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Hi everyone, i'm new here and hoping i can get some help. I have a 30 gallon tank with 2 cichlids in it and i'm not sure what kind they are. I have looked on all kinds of site and still nothing. There silver on the bottom and black on top but there tails are beautiful it has a spot on the top of it and it looks like a peacock tail with all the colors and the black dot in the middle, but i looked them up and they look nothing like them. My reason for wantting to know is i have a male and female and they laided eggs yesterday and i don't know if i should take them out or the parents cuz i'm afraid they will kill them. Cuz they are mean ever since i got them nothing else can go in with them not even other cichlids. Can you plz help me. Plus i have a oscar and love him/her alot and i would like to breed him/her how can you tell the sex?

Just because they are agressive toward other fish(which is normal for cichlids) does not mean they will kill their own fry. Tetras are generally considered some of the most peaceful community fish and are some of the worst parents. They will always eat their eggs or fry if they see them. The cichlids' territorial nature is partially what makes them good parents. They defend their home and their babies from any threats. Alot of cichlids can be left to raise the fry on their own. Most of these cannot be in an aquarium with any other fish while they are spawning or they will kill them. A pair of spawning cichlids is often a death sentence for anything in the tank that they might see as a threat and that includes pretty much all other fish.

As for identifying the exact species a picture would really help but at least how big are they?

Oscars would require a huge tank to breed since they can get over 12" in length. Just 1 needs at least a 55g to live out it's life. 2 of them with fry are going to need alot of space when they reach adult size. http://fishprofiles.com/files/profiles/475.htm

i'm sorry i don't have a camera to take a pic, but the male is almost 3 inches long and the female is 2 inches, the male is alot bigger in size, i'm just afraid they will eat the babys thats why i don't know what to do. And the oscar is in a 30 gallon now this is not my first one i also have a 130 gallon tank to so they would have plenty of room.

i went and looked at them closer. lol, they are silver on the bottom with a black strip right throw the middle, and gray on top with a colorful tail over on the top of it with a black dot in the middle i also took notice that when the female is about ready to lay her eyes her belly turns red, i only would like to know what they are cuz i'm not sure what to do about the baby if i should leave them in there or take them out, i don't want them to get eattin.

Small cichlids with a black line and colorful fins... What about some type of apistogramma? They come in all sorts of colors but most have a black line and definitely colorful tails and fins. They also get around 2-4". Try comparing body shape more than color to some of these pics http://images.google.com/images?um=1&tab=wi&ie=UTF-8&rls=SUNA%2CSUNA%3A2006-28%2CSUNA%3Aen&q=apistogramma

Even cichlids that take care of their young will usually have a few accidents with their first couple spawns. They make a few mistakes and end up eating or killing a couple fry to possibly the entire spawn. You just have to let them keep trying for a few spawns to see if they'll successfully raise the fry themselves. After a few tries if they show no sign of accomplishing it then some people will remove the fry and raise them seperately. If your cichlids have laid eggs and not eaten them but are instead gaurding them then they will probably attempt to raise the fry and not eat them. Mistakes may happen though.

thank up i have a pic of them now but i can't post it cuz i'm not a premium member, they did eat most of the babys i started out with 20 down to 5. If anyone would like to see the pic just email me at camaro78350@yahoo.com