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What is the min.tank size for 2 or three, or even just one (But arn't they happier with other fish?) African Cichlids? I don't know if this makes much of a difference, but I was planning on possibly those blue ones that you commonly see.

If pets are so stupid, how did they weasel free room and board out of us?

I think they would be Pseudotropheus lombardoi... it's whatever is available in the area, and they usually don't put the scientific names.

If pets are so stupid, how did they weasel free room and board out of us?

4 ft tank for cichlids.... IMO, since some require quite a bit of swim room. I have been known to return fish to my lfs after observing them in my home tank... just because I believe they were not happy in my 4ft tank despite staff assurances that they 'should be happy'... I did not believe they were by observing them...

Electric blues? They are all over blue (m and f)

Pseudotropheus lombardoi are blue with stripes (for males)

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You need to do extensive research for a cichlid tank. Good place to start here!

One wouldn't be much to look at....because it'd probably be too timid to come out of the rock cover that is essential for cichlids.

The more stock you have the better activity you get.

BUT you need to be very careful about adding new stock. These fish are territorial. If you add one fish the others will gang up on the new kid. Best to add new fish in a group and rearrange the tank at the same time... all will check out the new surrounds and eachother at the same time.

This is only very brief information to start you off. Ask more specific questions and we can help more.

Have you checked out the the dropdown menu up the top of the page. If you look at cichlids (African) you may be able to find the pic and read it's profile. You can do a search on common names if you don't know the scientific.

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~~~ My fish blow kisses at me all day long ~~~

I don't know what the type is... all I know is that the ones at the store are blue and yellow with stripes.... but that could change as adult versions, as i doubt that they are adults..

If pets are so stupid, how did they weasel free room and board out of us?

http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/profiles/536.htm

http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/profiles/285.htm


those are probably the ones you are thinking of. If i remember correctly they should both be able to go together....just need atleast a 30 gallon tank.

Whoa.

First of all, those links didn't work for me. Which is strange, because when I checked the requisite species (took a bit of detective work) the URLs for the pages that came up matched those links exactly. Something weird happening there I think ...

Next, with respect to the identity of these fishes ... blue males with stripes (Thursday, you didn't specify horizontal or vertical stripes, which is important here!), yellow females ... that covers quite a few Mbuna species. Including some VERY aggressive ones. Apart from the possibilities cited in the links above, namely Melanochromis auratus (pretty likely as it's a common, long domesticated Mbuna that's been in the hobby since 1965) and Melanochromis johanni (again, a common, long domesticated species that has almost as great a vintage as auratus), there is a third possibility that worries me a LOT. And I REALLY hope you're not planning on buying these things on impulse, because you're staring fishkeeping Hell in the face if the fishes in your dealers happen to be members of the species I'm thinking of here ...

What is this fish I'm warning you against? Say hello to Melanochromis chipokae, possibly THE most hardcore of all the Mbuna in terms of aggression and territorial demands. This species MUST be given AT LEAST a 6ft tank if it is to stand ANY chance of living alongside other fishes - and please, do NOT put two males in together unless you want World War III to break out in that aquarium, because once sexual maturity kicks in, male Melanochromis chipokae hate each other on sight with a fulminating, psychotic hatred that has to be seen to be believed. Even in a colossal public aquarium setting, far bigger than you will ever be able to afford, two male chipokae will fight to the death. No ifs or buts, they WILL fight to the death. So, you are looking at one male, and at least five females so that he isn't constantly breeding one or two females to death. Which again requires a BIG aquarium. Bad enough if your aquarium is a species aquarium for chipokae (and if the male thinks the other species in an Mbuna community are cramping his style too much, he'll soon turn it into a species aquarium by exterminating the other fishes) but if you're trying to integrate the demon psychopath chipokae with other Mbuna, you'd better have a VERY big aquarium, and be prepared to pick other hardcore ruffians as tankmates. You'll have the fish equivalent of a maximum security prison full of Hannibal Lecter clones in no time. Even alongside the other hardcore ruffians such as Petrotilapia tridentiger and Genyochromis mento (a nasty fish that makes its living in Lake Malawi biting the fins off other fishes), the evil chipokae is likely to emerge as King of the Hill through sheer berserker bad temper - while quite a few Mbuna are bad tempered, and some are positively volcanic, dear old chipokae is in a class of its own, a pyroclastic time bomb waiting to detonate at a moment's notice, like Krakatoa with fins. Newcomers to Mbuna are told to stay well away from this fish with good reason - if you don't go into the keeping of chipokae with your eyes well and truly open, the harrowing experience of dealing with its relentless savagery can scar you emotionally for life. There are people who will wave a crucifix at you and clutch cloves of garlic in terror at the mention of this fish's name, and if you think that's a joke, well it is ... but only partly.

So, if I were you, unless you have access to an experienced Mbuna keeper to give the stock the once over in the shop with you, and give you the 'all clear' that the fishes you're interested are NOT one of the hardcore aquarium terrorists, I'd leave them well alone. If they turn out to be chipokae, then I'd advise you to give them the same wide berth you'd give to a radiation accident involving the nuclear warheads from a Minuteman ICBM. Because this fish is about as explosive ...


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

My suggestion would be, regardless of what species of cichlid you choose, go with the Biggest tank you can afford and fit in your home. You wont be wrong, nor disappointed. Bigger tanks are actually less work than little tanks, stay stabler longer, allow for wider ranges of stocking ability, and just plain look nicer.


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Needless to say, I concur with Sneaky's remarks. A 55 (US) gallon is probably the minimum setup that will facilitate successful Mbuna keeping, though a 20 will suffice for Tanganyikan shell dwellers if you're content to keep just one species. If your ambitions run to Mbuna or Utaka, a 55 should be your baseline aiming point, and if you're planning on keeping the big Haplochromines such as Nimbochromis venustus (which are 12 inch fishes when adult) then you're looking at a 90 gallon as a baseline setup. Frontosas? Ye Gods, don't even think about those unless you can afford a 125 (preferably a 150 upwards) because apart from anything else, the expensive initial purchase cost of the fishes justifies the very best setup you can give them, and again, Frontosas are big fishes.

Moreover, newcomers to Rift Lake Cichlids are advised to stick to one particular group of fishes and not try mixing disparate groupings unless they are fortunate enough to start the project with a VERY large aquarium - and by that I mean the sort of aquarium you'd see at a zoo. Even with careful species choices, mixing Mbuna and Utaka, for example, only stands a reasonable chance of success if you can start with a 150, preferably a 250, because the disparate requirements of the two groups of fishes mean you'll need LOTS of space to stand any chance of such an experimental mixing working without hideous levels of attrition. In typical home aquaria, stick to one group in a given aquarium (e.g., all Mbuna or all Utaka) and don't deviate from that plan. The chances of success are likely to be MUCH greater if such guidelines are followed.

[Edited for broken tags]

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002