In followup to my earlier question, what type of cichlids are best?

Question

Okay, I am thinking I will go with cichlids only and not get the oscar after all. What types of cichlids will get along best? I know some are more aggressive than others, and i would like a pretty, peaceful tank. Any ideas?

Answer 1

Well, if you want a peaceful tank you are certainly better off with community fish then cichlids, seriously.

As far as a cichlid tank goes, you have a lot of options. If you would like a rockscaped tank with lots of colorful fish then an African Malawi tank is the way to go. If you prefer a more lightly stocked tank of fish with cool behavior in a rockscaped tank then Tanganyika might be more up your alley. If you like a more riverine type setup (wood, plants etc.) then sticking to New World cichlids is your best bet.

Taking your time setting up the tank and learning the differences between the different types of cichlids and how to best setup and stock the tank is the best way to do it, rather then just following random opinions on a question board, many of which will likely be less then ideal. Check out www.cichlid-forum.com, they have cichlid profiles, articals, and cichlid addicts to help you on your way, and search the internet for more sources. There are plenty of books available too if you really feel like learning.

For an active, colorful, and relatively peaceful setup I will suggest a nice mbuna tank with some of the more mild species:

Decorate the aquarium with lots of hiding spaces by stacking up lots of rocks. Any substrate will work but sand allows the fish to sift and dig as is natural for them. Then check out the following fish in a google search:

Labidochromis Caeruleus
Pseudotropheus Acei
Iodotropheus Sprengerae

These three are active and feisty without being overly aggressive and each is uniquely coloured. Get yourself 5-6 of each and watch them grow into an impressive looking yet easy-to-care-for cichlid setup.

Answer 2

Well peaceful with cichlids is relative. :-)

In general you'll want to stick with fish from one of the two major lakes in Africa.

So pick fish from either lake Malawi or lake Tanganyika. For the most part almost all of the fish from either lake will get along well enough with others from that lake.

If you want colorful then I'd go with fish from lake malawi which include the following:

Metriaclima estherae
Melanochromis johannii
Melanochromis auratus
Pseudotropheus demasoni
Pseudotropheus saulosi
Metriaclima callainos
Pseudotropheus lombardoi


These all have similar temperaments and will do well together in a tank.

Answer 3

I would definitely go with Mbuna African cichlids. They have stunning colors and are fun to watch. Most African cichlids are aggressive but they are some exceptions. As for a peaceful tank, I would go with yellow labs, rusties, pseudotropheus acei.

Answer 4

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