruleus (1m/3f)
4 Copadichromis viginalis (1m/3f)

Sand substrate, rocks piled against back wall of tank to the water line with
open sand areas for the Copadichromis to build bowers for breeding.

Good luck and pick up that book that JG mentioned. Enjoying Cichlids 2nd
edition by Ad Konings would be a great start.
Tim
www.fishaholics.org

wrote in message
...
I'm looking into starting up a malawi cichlid tank.

I am totally overwhelmed when it comes to choosing a species of
cichlid. I know that there's thousands of different kinds, but is
there some common types that are generally good starter cichlids? By
that i mean less aggressive, cheaper, and able to fit in a 65gal
tank...?

I'm also being told many different things from fish stores in my area
- and don't know who to believe. One guy says "buy all males, and
over-stock the tank with many different species for less aggression",
but another says "buy only a few species, and have 3 females to 1 male
- and never overstock.. " I know i'd like to consider breeding
sometime down the road, so i'm leaning more towards the 1 or 2 species
with 1 or 2 males route... Is that advisable?

Thanks for any help!
S.Chappell

since i breed cichlids from that lake, ill chime in here. first question is,
do you want to go mbuna or hap/peacock? if you go mbuna, prepare for a war.
mbuna are real aggressive cichlids, especially kenyi. god, those things are
killing machines :D anywho, im not that into mbuna, so ill comment on
haps/peacocks. im currently breeding s. fryeri 'iceberg', aul. baeschi,
super red empress, yellow labs (my only mbuna), oto. lithobates
'zimbawe'(sp?), aul. german red, and a few other species. all have extremely
mild temperments. i have a total of 6 tanks going right now. my largest is
75, housing a 14" tiger oscar. my smallest is a pair of 20 gallons i use for
nurserys/quarantine tanks. i have 3 x 55 gallon tanks, each has 2 species of
fish. i usually go with 1m/3f, 2 species per 55 gallon tank. however, if
breeding is not your thing, you would want an all-male show tank. in a 65,
you could fit about 10-14 fish, ranging from 4-7 inches, depending on
species. lake malawaians usually like temps in the 77-80F range, pH ranging
from 7.8-8.1. filtration is very important, as you can never overfilter. i
suggest getting a good canister filter, and a few HOB (hang over the back)
bio-wheel filters (emp. 400s are great and quiet). you probably wont need an
airpump, since the 400's will easily take care of oxygenating the water.
definatly invest in some aragonite or crushed coral as subtrate, gravel is
no bueno :P. always be sure to cycle the tank! you MUST let the filters run
for at least 3-5 weeks, depending. at first, your water parameters will
appear normal, then halfway through the cycle, youll get a HUGE nitrite
bloom. after the bloom, when the parameters settle, your tank is cycled, the
biological filtration is in place, and the tank will be ready for fish. good
luck!



-agent smith



--
Be sure to check out http://home.satx.rr.com/satxcichlids
for information on my fishies! also, sign up for a *FREE*
ipod he
http://www.freeiPods.com/default.aspx?referer=9570045
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/daewootech/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/daewoolanos/
http://www.geocities.com/daewoolanoshatchback/
contact info:


remove UNDIES to reply :D

I have heard that keeping all males in an open tank, with rocks and caves,
will largely remove aggression in a tank. The advantage is that you can put
in many fish, and generally, males are more brilliantly colored, with more
elaborate fin displays. This would be an impressive show tank. However,
this is by no means a natural environment. Many cichlids, especially Mbuna
like their caves. The least we can do is provide our fish the most
comfortable environment we can. They need homes, open space to play in, and
the occasional piece of tail swimming by. They are our friends, not our
aesthetic slaves. =)



--
"The task is not so much to see what no one yet has seen, but to think what
no body yet has thought about that which everyone sees."

Schopenhaeur (1788 - 1860).

wrote in message
...
I'm looking into starting up a malawi cichlid tank.

