# African Cichlid Tank



## abdulkhan

Just setup my African cichlid tank. Currently oy has one electric yellow.


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## abdulkhan

*Pic*

Another pic won't let me post all pics, idk why...


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## Riceburner

Is it a 30G. Planning to get lots of African cichlids?


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## Rainbowric

Riceburner said:


> Is it a 30G. Planning to get lots of African cichlids?


I would say that if he was able to find the right mate for this fish .... he may end up with a hundred or so! 

Hope you don't mind abdulkhan, but your photo was quite good and it allowed me to blow it up a bit so we could see how nice your fish is!


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## abdulkhan

Riceburner/ 
Yes, it's a 30 long, i really do want a few cichlids, but i keep getting mixed answers, some say the tank is too small some say the tank is fine, so i really don't know. That is why i only have one cichlid for now. 
I plan on going to the petstore today or tomorrow, so fish ideas would be great.

Rainbowric/ 
Wow, i do not mind. I really like what you did with the pic, and you have pretty nice fish yourself! 

A question to ask... I do not know if my cichlid is male or female. Any thoughts?

Thanks!


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## Scotmando

abdulkhan said:


> Riceburner/
> Yes, it's a 30 long, i really do want a few cichlids, but i keep getting mixed answers, some say the tank is too small some say the tank is fine, so i really don't know. That is why i only have one cichlid for now.
> I plan on going to the petstore today or tomorrow, so fish ideas would be great.
> 
> Rainbowric/
> Wow, i do not mind. I really like what you did with the pic, and you have pretty nice fish yourself!
> 
> A question to ask... I do not know if my cichlid is male or female. Any thoughts?
> 
> Thanks!


Go over to FINATICS at 6200 Dixie just north of 401. He's got the best selection of African cichlids in the East! 905-565-1232

Check out his posts

FINATICS AQUARIUM- COOL and INTERESTING FISH!

FINATICS AQUARIUM- CORYS, CORYS and MORE CORYS! AMAZING SELECTION!

FINATICS AQUARIUM- PLECOS PLECOS and MORE PLECOS! NEW STOCK IN NOW!


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## Kimchi24

If it is a 36 inch tank, i heard it is ok for dwarf mbuna like saulosi.


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## Rainbowric

abdulkhan said:


> Rainbowric/
> Wow, i do not mind. I really like what you did with the pic, and you have pretty nice fish yourself!
> 
> A question to ask... I do not know if my cichlid is male or female. Any thoughts?
> 
> Thanks!


Sorry abdulkhan....but I cannot say that I know much about cichlids ... but I might guess because he has so much color that he is a male.

You do have a pretty good picture of your fish to show and now taking in Scotmando's recommendation ... the people at FINATICS should be able to help you out. After googleing "dwarf mbuna saulosi" I think that Kimchi24 has been a big help in giving you the name of it as well.


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## abdulkhan

Thanks alot everyone, i will check out FINATICS and i do like the Saulosi.


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## SwimmyD

I wholeheartedly agree with Scottmando. The cichlid selection at Finnatics is matched by no one! So many of their fish are locally bred, so you know they are good quality and will do well in our water. When I go in that store I start thinking about owning cichlids......


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## cichlid_mainiac

Hey this response might be a little late, but hey better late then never!

If you're planning to add more african cichlids to your aquarium you should first add several more ornaments so the fish have plenty of places to hide.

Cichlids in general are aggressive and territorial species by nature, they require lots of hiding places to establish territories and places to hide from each other. If you add too many fish to a bare aquarium you are likely to suffer heavy casualties from excessive fighting.
Even if you don't have many fish die you are very likely to notice your fish will have a ragged appearance from fin nipping and confrontations in general. 

That being said these fish are very tough and robust and can make a breathtaking display in a well decorated environment!

I have attached an image of a well decorated african cichlid aquarium as an example. 
I sure hope this helps you out!


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## abdulkhan

Thanks for the reply, i currently have 6 EY two pink ones i have no idea what their name is, a red tailed shark thats pitch black with a really bright red tail and two corydora's. they all have really nice color.

I have added many places to hide, many rocks, live plants some my cichlids destroyed, but they grow back so its good, and driftwood too.

I should post pics soon.


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## cichlid_mainiac

abdulkhan said:


> Thanks for the reply, i currently have 6 EY two pink ones i have no idea what their name is, a red tailed shark thats pitch black with a really bright red tail and two corydora's. they all have really nice color.
> 
> I have added many places to hide, many rocks, live plants some my cichlids destroyed, but they grow back so its good, and driftwood too.
> 
> I should post pics soon.


I look forward to seeing photos of your aquarium  we can help you id your fish aswell. 
Keep us up to date.


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## abdulkhan

Please let me know what the pink one is called...


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## abdulkhan

Fast son of Bi**h the shark


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## abdulkhan

Mooooooore pics


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## cichlid_mainiac

It's a peacock cichlid, the rest look like they are mbuna cichlids. Peacocks are some of the most brilliantly colored fresh water fish on the planet. 

I'm not sure if there's a more specific name for the color variety though.


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## mistersprinkles

Your tank is decorated wrong. Get the corys out of there. And the red tailed shark. They don't belong with Mbuna. If you want bottom dwellers get some petricola catfish. Finatics has them.

You need to get rockwork in there. That's how you set up a Mbuna tank.

Also, you have the wrong fish for a 36" tank. You should get something that will not get too big, like saulosi. Just do a species tank.


