Cichlids Or Other Interesting Fish For Planted Tank?

Question

Hi, I have a Large Tropical Tank with a lot of rocks and caves and i have ordered plants to go as a background at the back. I need a really nice BIG colourful fish, thats out of the ordinary (i.e Not mollies and tetras) that will not move my decorations or eat my plants! I really like Cichlids but apparently they are destructive and eat plants! Please Help Me!
Thanks
Warren

Answer 1

Some Cichlids eat plants. Some Cichlids eat fish,but like to tear up plants that their food might hide in.Some Cichlids are stately and colorful and gentle(Discus,Angelfish) There are Amazon Cichlids that answer your needs like'Cichlisoma'boliviensis,C. dimerus,C. temporalis,C.coryphaenoides,and here's one that might prove very interesting Crenecichla anthurus,this is a Pike Cichlid,and certainly not a gentle fish.It's an ambush predator that likes the cover of caves and plants gets up to 25 cm. long,is very colorful, and requires just exactly the type of aquarium you describe. They need soft to medium hard water grow rapidly and spawn in caves.They are rare enough to be a sell-able fish if you could spawn them. Just a little something out of the ordinary,you definitely won't find them at Walmart. Any of the fish I mentioned will be a little hard to find,but well worth the search. You might start with the American Cichlid Association organization. This could really be a fun tank. Best of luck and let me know how it works out.-------PeeTee

Answer 2

If you like and want cichlids then good news, you can have them in a planted tank. On top of that you can get some that are colorful and unusual at the same time. Check out apistogrammas. Smaller south american cichlids that will not harm the plants and will also thrive in the same water conditions as most plants. They will most likely breed in the caves as well. Only problem is that they are small and probably smaller than you are looking for. The only larger cichlids that come to mind that don't routinely trash plants are angels and Discus. ... of course Altum angels would be something different and plenty big.

Other than cichlids.... Snakeskin Gourami, Kissing Gourami, Moonlight Gourami all come to mind as large bright and not plant trashers. Maybe a few Ctenopoma sp. if you really want something out of the ordinary, a few of them a re both large and brightly colored.

Hope that gives you a few ideas.

MM

Answer 3

There are plenty of cichlids that fit your needs.
The most obvious are angelfish and discus, but Uarus and festives also fit. All of these fish are striking, and some of the discus strains are brightly coloured.
Some African cichlids would also work, such as Jewel cichlids, although these may be a little rough on other tank mates. If you require the scientific names, or more suggestions, just ask.

Answer 4

One type of interesting fish is the Kissing Gourami, because they have a habit of kissing other fish in the tank and of kissing plants. If you do buy them, dont be worried when you see them visit the surface often. They do that to breathe. If you think that they are two girly for you, even the blue ones, try Pardise Fish. They come in cool colors, are active and have cool fins and alot of stripes. But beware, Paradise Fish can also pick at other smaller fish.

Answer 5

Man, i got chilids, and the only really thing they do is they dig and move rocks around, which isnt that bad at all. I wouldnt call them destructive though. I agree they might eat plants like most fish will, but i would care more about haveing a cool fish then the plants.

Answer 6

The larger breeds of Cichlids can be very disruptive to decorations (Oscars, Jaguar, Texas, Jack Dempsey). But the smaller ones like African Cichlids should be ok but they may fight if they don't have enough room, which it sounds like you should be fine. Also the above mentioned Discus are very beautiful and peaceful.

Answer 7

I would give you a short and sweet suggestion, either single and multi-color combinations of Angels or the very colorful Discus would do and look great. Back it up with some Corydorus Catfish..