I am totally overwhelmed when it comes to choosing a species of
cichlid. I know that there's thousands of different kinds, but is
there some common types that are generally good starter cichlids? By
that i mean less aggressive, cheaper, and able to fit in a 65gal
tank...?

I'm also being told many different things from fish stores in my area
- and don't know who to believe. One guy says "buy all males, and
over-stock the tank with many different species for less aggression",
but another says "buy only a few species, and have 3 females to 1 male
- and never overstock.. " I know i'd like to consider breeding
sometime down the road, so i'm leaning more towards the 1 or 2 species
with 1 or 2 males route... Is that advisable?

Thanks for any help!
S.Chappell

Hmm...I've never seen a "super red empress"...what's the difference between
that and Protomelas taeniolatus "red empress"? TIA.

lila pilamaya
**FREE LEONARD PELTIER**


"agent smith" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
...
I'm looking into starting up a malawi cichlid tank.

I am totally overwhelmed when it comes to choosing a species of
cichlid. I know that there's thousands of different kinds, but is
there some common types that are generally good starter cichlids? By
that i mean less aggressive, cheaper, and able to fit in a 65gal
tank...?

I'm also being told many different things from fish stores in my area
- and don't know who to believe. One guy says "buy all males, and
over-stock the tank with many different species for less aggression",
but another says "buy only a few species, and have 3 females to 1 male
- and never overstock.. " I know i'd like to consider breeding
sometime down the road, so i'm leaning more towards the 1 or 2 species
with 1 or 2 males route... Is that advisable?

Thanks for any help!
S.Chappell

since i breed cichlids from that lake, ill chime in here. first question
is, do you want to go mbuna or hap/peacock? if you go mbuna, prepare for a
war. mbuna are real aggressive cichlids, especially kenyi. god, those
things are killing machines :D anywho, im not that into mbuna, so ill
comment on haps/peacocks. im currently breeding s. fryeri 'iceberg', aul.
baeschi, super red empress, yellow labs (my only mbuna), oto. lithobates
'zimbawe'(sp?), aul. german red, and a few other species. all have
extremely mild temperments. i have a total of 6 tanks going right now. my
largest is 75, housing a 14" tiger oscar. my smallest is a pair of 20
gallons i use for nurserys/quarantine tanks. i have 3 x 55 gallon tanks,
each has 2 species of fish. i usually go with 1m/3f, 2 species per 55
gallon tank. however, if breeding is not your thing, you would want an
all-male show tank. in a 65, you could fit about 10-14 fish, ranging from
4-7 inches, depending on species. lake malawaians usually like temps in
the 77-80F range, pH ranging from 7.8-8.1. filtration is very important,
as you can never overfilter. i suggest getting a good canister filter, and
a few HOB (hang over the back) bio-wheel filters (emp. 400s are great and
quiet). you probably wont need an airpump, since the 400's will easily
take care of oxygenating the water. definatly invest in some aragonite or
crushed coral as subtrate, gravel is no bueno :P. always be sure to cycle
the tank! you MUST let the filters run for at least 3-5 weeks, depending.
at first, your water parameters will appear normal, then halfway through
the cycle, youll get a HUGE nitrite bloom. after the bloom, when the
parameters settle, your tank is cycled, the biological filtration is in
place, and the tank will be ready for fish. good luck!



-agent smith



--
Be sure to check out http://home.satx.rr.com/satxcichlids
for information on my fishies! also, sign up for a *FREE*
ipod he
http://www.freeiPods.com/default.aspx?referer=9570045
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/daewootech/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/daewoolanos/
http://www.geocities.com/daewoolanoshatchback/
contact info:


remove UNDIES to reply :D

ive seen 3 strains. the standard 'red empress', the 'pro red empress' and
'super red empress'. the pro red and standard looked identical to me, with a
few differences in facial structure (the lips were slightly different),
whereas the super red gets more colour than the pro or standard. again, this
is going from many sources, including my LFS (alamo aquatics in san antonio)
and cichlid-forum..