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Hi People

I have a 33 gallon tank lying around in my closet...i want to turn it into a cichlid home...i was hoping you guys could give me some ideas as to what to put in there and how many. I'm kinda new to cichlids but i'm rapidly falling in love with them so any advice would be great

33 is lil small for the larger new world cichlids n lil to small for a mbuna community
there r many dwarf cichlids rams apistos kribs n shellies that wood love a 33
what is it that ur interested in? african u got malawi - tangs- or lake victoria or do u prefer south american fish?
each speices has its own lil niche depending on water body of water they come from but there r many choices no matter which body of water u choose

Hmm...a 33 gallon is kinda small for most cichlids, but you do have quite a few options.

The little shelldwellers from Lake Tang are adorable additions to smallish tanks, the multi and the brevis, etc.

Then of course you've got rams; the Bolivian and German ram both are somewhat hardy, easy to find, and have great colors. You could go with a community tank if you had these, meaning you could throw in some barbs and tetras, and maybe a pleco or two as well.

Kribs are cute; I don't know much about them other than the ones we have at the LFS I work at lay eggs for us all the time.

HTH a bit.

[hr width='40%'][font color="#000080"]"I know that you are something special, To you I'd be always faithful
I want to be what you always needed, Then I hope you'll see the heart in me"[/font]

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

A 33g would make a wonderful breeding tank for angels, kribensis, rams, convicts, or apistogrammas.

Angels like a neutral pH and flat surfaces and broad leaves to lay their eggs on. However, sexing them can be quite difficult.

Kribs aren't extremely picky about the pH of the water, and are very easy to breed. They prefer to lay their eggs in a cave (made with rocks, or terra cotta flower pots on their side, partially buried in the gravel) and like the temp to be in the higher 70s, F. Males have pointed dorsal and caudal fins

German blue rams (or the color variation, gold) like the pH to be lower, about 5.5-6.5. They're a little more difficult to breed, but will with the proper conditions: lots of plants and driftwood.

Bolivian rams like a more neutral pH of about 7.

Convicts are often considered guppys of the cichlid world. A temp in the 70s, a neutral pH, and a few caves (flower pot or rock). Mature males have a bump on their head and females have orange on their belly.

With apistos it will depend on the particular species that you choose.

For best results, 6 or so juvies should be purchased until a pair is formed.

HTH and gave you some ideas.

><>Dani<><[hr width='40%']I don't want another pretty face
I don't want just anyone to hold
I don't want my love to go to waste
I want you and your beautiful soul

I'd do a ram/tera tank. Maybe you could add some corries or a dwarf pleco, or maybe both, I'mn not sure. I don't know if angelfish are compadiable with rams, but if they are, maybe you could have one of those too. I'm not sure if this is overcrowding, for numbers of fish, you would have to check the surface area thingy. I don't know much about larger tanks, I've never had one.

thanks guys that's all good to know...giving me some ideas i appreciate it.