# new 55 gallon to set up



## tyger_eyes (Mar 11, 2010)

i am fairly new to the hobby but have had no huge problems so far in my 37 gallon livebearer tank.
i happened across a 55 gallon with all the fixings for a very low price so i could not pass it up. i want to do cichlids in it, these i have no experience in but have been researching. there is so much conflicting info out there and i just want some from people with firsthand experience. i have seen in more than one place that people like to overcrowd them so aggression is not an issue. others say one or two pairs is all you can have in a 55 gallon tank. babies would be nice to have so i can get enough store credit for an even bigger tank but its not necessary to have pairs, unless the fish are happier that way.
the fish i like, which may or may not get along depending on where you look, are:
Pseudotropheus saulosi (contrast in male and female is beautiful)
Kribs
German Blue Ram
Pseudotropheus demasoni
Paracyprichromis nigripinnis
Protomelas fenestratus
Apistogramma baenschi (i know its SA and the rest are not but i have heard it can be done)
now i have no idea how common these are in stores or online. if there are any others that may be more available, i am open to suggestions. i don't want anything too large (under 4 inches is good). i also really like the orange and blue varieties.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Ok, first sort your list into 3 groups. Choose one. If you want more than one, go back to craigslist and get another tank.

Kribs are african riverine fish, but since they like soft water and lay a plaque of eggs and both parents guard small fry, you see them grouped with rams and apistos which are S. american stream and river fish. These fish like plants, driftwood, and are territorial when spawning. These are the fish that you keep two pair in a 55. You can keep them with tetras and cories as they are the closest thing to a "community" fish you will find among cichlids. Apistogramma borielli are spectacular.

Pseudotropheua &, Protomelas are fish from L. malawi in Africa. They need hard, alkaline water, like rocks (in the case of mbuna) or open sand (protomelas). I would skip the Protomelas since they eventually outgrow a 55. Mbuna are the fish you overcrowd and overfilter to spread out the aggression. They are aggressive, mouthbrooding harem spawner, so breeders will often keep only 1 or 2 males. You generally don't mix them with other fish. Start with 8 Saulosi or demasoni in a 55 full of rocks, remove any male with a chewed tail and an occasional group of fry, and they will give you something to watch for decades. 

Paracyprichromis is another thing entirely. Cyps are like mouthbrooding freshwater sardines, living and breeding in the open water of L. Tanganyika without a territory on the bottom at all. In a 55, you might keep about 12. I'd use a sand bottom. They need even more alkaline water than the Malawian cichlids. As with the mbuna, overfilter. Use 2 filters rated for a 70 gallon tank. 

All these fish are in the hobby. They aren't often in stores, but they are on lists, so some stores will order them for you. Look at aquabid.com and the cichlid-forum.com trading post if you want to order online. Are you near a big city (Pittsburgh, Philadelphia)? There are active aquarium societies throughout the Northeast US. A local club is the cheapest, easiest way to get neat fish you don't see in stores. GPASI is planning an auction April 25. http://www.gpasi.org/calendar.html


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## tyger_eyes (Mar 11, 2010)

thanks for all the info. after going through it im still debating between a bunch of saulosi but not sure if anything else would be able to be in with them. i do have some clown loaches i was going to put in the tank, very small and would be moved to a larger tank once i can get one. from what i have seen the mbuna need hard water which is bad for clowns, so it seems like this is out.
as for for the SA fish, you are saying i can do 2 pairs of either kribs, rams, or Apistogramma and some cories and tetras. will any tetra work? which of these is easiest to breed? would clowns do well with these fish?


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## jrdeitner (Feb 7, 2010)

Any common cory and most S.A. Tetras will work ( neon, cardinal, redeyed, glowlight, bleeding heart, emperor, rosy, lemon, serpae, flame, rummy nose etc. ). You can put the clowns in for now but they will absolutely need 100 gallons or more as an adult. Many cichlids and tetras will breed in an aquarium ( even in a community) but don't expect any of the fry to survive unless there are lots of plants and places to hide. ( fine leafed plants are best). As for the cichlids I would go for the apistos and the rams because they are from the same region.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I always heard kribs were easy to breed, but never had luck with them. But now I have pairs pelvicachromis subocellatus and pelvicachromis taeniatus breeding in 15 gallon tanks. I say get two pair of kribs or 2 pair of any dwarf S. American and you can mix them. But do either or, don't mix kribs and S. americans. Laetacara, apistogramma, dicrossus, microgeophagus (or whatever rams are now) would work. Species tanks work best for breeding, but in a heavily planted tank a few new cories and tetra may magically appear.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Personally, I wouldnt go with malawi's, they can be very aggressive and territorial towards eachother and get to be quite boring to me, thats why I got rid of mine and am currently turning the tank into a severum tank. Secondly, I wouldnt go with blue rams as ive kept many over the years and there quite sensitive and not hardy at all. I keep loosing them so gave up.
Nat


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## Guest (Mar 19, 2010)

sorry. i wouldnt agree on the GBR's being sensitive. if u take care of ur tank right they will be fine. its a diff story if you slack off from time to time.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

I think it depends on how they are in the LFS, the ones I bought weren't the best but looked ok to buy. My waters have always been fine, but its only ever been the rams that die down on me


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## Guest (Mar 19, 2010)

i lost 1 ram when i 1st got my 4 pairs and that was cos of aggression. never had one die on me till my tanks crashed.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

As I said, depends on how they are at the LFS, the ones I bought were from my local one just up the road and none of the fish there are great


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## Guest (Mar 19, 2010)

lol dont buy from him. his supplier must not be introducing new bloodlines.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Yeah, they arent the best quality fish but its the closest LFS, theres a new fish store opening next month though so all is good haha


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## Guest (Mar 19, 2010)

thats cool.


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## tyger_eyes (Mar 11, 2010)

going to go with kribs because of the parenting, thought it would be awesome to see in person. but i did want to get either the borielli or baenschi or something with similar markings.
any specific reason why kribs can't be mixed with SA cichlids. is it an aggression thing or mixing cichlids from two diff locations? the water parameters seem to be the same.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Id say kribs would be a good option, I had to look after the neighbours kribs a few months ago as they went on holiday for a month and I must say, theyre very nice fish. Intelligent and colourful, especially females


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Some people do it and it works, especially in a tank with lots of plants and hiding places, but kribs (especially the females) are IME, a bit more aggressive than the S. americans and there is the whole "don't speak the same language" thing. 

You could keep one other kind of fish with the Saulosi. A single male Peacock or another harem of mbuna that is neither yellow, nor blue, not vertically striped. I prefer species tanks because you can have enough females to really spread out the aggression.


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