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Hi folks - I'm going to be setting up a 65g tank (36"x18"x24" ) and I really don't have any finalized plans as to what I'm going to raise... So I have a couple of questions:

1) I'm not an experienced cichlid keeper so I'm wondering if there's something that would be suited for a 65g tank. What are your suggestions? Having a look at the fish profiles on the site, I love the "blue Mbuna", electric blue, etc.. Something like that which is relatively easy to keep for the beginner cichlid keeper.

2) I've had clown loaches before and I love their unique personalities - is there a species of cichlid that would be suitable to keep in a tank with 3-5 smaller clown loaches (3"-6" ) with plans to upgrade to a larger tank in 2-4 years years?

Looking for some input or ideas here... Any help is welcome!

I'm not too positive that African Cichlids would go very well with clown loaches, but I've never tried it. My guess is the cichlids could be a bit too territorial for the loaches and may end up harrassing them to no good end.

Possibly some of the SA cichlids may work, such as angels or festivums.

If you are really wanting to keep African's, I personally would stick with just them. There are many species available and you could specialize in any number of ways to make a very attractive and interesting display.

Jim

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Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

I've had angels as well, with my clowns, and that was nice.. But I really want to try something a little different(i.e. the African cichlids). Worse case I can always forget the clowns, but would like to try them if there's a breed of cichlid that would work well.

Any other suggestions for specific breeds that would be a little more interesting to watch (i.e. something that might have a personality)?

Hi,
I dont think clown loaches will appreciate the water conditions in a malawi tank. If you look at the profile of this fish, the pH and hardness ranges end at points of clown loaches end where they start for the african cichlids.

-Mughal

I've had clowns with Malawis for years, never had a problem with them, and I've seen the same combination all over the place including many LFS display tanks.

I too have kept CL's with African Rift Lake cichlids and saw no aggression from the cichlids. Infact they seemed to totally ignore the Clowns. I had a 180g tank though, maybe this was the reason.

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Before you criticize someone walk a mile in their shoes. That way you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

I have kept several different types of loaches with all types of cichlids. I had more of a problem with the loaches aggression than the cichlids. I had a pair of tiger loaches that actually killed several of my more aggressive cichlids. The clowns however, should be fine. They are not very aggressive towards other fish.

My biggest concern here, is the tank size. The clowns, though they do grow at a very slow rate, can and eventually will out grow the tank. And, they prefer the company of other clowns. For this reason, I would suggest at least 3 clowns. And then suggest a larger tank. Something more along the lines of a 125 or a 150 gal. This will more than quaduple the substrate space at the bottom, and give them much more room to live and share.

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There is always a bigger fish...

A 65 gallon tank is a wonderful size. I have one that I filled full of bogwood and anubias so that my big common pleco wouldn't mow down any more plants. He lived happily in there for about 2 years and died a few months ago at just over 11 inches long. (I had him for almost 7 years in all)

Anyway, the tank is still home to 8 SAEs, 8 various rainbowfish, 3 angelfish, and an ornery raphael catfish. The tank is a riot of color and movement, and overall it's very low maitenance, despite being overstocked. I do run 2 filters on it, and I suggest you do the same, placing one at either end of the tank. 65 gallons is a lot of water, and the more filtration, the better.

As for Mbuna, a 65 gallon tank would be a GREAT size for a medium community of various malawi cichlids. I'd suggest getting some cheap rock from a landscaping company and a tube of aquarium silicone, and making some rockpiles with lots of caves and hollows. Malawi cichlids are acustomed to hard water with a high Ph, and most tropical fish live in soft water with acidic or neutral Ph. That's why the Mbuna and clown loaches might not work. However, a lot of tank raised Mbuna are often found in much lower Ph ranges than their wild ancestors, so you might be able to find a happy medium like Adam and Lindy did. Other options for larger fish that would be happy to live with clown loaches include Gouramis, like Blue, 3-spot, gold, opaline, snakeskin, etc. The rainbowfish I mentioned would be perfectly happy with clowns and they get to be about 4-6 inches long. South American cichlids like Firemouths, blue or gold acaras, or the gentler keyhole cichlids would also work in that tank. Just make sure you provide some hiding place like flower pots turned on their sides or lots of wood or rock.

Hoping that there must be a word for everything I mean...

In a 65 gallon, the loaches may grow out of it. The clown loaches can get to 12" each, and they prefer to have at least 3 in the tank ^^

Mbuna are rather aggressive, but you do have many possibilities for your current size tank, especially if you plan on upgrading.

Zebras are probubly the easiest to care for. In your tank, if you temporaraly stuck the loaches in, you could keep around 10 (assuming you are getting them around 2" and plan on upgrading)

Inky