# 55 gal



## Matt_1313 (Feb 2, 2006)

Hey guys.. i found a new 55 gallon in the box still with the stand for sale through the paper for 40 bucks. i am hurrying over to pick it up soon, and i am looking for some ideas for stocking it. I definately want cichlids in this one, and have firemouth sitting around in a tank that will be too small for him if he ever decides to grow..so i was thinking about putting him in there. i also love blue dempseys, so i might want a pair of those, but a mating pair has to go for like..what...150 bucks at least? Anyway...what i want is a SA cichlid tank with some not-so-common inhabitants. ideas would be nice, thanks!
Matt


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## sambi7878 (Dec 23, 2005)

Firemouths are one of the more peaceful cichlids and will mix well with other medium sized fish. They may be aggressive towards other fish of their species and they will swallow anything small enough to fit in their mouth. As with most cichlids, the Firemouth will also be more aggressive and territorial when spawning. You could still transfer the firemouth in the new tank and may add either Heros severus (Severum) or Aequidens pulcher (Blue Arcara). These are the ones im familiar that will do well with your firemouth. There may be a few territorial disputes if one of these species is breeding but for the most part things should be fine. And also, make sure that they are of the same size...lol!

About blue dempseys, Im really not sure if they'll do well.


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## ron v (Feb 24, 2005)

Great deal, Matt. You will have all kinds of choices for that tank.


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## Matt_1313 (Feb 2, 2006)

how about those red terrors CM had a pic of...how hard is it to get those? how would they do with the firemouth?


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## sambi7878 (Dec 23, 2005)

The Red Terror is a highly aggressive fish that have been known to be intolerant of tankmates even in 200+ gallon tanks. Besides, they really get big! max size: males:16 inches, females: 14 inches. So youll really need a big tank...lol!


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## Matt_1313 (Feb 2, 2006)

WOW  forget about that one! i guess kind of remember hearing that about them before now...they look awesome though...CM, how big is your tank?


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## ron v (Feb 24, 2005)

Yes... what Sambi said. They don't call them "red terror" for nothing. That's why I'm so impressed with CM having a mated pair....


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## Matt_1313 (Feb 2, 2006)

so does anyone have other ideas....i'm realy not sure about the firemouth..so dont necessarily consider him... as far as blue dempseys go...if i had a pair of those i know they are slightly less agressive so could i have maybe one more smaller cichlid that isnt as agressive? Regular dempseys would probably take the whole tank, but i have heard blues are a little less agressive and dont get quite as big....


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## ron v (Feb 24, 2005)

Do you want cichlids? Do you have hard or soft water?


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## Matt_1313 (Feb 2, 2006)

Yes, i want cichlids, and the water isnt very soft, but isnt very hard either. lol...right in the middle i suppose... i think i want SA cichlids, unless anyone wants to convince me otherwise...


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## ron v (Feb 24, 2005)

You seem to like red fish. Check out jewel cichlids. Genus Hemichromis. They are West African, not SA. But would do well in your water. IMO the Hemichromis lifalili is in the top ten best looking fresh water fish in the world, when in breeding condition ( bright cherry red ). It is also very easy to breed. Very aggressive but not too big.


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## Matt_1313 (Feb 2, 2006)

... Thanks for the suggestion....i suppose its just a coincidence that you're 'overrun with juvies' right now...lol


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## Matt_1313 (Feb 2, 2006)

I do like how they look..
What other Africans do they get along with?


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## ron v (Feb 24, 2005)

Matt_1313 coincidence that you're 'overrun with juvies' right now...[/QUOTE said:


> Hey, How about that..... As I said they are very easy to breed. Come on down from Minn. I'll set you up with some.....
> 
> They are from West Africa, a soft water area. Completely different from Lake malawi or Tanganyikan cichlids. Kribensis are also West African, btw. Unfortunately, jewel cichlids are extremely aggressive. Maybe even moreso than convicts.... In your new 55, you might could have your convicts and some jewels. .... Don't tell anyone that I recommended putting cichlids from two different continents together though, OK.


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## Matt_1313 (Feb 2, 2006)

Hahaha you better hope no one finds out about that post! I really don't care about the whole continent mixing thing as long as they can survive in the same water..they are pretty frequently put in with SA's anyway. I cant see coming down to Alabama any time soon though..


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## leveldrummer (May 27, 2005)

RON!!! im watching you, continent mixing, thats just sick. jk, im all for it, 

if you want something strange, rare, and beautiful, read up on some discus, look at some pics, if your up for a challenge,( not much of one, just keep them clean and gentle) they are some super cool fish, really really really really really pretty.


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## Matt_1313 (Feb 2, 2006)

How many could i have in there? and what are the chances of them mating?
i know a mating pair goes for like 300-400 dollars sometimes...what else can live with discus?


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## sambi7878 (Dec 23, 2005)

Discus are a particularly beautiful aquarium fish, but are quite a bit harder to keep than most other species. Discus are very sensitive to extreme or sudden changes in water quality and they demand very clean, well filtered water with a carefully monitored pH and hardness level. Some keepers usually use water additives such as blackwater extracts to create a suitable environment. Max size can be 15 cm. Because of their sensitivity to other tankmates, it is recommended to have a discus only tank. I guess, with your tank, you could have 3-4 discus.

About the jewel cichlids, I think they are aggressive too and hard to keep with other tank mates. If you want them, you could mix blue jewel with red blood jewel to add more colors. max size: 5-6 inches.


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