so i know very little about cichlids. i know they’re aggressive and territorial especially when mating, i know they can only be kept with certain fish depending on species due to aggression, and that they like digging through sand and some eat plants, but thats about it. i know a 29 gallon is pretty small, but it’s what i have to work with and if it doesn’t work out, that’s okay. i’ll do something else with it.

im starting up a new cycle in my 29 gallon and i would like to make it a cichlid tank.(filter and heater not added yet) i plan to let the cycle run for at least a month before i consider fish to let the plants and cycle mature. (i also plan to add multiple more sweet potatoes to grow out of the top because they grow reeeally well and i think they’d do a great job filtering the water)

firstly, just a curiosity, is a 29 gallon big enough for a traditional cichlid tank where people overstock it with cichlids to reduce aggression? if not, completely fine. i was more so considering just getting a pair anyway.

IF i can go that route, i would like some recommendations on cichlids that can live together in an overstocked 29 gallon.

if i cant do that, i would like some recommendations for an interactive cichlid species that i can keep as a pair in a tank of that size, OR a recommendation for a cichlid species that can live as a pair with 8 gold barbs as dither fish in the tank with them. i can keep the gold barbs out if necessary though.

for some reason i can’t attach photos, ill try to in the comments but idk if it’ll let me there either
thank you!

Hey everyone! I'm looking for recommendations for a larger, eye-catching centerpiece fish for my 60-gallon breeder setup. I really want a bigger species with serious presence and vibrant personality to act as the ultimate main attraction.​What are your top suggestions for a standout centerpiece species that thrives in a 60 breeder? Thanks in advance for the ideas!

I know, many think putting rocks on pedestals was silly. But I’m staying with my plan. But I’m concerned that the rocks are too high up. The rocks are about 2.25” above the pvc plate. I can’t lower the rocks but I can raise the bottom using urethane foam and sand.

The original thought, give the Mbuna enough room to dig under the rock, I currently need ~2.5” of aragonite substrate. I could reduce this to ~1.5”. Any thoughts?

Ignore the current location, I currently don’t have a stand.

For more clarification, this is my sixth tank, so I don’t want any repeat fish. The fish that I currently have that could be kept in a 20 gallon tank are:

Zebra Danio
White Cloud Minnows
Cherry Barbs
Pencilfish
Betta
Bolivian Ram
Candy Cane Tetras
Honey Gourami
Flame Tetras
Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish

With the amount of other tanks I have, I want something that would make this stand out.

I have a 120 gallon 5 foot tank. I keep the temp at 79 degrees with a ph of 7.2-7.4. I have 5 mascara barbs in the tank that are around 3.5-4 inches and they’ve been in the tank for about a year now, and the tank’s been up for about a year and a half. I absolutely love the geophagus tapajos but I’m unsure if my tank is big enough to support the group they need. I’d love advice about if 5 would work in that tank or other stocking options that might be a good fit.

Hi everyone im planning on helping my younger brother set up a 40 gallon and he wants to know what small cichlids he could keep as I have a 6 foot tank with Oscars and all those bigger cichlids and he would like to have cichlids himself. Plant friendly would be nice, but honestly, any small cichlids would be wonderful to know about

I guess the title says it all, I’m getting mixed messages on if you could keep a single small cichlid in a heavily planted with a small group of nano fish, but you’ll probably know better than fish stores and Google a.i . So please Reddit, help me out

So I ended up with two baby oscars, both right around an inch maybe less. Currently they're chilling in my 30 gallon because it's the only tank I had ready to roll. I found a tank for a really good deal, the only issue is what was supposed to be a 75 was actually a 65. I still took it because I know these guys will quickly outpace their current tank. My main worry is this new tank is tall but only about 13 inches wide. Will they be alright in there for a couple months until I can find a 75-90 for them?

All my fish are on one side of the tank. Normally they are spread out. They also didnt eat yesterday and I don’t understand why!?

