# Tank of Cichlids



## ian8834 (Sep 22, 2008)

A little over a week ago, I had a friend call me and tell me that his cichlids had fry. He only had a 55 gallon, and he didn't have anywhere to put them. He really needed to get rid of them, so he asked me if I'd take them. By the time I got them, many of them had been eaten by the fish or had died. I was able to get about 40 or so of them, and I threw them in my tank.

Many of them appear to be electric blue ahlis. Others appear to possibly be some kind of peacock. I know he had a few different kinds of cichlids in his tank, so they could be anything.

It will be interesting to see them develop, and to figure out what they actually are. I was originally going to make my tank a discus tank, but I guess I'm not going to now.

Here is my current stock:
(2) Albino Iridescent Sharks
(2) Iridescent Sharks
(1) Elephant Nose
(1) Needle Nose
(1) African Butterfly
(40?) 1/2" African Cichlid
(1) Peacock Eel
(1) Large common Pleco

I'll post pictures when they get a little bigger.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Get rid of your sharks. They shouldn't even be sold as pets. They'll QUICKLY get to be over a foot long and out grow your tank VERY soon.

edit - you could grow them out and eat them: apparently delicious.

The needle nose? I assume it's a Needle nose gar? It will eat the fry with relish. And the butterfly will do the same, except at night when you aren't watching, as will the peacock eel.

Pleco is probably too big for the tank too. They can push 14" when fully grown, and I'm guessing yours is getting there?

I'd count fry all the time if you were serious about keeping them. Otherwise, you're going to have some very well fed fish.


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## ian8834 (Sep 22, 2008)

ameekplec. said:


> Get rid of your sharks. They shouldn't even be sold as pets. They'll QUICKLY get to be over a foot long and out grow your tank VERY soon.
> 
> edit - you could grow them out and eat them: apparently delicious.
> 
> ...


The fry are a few weeks old. They're big enough that the others can not eat them. The needlenose has actually completely left them alone. The butterfly stays to himself on one of the top corners of the tank. I throw in a cricket every couple of days and he's set. I know he needs fed when he goes after the bloodworms I feed the fish.

The sharks do get massive. Part of the reason why I got them. I like big fish. I know where to get rid of them when it's time.

The eel is pretty small, too. I don't think he'll mess with the cichlids.

The pleco is about 13". I am going to get rid of him in the spring for sure, if not sooner. I've had a few people offer me trades of fish/cash for him, just to tell me he's going in a 55 gallon. I'd rather keep him and put him in a pond in the spring.

If some of the cichlids end up as feeders, then that's okay with me. They were free, and probably would have died if left in the guys 55 gallon. At least this way, there are plenty of places to hide and they get fed plenty.


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