[GonnaTryCichlids]

Hi: I've been keeping tropical fish for almost 40 years and recently, after waiting for my last 4-year old neon tetra to die, I decided to give Cichlids a try. Cleaned out the tank and set it up for Africans by using Aragonite sand and waited until it cycled properly. Bought some small Cichlids...but little did I know that they would be BIG cichlids before I knew it. I have 2 Venustus, and 2 Rostratus (I think), and they are living "happily" in a 30-gallon with good filtration, lots of water changes and careful monitoring. They have lots of hiding places. I am considering a >100 gallon tank (72" L). Is there a preferred width and height for these fish and could that 6' tank support those 4 fish, if they continue to get along with each other? The bigger Venustus is now about 3.5-4" so a change is soon needed. Looking also for advice on "best" filtration/bio equipment for that size tank, and options for what smaller fish I can keep with the Cichlids. Thanks in advance!! RB

 

[noki]

You need the 6 foot long tank, the more water the better but extreme height is no big help for the fish. These fish do best in a community of similar fish, more than a dozen, depending on size. These are Malawi Haps (Haplochomis), these are medium sized to large fish. They don't need too much hiding spaces as they are more open water. Males color up with maturity and dominance, while females stay the same and don't change much from when juvenile. Male color depends on pecking order, the males that are in command will have the best color.