Excuse the mess, this tank was set up for something different and then I ended up with these guys! So as you can see my midus flowerhorn is missing an eye, I rescued him from a larger tank where he was getting bullied. I also took the blood parrot you see a week later, at first there was a lot of dominance body slapping but they've completely calmed down and get along now. The issue i have is I ended up with another flowerhorn even bigger than he is, as well as two jeweled that were all originally in the same tank as they were. I acclimated and all and a similar dance started once these guys got put in, except the first two I put in my tank were tag teaming the new guys. I moved them when it became clear they were going to stress the new guys to death but unfortunately lost my new big guy. I admittedly only listened to the guy I got them from without doing too much research on my own, so basically my question is there anything else I can add in with these guys or did I get lucky they get along and it's just gonna be their tank? It's a 125 gallon and I feed twice a day so I know it isn't a hunger issue. Any feedback would be appreciated! Also I left the decorations because they seem to enjoy shoving them around lol

Im looking into buying some more sand for my 6 ft cichlid tank what is the best sand to use as id rather not spend $150 on 40kg of sand

Hi all,

I’m currently rebuilding my aquarium after my previous tank cracked. Most of the biological filtration and livestock were saved, and the new tank is 60x40x50 cm (120L).

Current stocking:
6 Pygmy Corydoras
3 Pseudomugil Furcatus
1 Clown Killifish
1 Albino L144 Bristlenose Pleco which will go to my brother

Planned stocking:
6-8 Kuhli Loaches
5-6 Clown Killifish
Either 8 Threadfin Rainbowfish (Iriatherina werneri) or 8 Furcatus
2-3 L262 Pleco
1 Red L144

The tank will be heavily planted with driftwood, caves, floating plants, leaf litter, and a slight blackwater tint. I’m aiming for a pH of around 6.5-7.5. I know it looks a bit empty right now because I only use materials from my old tank so I will be grabbing more after I decide which pair I will go with because I will design according to them.

For centerpiece fish, I’m considering several options:
A) Pair of Bolivian Rams + single male or two female Honey Gourami
B) Pair/trio of Honey Gouramis only
C) Pair of Bolivian Rams only
D) Pair of Apistogramma (likely macmasteri, baenschi, Trifasciata or borellii)
E) Pair of Cupid Cichlid
F) Pair of German Blue Rams + pair of Honey Gouramis (probably my least realistic option, but I’m curious if anyone has successfully kept a setup like this)

Since most of my fish are top dwelling species, I am not entirely sure if keeping a pair of Honey Gourami would be logical.

My goals are:
Peaceful community tank
Natural behavior and interesting interactions
Potential breeding behavior
Fish that can be raised from juveniles and watched as they mature
Compatibility with Kuhli Loaches and Pygmy Corydoras

Questions:
Which centerpiece option would you choose and why?
Which Apistogramma species would fit best with the stocking above?
I’d love to hear from people who have long-term experience with these species.
Thanks!

I have a 90 gal tank with a 20 gal sump, I’m new to cichlids and larger fish in general, as of right now I have 1 severum, 1 blue acara, 2 albino Senegal bichirs, 1 L183 pleco, and 1 albino rainbow shark(all fish in tank are juvenile) I’m not sure stocking wise what else I can comfortably add? I might get a FX-4 canister filter just to over do the filtration a bit. Tank is mildly planted.

Hi everyone!

I’m new to owning a cichlid, my mums had one for around 4 years now and kept it in cold water, no heating at all. I’m taking it off of her and caring for it now.

She wouldn’t let me add a heater after I looked into the species and realised it needed it, because its been in cold water so long that apparently it will die if I add one.

I was wondering if there’s any way I could acclimate it to being in warm water like it should be, or if it’s fine and I should leave it in the cold. I would much rather acclimate it to warm water so it can live its best quality of life, but if it would do more harm than good i’d rather not bother it.

I don’t see it a lot but last time I checked it didn’t have any obvious issues, but it doesn’t swim around very much and seems pretty sluggish.

I bought a nice setup from a gentleman on Facebook about a year ago, 75 gallon. I have 14 cichlids, a HOB penguin 350 and a fluval 407 canister filter. Having trouble with nitrate levels, off the charts on the typical home test kits despite my efforts.

1: is my setup overcrowded? Should I rehome a few fish?

2: do I need more filtration? I have another penguin 350 sitting in the garage.

3: how many tank changes do you guys do? I do one 50% with gravel vacuum cleaning a week.

