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Anbody have any experience or practical advice on setting up a 55 for Texas Cichlids......I'll be getting a 55 for Christmas, and I'm torn between Texas Cichlids and an African tank. Need advice!

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

if you're going to go with texas cichlids then I'd look for carpintis. they're spots are much larger which is the easiest way to tell the difference. the reason I say this is that from about everything I've heard the carpintis won't grow as large as the true texas (cyanoguttatus) and they're, imo at least, more colorful.

if you want to do a breeding pair, then I'd get 6-8 juveniles preferably from different sources and let them grow up and pair off naturally. once a pair forms then you'd get rid of the extras, set up one big breeding cave and leave the rest of the tank pretty much open. you might add a couple of floating plants for cover if they seem to hide a lot but otherwise they should be fine.

Last edited by Jason_R_S at 19-Sep-2005 18:47

Texas are lovely. I had some that paired and bred. I wasn't aiming to have a breeding tank but you know kids!, they were in love and got married.

They are very beautiful and display interesting digging behaviours. However, I did find them a bit skittish. People would charge up to the tank and ask "where's the fish?", answer: "hiding from you".

I lost my little boy and couldn't get a mate for my little girl that was similar in age/size (about 6". I went from SA to African mbuna setup (different story though)


hth, all the best for your Christmas present. Very exciting!

Would love to hear what you decide to stock with!

Last edited by wish-ga at 21-Sep-2005 16:49

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

Thanks for the info y'all. Sounds good. I'm still thinking and researching. I'm torn between a Texas tank and a Lake Malawi tank......I know two totally different continents, but I want larger, exciting, colorful fish. I have not the water quality, time or energy to set up a discus tank Or really any of the SA Cichlids, the Texas lives in the river from which I get my tap water so I think that would work (Rio Grande River---yep, I'm about 5 miles from it). I also have the hard water that those Africans love, I would just need to use crushed coral or something substrate wise to bring up my 7.2 pH. I can't decide.......I need two 55's for Christmas so I can do one of each. (It'll never happen )

Last edited by crazyred at 22-Sep-2005 13:57

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

I love my mbunas! But have a softspot for the Texas too. I don't envy you the decision.... enjoy the torment!

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

I would go for an African Tank, with lots of Rock work & hiding places & don't mix any fish from different African lakes, just go for one lake. ie. Malawi, Tanganijka, Victoria.


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