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Hey, for Christmas i think i may be getting another tank

Im thinking at least 20 gal, hopefully a 29 or 30.

I know that i will have 2 guppies, an oto, and an apple snail(they are moving from a smaller tank). Im thinking of a sand substrate.

My question is this, can i mix a few species of Cichlids? I like kribs, julis, angels, and keyholes. I know i cant have all 4 species, but im having trouble working out a stock list.

Are julis and kribs aggressive to other fish when they dont have a mate. Can different species of juli be kept together, without aggression? I know keyholes arent aggressive, but i cant find them anywhere.


Proposed stocklist:

2 Guppies
3 Otos
6 small tetras
1 angel (?)
Apple snail

Hmmm can i add a krib or juli without overstocking or endangering my other fish.


I'll do graffiti,
If you sing to me in French.

Due to the size of the tank, I'd go with just one of those species. The Keyhole would be the most peaceful. The Kribs would be OK until breeding, and then may be a bit territorial or really nasty, depending on the individual fish. It's a little tight for Angels. If you want to mix Cichlids, how about a pair of Keyholes, and a pair of Rams, Apistos, or Laetacara?

Thanks for the quick reply. Im not really interested in breeding at the moment, so the population of the more prolific cichlids would remain at one. The only reason i have guppies in there is because my lil sister is quite attached.

Also, i have not seen any keyholes locally and shipping is pricey (especially this time of year).



Last edited by katieb at 29-Nov-2004 13:29

I'll do graffiti,
If you sing to me in French.

Does anyone have experience with the Orange Chromide? Im not sure if any of my LFSs have them, but they look nice. I hear they are a bit fragile...and brackish too


I'll do graffiti,
If you sing to me in French.

[font color="#000080"]A keyhole won't "happily" be able to fit into a 20, 29 or 30g, especialy a pair. Keyholes require a 40g minimum.

I do like the Angel idea. Make sure you only put the Angel in the 29 or 30g though.
The best option in my opinion is a pair of Blue or Bolivian Rams. They're great little fish with real personalities.

A 6 inch angel that is super tall can fit into those
tanks. But a 4 inch average shaped key hole cant? That doesnt make any since PJ. I think a pair of key holes woiuld do fine in a 20 gallon. You could even get both males, or both females if you wanted. I keep 3 males together with no signs of aggression what so ever.

[font color="#000080"]I was only saying that because almost every book I have recomend a 40g minimum.

Also I Quoted A keyhole won't[/font][font color="#008000"] "happily"[/font][font color="#000080"] be able to fit into a 20, 29 or 30g. I never said they can't.
Yes, A keyhole can fit in into a 20, 29 or a 30g, but I personaly would never keep them in a tank that small.

I only suggested a Angel because so many other people keep angels in 29, 30's and she was already thinking of adding a angel.





Last edited by PJ at 30-Nov-2004 06:09

Between the Angels and Keyholes, I think Keyholes would need less space than Angels. They're shorter in both length and height. Ideally, I'd want more space for both, but I've seen some sites recommend either 20 or 30 gallons for a pair of Keyholes. In any case, I'd prefer a smaller Cichlid to start with, and the Bolivian Ram mentioned above is a great first Cichlid. It should be more available than the many of the other dwarfs. Kribs should be easily available, but if you don't want to breed, just get one, or perhaps 2 females.

I'd personally go with an angel. If you're not set on a school of fish maybe increase the number of guppies you have. You could go with all males in a variety of colors. Even if you have females I've found angels are very good at population control.

You can find some other cichlid tank ideas [link=here]http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/cookie_cutter_29g.php" style="COLOR: #FFFFC0[/link]


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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

id go with the angel aswell

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''All the clown fish and yellow tangs in the world cant save you now!''

I personally, if i had to chose between the two,(i have both) i would go with the angel as well. You could keep one in a 20 gallon. I think in the long run it should really be in nothing less then a 30. They do get large. Key holes would fit so much easier into a 20 then angels IMHO.

Wow thanks for all the suggestions. The Cookie Cutter website gave me tons of ideas:%)


Im thinking of this:

Male Guppies
Otos
Small Cichlid (Buffalo head, Labidochromis caeruleus, Cyprichromis leptosoma, etc)

*Numbers and species will depend on availability and space*

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/cookie_cutter_20g.php
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/cookie_cutter_29g.php

Last edited by katieb at 05-Dec-2004 13:56

I'll do graffiti,
If you sing to me in French.

Go for Kribs, they're lovely & have really nice colours.

:88):88):88)



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Member of the Malta Aquarist Society - 1970.
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