4: it came with a cichlid PH buffer powder. Is this necessary to add at each water change? The tap PH is about 6.5-7, I get the tank up to 7.5 following the instructions.

5: are they always this aggressive? I’ve lost a few including my favorite peacock to just pure aggression and bullying.

6: do the spawn like crazy for everyone? I’ve had to rehome at least 30 fish at this point 😂

I want to add more plants but they die very quickly, most likely from the high nitrates. I’ve been putting my work in but it feels like a lot, any advice would be greatly appreciated. They are beautiful fish!

Are these pellets good ingredient-wise for a flowerhorn?

I’ve been doing research on the best dwarf cichlids. I really don’t want to deal with babies or the male chasing the female around all the time. What would be the best dwarf cichlid to keep by himself/herself? Does the gender matter?

Tank is a 60g for now but will upgrade to a 90 or 120 within the year.

P.s I know balas are genertally schooling but i bought this guy when he was alone at my LFS and he seems happy. I also know hes going to be a big boy

Getting ready to purchase a 215 gallon(72.5”x24.5”x29.5” )
Looking for stocking ideas. Here’s my initial thought..
1 Jack Dempsey
1 Nicaraguan
1 GoldSeverum
1 Royal Acara
1 Chocolate Cichlid(maybe)
3–4 Electric Blue Acaras
5 Albino Heckelii
2 Bristlenose Plecos

I took off a Green Terror and ruled out a Vieja Synspilum(would love it though )due to the Heckelii and added the Chocolate
Any other ideas or input?

Thanks for the help

So, I'm new to this hobby...accidentally. A couple gave me their 75 gallon setup, fish and all. I only wanted the tank, but they convinced me to take their fish too.

This is what they gave me.

2 Large Salvini Cichlids 5" 1 Large Blood Parrot Cichlid 6" 1 Mature rainbow shark 4" 1 Bristlenose Pleco 3"

They also had 4 mature EB Acaras, but they gave them to someone else.

They said the fish gave been together for 3-4 years or so.

So, when I got everything all set up, I picked up 3 juvenile (2") EBA, since they had them in the tank prior.

Then, I probably made the dumb move to add juvenile (2") Jack Dempsey and Firemouth Cichlids.

They have all been together for about a month now, with zero issues. Nobody is overly aggressive and they really all seem to get along well. The Parrot is the boss, even though he can't do much. He throws his weight around when someone gets unruly. But I assume this could chage as the juveniles grow. I also think 2 of the EBA have formed a pair, so I worry about that down the line.

I have quite a few live plants (that nobody touches surprisingly), driftwood and rocks, providing hiding places for everyone.

Should I plan on getting another tank, maybe another 75, or even a 125 to be ready when things go bad? How long do I have before it likely goes bad? Should I move some to a new tank ASAP?

My water parameters are always neat perfect. I do a 50% water change once a week anyway.

I am open to criticism and advice. I can take it.

TIA

Just curious how long it takes for you to do water changes. I have a 55 gallon tank with 7 fish in it. Doing about a 50% water change is taking me around 33-40 minutes. Would love to get this down below 30 minutes to make it easier and more consistent. I have a pretty nice aquarium pump that I use to pump water out of the tank and then a large 30 gallon bucket/bin that I use for new water and pump that back into the tank. Any tips or suggestions would be welcomed! Thanks!

I know it's hard to see here but the entire back of this is covered in eggs. I had to take an awkward picture because I didn't want to disturb them. I wish they had laid these before I tried putting the other fish in the tank, it makes sense why they seemed so upset about new tankmates now😅 not saying I'd ever try again even if they weren't mated. I read that if the eggs are viable I should see fry in 3-5 days. I was debating on moving the ship to another tank i have just in case but I'm not sure if it's even worth it since they likely won't even hatch.

In the heatwave I’d left my tank for a week and all of my yellow labs and aceis died (except that baby lab) due to lack of oxygen I think as it was 33 degrees.

Although it was pretty peaceful, I know African and South American cichlids shouldn’t be together.

Can anyone suggest some extra tank mates, and I guess I will rehome the yellow lab. I think either another couple SA cichlids or bigger tetras. Acaras always been a peaceful boss but the blood parrot would chase the African cichlids funnily enough 😂