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So I decided to get the 55 gallon tank I have been pondering, only I ended up with more than I had expected. The person I was going to see had a tank listed on aquabid and I figured I would stop by and see the tank. When I got there, he had all kinds of tanks in his appartment with all kinds of fish he was breeding and selling. The tank I had planned on buying was out as well as another. He said I could have either one, I gave them a look over and he told me he would sell me them both if I wanted. He also showed me yet another 55 gallon that had a crack on one of the side corners, but said it holds water. I ended up getting 3 55 gallons, two light strips (one which might be a T5.. I dunno the difference exactly, but the one in question has wider bulbs than the standard ones), and 10 cherry shrimp all for 100 bucks. They are just the tanks and the 2 light strips, they are used, and one is cracked and siliconed, but I think they will clean up nice. Multiple tank syndrome at its finest.. I think my friend is going to take one, not sure though. I'm probably going to use them as a cichlid breeding and fry growout tanks. I was thinking Blue Acaras or maybe Jack Dempseys, unless someone proposes a better idea.

What does that mean, Bob? "Till the cows come home." Where have the cows been?

What a bargain!!!

MTs is an problem.. and an expensive one at that but that was a great buy!

i would definately recommend cichlids!

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Truth doesn't always win friends but it influences them

Looking for Cichlids that will make a nice display in a 55?

Allow me to suggest ... Herotilapia multispinosa.

A nice, hardy, attractive fish that isn't overly aggressive under normal circumstances (though it's still certainly capable of looking after itself), but which can be seriously feisty at breeding time.

You'll find this article very useful with respect to this fish. Take note that the fish is found in some fairly rough habitats in the wild, making it tough and adaptable with a wide tolerance of both temperature range and water chemistry parameters, is also likely to need a fair amount of vegetable matter in its diet (apparently in the wild it grazes upon filamentous algae as an adult, being an aufwuchs feeder that ingests small invertebrates along with the algae) and so it may fall prey to a condition akin to "Malawi Bloat" if fed an exclusively animal diet. Otherwise, an attractive, hardy Cichlid that makes an excellent parent.

Note that the article says it has adapted to spawn in crowded conditions in the wild, and in order to facilitate this, opts for heavily ritualised combat instead of out and out warfare among conspecifics. It also possesses an intricate signalling mechanism based upon body colouration (which changes on a regular basis) that allows the fish to make its intentions known with great precision, a talent it uses in order to engage in what might be termed 'Pavlovian conditioning' of potential intruders among dither fish. Potential fry predators soon learn to associate the parental fishes' breeding colouration with a willingness to attack if the spawning site is approached too closely, and thus the parent Rainbow Cichlids condition the other fishes in the tank to steer clear. Dither fishes that heed this message are not unduly molested, but those that are tempted to try their hand at fry predation are given very short shrift indeed!

This is an interesting Cichlid, one that has recieved an unusual amount of field study attention in the wild, and which rewards the patient aquarist with some superb displays of intricate social behaviour (not to mention wonderful parental skills). It'll always be entertaining, but without the overt viciousness of some other Cichlids (combat is mostly of the ritualised variety) and so you get all of the Cichlid virtues with relatively few vices. Feisty enough to be entertaining without being savage, colourful, with colour pattern changes that not only signal the onset of breeding, but signal mood and intent in an intricate fashion, and capable of providing its own algae control service without the need for algae eating fishes in the same aquarium, this is a fish that has a LOT to recommend it.

In a 55, a breeding pair would have more than enough space for their needs. Choose dither fish with care, and make sure that they're fast enough to run away without being a major fry threat. A pair of these Cichlids along with a shoal of 12 Lemon Tetras in a setup that's planted and equipped with bogwood decorations would make a fine display.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002