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## cichlid_mainiac

mistersprinkles said:


> Your tank is decorated wrong. Get the corys out of there. And the red tailed shark. They don't belong with Mbuna. If you want bottom dwellers get some petricola catfish. Finatics has them.
> 
> You need to get rockwork in there. That's how you set up a Mbuna tank.
> 
> Also, you have the wrong fish for a 36" tank. You should get something that will not get too big, like saulosi. Just do a species tank.


Everyone has different tastes in the way they decorate their aquariums. ... it doesn't mean it's decorated wrong. As long as the fish have sufficient places to hide it should be fine. 

I won't disagree with the possibility of it being over stocked though. abdulkhan how many fish are in your aquarium?


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## mistersprinkles

cichlid_mainiac said:


> Everyone has different tastes in the way they decorate their aquariums. ...


It's not a matter of personal taste. The fish do better with rocks, caves to hide in. They've got some interesting behaviors around taking up residence in certain crevaces and it's a shame to miss out on them.


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## cichlid_mainiac

If your going to quote at least everything that I said. I also said that as long as they have sufficient places to hide it should be fine. 
I don't disagree with rock work being the best environment for african cichlids, but I do believe they take refuge in rocks and drift wood in the wild because it makes formations for them to hide in.
What I'm saying is, that as long as they can hide in the decorations it should be ok.


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## Mykuhl

The pink one looks like it might be a dragonblood peacock. If it is it will get too big for a 36" tank. I also agree on getting the cories and the red tailed shark out of that tank. The red tail will get too big and the cories are too small.


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## mistersprinkles

cichlid_mainiac said:


> If your going to quote at least everything that I said.


I prefer to use shortened quotes. It makes it easier to read when a third person can see exactly which point I am responding to.


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## abdulkhan

I have 6 EY CICHLIDS, the 2 Pink ones, 1 Red Tailed Shark, 2 corydoras.

I don't see why i should remove the shark or the corydoras. If my other fish bullied them or hurt them sure i'll re home them, which i have done before but they are wayyyy happier with the cichlids, i see often the corydoras swimming with the cichlids in a group, they mind their own business. Also the red tailed shark is fine too, i doubt its too big for the tank now, he's actually really healthy too and very active. now if he does get too big... i can easily re home him in a much bigger tank. But for now he's perfectly fine. As for the pink ones if they get too big ill move them too, but i did buy them from fanatics, and the owner knew the size of my tank how many and what kind of fish there are, he said it will be perfectly fine, they only grow about 4inches.

Ik that these fish are territorial and can get really angry, but i also believe every fish has its own personality, i bought a red tail that kept chasing the corydoras, so i returned him and got this one. and he doesn't even care about them. i believe all my fish are pretty peaceful. 

These fish are all 2-3 inches right now, and will be fine, if they get big i can organize a bigger tank,

other than the tank size (if they get too big), i don't see any problems with them being together.

also if my tank really doesn't look like their natural environment, it's fine. i mean just the thought of keeping them in the tank in the first place is wrong, no? shouldn't they be in the wild, where they have all the land, water, rocks, plants in the world. also i doubt these fish i have are from the wild, in fact i know they are not, just raised by breeders in tanks, probably way bigger than mine, but than again they are just tanks. i can raise a fish as a baby in a 50 gallon tank with 1 piece of driftwood all alone, i doubt he will miss the rocks, or the other fish, etc. he has never seen that.
i feed my fish fine, their water if fine, they don't fight are very healthy and active, i think i'll be good. if i see the need for a bigger tank i will surely get one if i can't i know many that i can give them to.

thanks for the replies/comments tho.


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## cichlid_mainiac

Electirc yellows are generally pretty peaceful in comparison to many other africans. However they can potentially grow to 5 inches plus. The red tail shark if I'm not mistaken is a cat fish which can grow to a few feet in length and get very heavy. 
As these fish mature you will need perform large water changes a couple times a week to keep the water conditions decent.


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## abdulkhan

The red tail shark grows up to 4 inches


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## mistersprinkles

abdulkhan said:


> The red tail shark grows up to 4 inches


They become nippy as they age.

While it's frowned upon to mix different groups of fish like you're doing, it can potentially work out ok.

A 36" tank is a little small for yellow labs as they reach 5". You really should have gone with something like a group of saulosi.


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## Chromey

My daughters Red tail Is at her full size of 7".
I have kept the red tail with Cichlids for the last 6 years without an issue.

She grew too her full size in a 36" tank. She now lives in my 135G with 15-20 cichlids.


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## mistersprinkles

Chromey said:


> My daughters Red tail Is at her full size of 7".
> I have kept the red tail with Cichlids for the last 6 years without an issue.


It's not prickly to the other fish?


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## Kimchi24

cichlid_mainiac said:


> The red tail shark if I'm not mistaken is a cat fish which can grow to a few feet in length and get very heavy.
> As these fish mature you will need perform large water changes a couple times a week to keep the water conditions decent.


I think you are talking about a red tailed catfish  those things are massive. red tailed sharks are totally different haha.

i was planning on doing a 36 inch mbuna 33 gallon a long time ago and i did a TON of research on it. From what you say your stock is... I'd say you are far overstocked. You should have went for a colony of saulosi. The males are blue and the females are yellow. Makes the need for a yellow lab and demasoni tank obsolete. As far as having a red tail shark and corys in the tank... well.... They need different water parameters! im surprised no one has brought that up. Cichlids tend to like water completely opposite to what cories and red tailed sharks. I would take them out, and put them in a nice planted tank with soft to neutral water. Your cichlids will do much better in harder alkaline water. If you can, save up and wait for a sale on a 55 gallon to come up. That will be the best way to support your stock. otherwise, stick with saulosi.


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## Chromey

im talking about a red tailed shark

She will chase the odd little guy, But that's it.


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