picking fish

Member Posts: 51 Age: 25

I have been trying to figure out what fish to get for about a week now and honestly need some help. With so many different options out there perhaps you guys and gals and narrow it down for me. I was looking at getting some angel fish with medium size group community fish and bottom feeders.

Today just by chance I was looking at the African cichlids and some of their profiles. They all seem to like high ph and hard water..... I have well water and my ph is 8.5 ish and hard. I guess my question is how hard are cichlids to keep compared to angels/community fish.

Right now I am looking at the yellow lab as my base fish and trying pick with to go with that. I have a 55gallon tank / gravel bottom / no plants and a few dragon / bridge decorations in the tank.

Subject: Re: picking fish Sat May 16, 2009 7:25 pm

Well Angels are Cichlids! But to get to the point African Cichlids (Mbuna in particular) are very easy to keep. Yellow labs are one of the most popular species in the hobby. Angels are also very easy to keep, and more for the beginner.

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Subject: Re: picking fish Sat May 16, 2009 10:18 pm

The only things that keep most mbuna from being "beginner's" cichlids is their aggressive nature and the need for a high pH. The wrong mix of gender and species can result in a lot of violence. Higher pH keeps ammonia from forming non-toxic ammonium ions, so ammonia is present in higher concentrations. This doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room for tank maintenance and water changes. This isn't really a problem as long as ya stick to a regular maintenance schedule.

Some mbuna comparable to yellow labs in temperament in my experience are rusty cichlids (Iodotropheus sprengerae), Melanochromis joanjohnsonae, Pseudotropheus acei, and Pseudotropheus socolofi. The socolofi can be a little more temperemental at times, but on the whole should mix well with the others. Another possibility would be Pseudotropheus saulosi. The females of this species are yellow though, so yellow shades might dominate the tank with the yellow labs in there.

Mbuna of any species can vary significantly from the norm in terms of aggression, but I would definitely avoid bumblebees (Metriaclima crabro), zebras (various Metriaclima species) and Melanochromis auratus if yer goin' with yellow labs as the base fish.

WYite

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The Turtle Whisperer Posts: 1902

Angels could work. Other things like Parrots are neat. I can't remember what Severums get to off the top of my head but one or two may work too for that matter. Just not all at the same time mind you. Smile

There's some pretty nifty oddball goldfish out there too. Pearlscale (or sometimes called Chinshurin) get 6ish inches and you could get some White Clouds with them and some plants.

I don't have much experience with the Africans, but I do have one lone Socolofi here (that was meant to be a feeder) who has been getting along just fine with a turtle. I don't know though if the aggression for Africans are just at other fish though and the turtle isn't seen as a threat.

Subject: What fish to pick ??? Mon May 25, 2009 11:58 am

The cichlids. as a family are huge in number of species available, I can see you, as is the case with many folks new to the hobby, Look for bright colors. You said you had a 55 gal tank which would allow you to keep all but the largest cichlids available. As a rule of thumb, as a beginner its best to stay away from the tank labeled (mixed cichlids) these little demons are really great fish if you like constant bickering, The angels are beautiful, but giving your available water source and higher PH are not advisable, unless you are prepared to adjust and maintain a more acidic tank, angels are originally from the Amazon region of South America and like a lower ph, if from the wild, but most are captive bred, and will do well in a more neutral ph. so this leaves you with only a million more to choose from. A nice species tank with the fish you prefer anyway would be a good idea. These fish are from Lake Malawi, in Africa, and have a somewhat less aggressive attitude. They are actually the species Labidochromis caeruleus, and if you really like them, they would be fine in your water. Do a little research as to their native surroundings which i could explain here but that would take some of the fun out it for you. There would be no problem with keeping some form of african catfish with these and i would suggest the syno. Multipunctatus, if you can find a couple. a group of yellow labs in a natural looking set up swimming around investigating every nook and cranny would be beautiful, and if you do it right you should have little ones in a while that you could trade anywhere, almost, for food, supplies etc, to help support your hobby.

Subject: Re: picking fish Mon May 25, 2009 12:14 pm

Dont forget to give lake tanganyika a fair shake as they are beautiful african cichlids!

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Subject: Re: picking fish Mon May 25, 2009 3:18 pm

do i see dickfeldi, calvis,juli , frontosa???? is this your tank?? Of course all Africans are beautiful to me. Just confirming what he seemed to like anyway Smile

Subject: Re: picking fish Mon May 25, 2009 4:35 pm

Jim wrote:

do i see dickfeldi, calvis,juli , frontosa???? is this your tank?? Of course all Africans are beautiful to me. Just confirming what he seemed to like anyway Smile

The longer I look, the more I see here....Cyprichromis to the back right, brichardi and possibly a leleupi towards the center? I keep looking for some shelldwellers, but haven't run across any yet...I love this kind of tank, where you don't see everybody all at once!

Good to see a fellow Hoosier here, Jim! :Thumbs: