# Hey Everyone< Starting a New tank for my son! Suggestions



## AnimallCop (Sep 27, 2011)

Hey Everybody, I recently decided I would like to do a cichlid tank for my three yr olds room. He has had a community tank for the past year and and I have decided to change it. Any recommedations would be greatly appreciated! Looking for ideas on colourful types that work well together, food suggestions, temp suggestions etc. And just any other imout you might think I would find useful. I am really looking forward to this project with my son, he loves the fish and its a great educational tool for me. Thanks in advance and I look forward to hearing from all of you!
Sincerely,
AnimallCop :fish:


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## Daxx (Aug 29, 2011)

First of all how bigg is your tank (demensions) would be nice to start of with.
seond of all wich cichlids are u interested in

Tanganyika's?
Malawi's
South americans

if u want a colorfull tank im guessing u will be aiming for Malawi's 
Then u have another choie to make 
Mbuna's, haps/peacocks 
depending on your tank size

also i suggest u take a look at this the coockie cutter page helps u with what can and can't be done.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Agree with above, what are the dimensions of this aquarium?


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## AnimallCop (Sep 27, 2011)

Hey, the tank is a 60 gallon bowfront, with a penguin 200 and tru temp heater. hope that helps, I am new to cichlids but i would like to stick with a blue and yellow theme to tie into my sons room any suggestions are greatly appreciated?


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

We need dimensions, not gallons.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

AnimallCop said:


> Hey, the tank is a 60 gallon bowfront, with a penguin 200 and tru temp heater. hope that helps, I am new to cichlids but i would like to stick with a blue and yellow theme to tie into my sons room any suggestions are greatly appreciated?


Dimensions?


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## AnimallCop (Sep 27, 2011)

lol sorry, i said i was new! its 24"h x 24"w x 14" deep. Hope that helps.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

The tank is pretty much unsuitable for most african cichlids. The dimensions just don't work, as they require length of a tank more than anything else.

In my experience, kids prefer colour and lots of action. I would go with maybe an angelfish, and a bunch of tetras/dwarf rainbows.


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## AnimallCop (Sep 27, 2011)

oh know thats not what i wanted to hear! So i cant out any in there! i saw some one had a bow tan that was half the size?


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## AnimallCop (Sep 27, 2011)

It seems like a good size tank, I was really hoping to get away from the community fish!


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## Daxx (Aug 29, 2011)

Fogelhund said:


> The tank is pretty much unsuitable for most african cichlids. The dimensions just don't work, as they require length of a tank more than anything else.
> 
> In my experience, kids prefer colour and lots of action. I would go with maybe an angelfish, and a bunch of tetras/dwarf rainbows.


+1 im afraid he's totaly right

anyway My daughter loves her Gold Fish! she's 4years old and does the cleaning and feeding by her self 
ofc i keep an eye open when she's doin it  but she does a good job at is sofar. she even does Water changes she just loves doin it by her self its her fish and she's the boss of them daddy cant tell her what to do or what to change lol


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

I am no aquarium guru AT ALL.

But since your overall footprint isn't much, I would get some schoolers!

Since its for you kid's.


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## football mom (Feb 19, 2006)

You could keep a group of multis or similis (shell-dwellers). Not the most colorful of fish, but always fun to watch, digging and guarding their shells, and they raise babies like rabbits.


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## AnimallCop (Sep 27, 2011)

well everyone seems to be on par this tank is too small! That sucks... I really thought a bow tank of this size would of been nice with a couple cichlids. Well guess i have a couple weeks t igure it out.


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## AnimallCop (Sep 27, 2011)

hey fogelhund, in one of the other discussions you are giving combination advice for 6' cichlids for someone with a 55 gallon tank, has your opinion changed as of late or is there something i am missing here.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

A 55G is 48" long. Cichlids are stocked by territory on the substrate, not gallons.


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## AnimallCop (Sep 27, 2011)

i c , thanks for clarifying that DJ, so i cant even put like four in this thing?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Shellies you can do a bunch.

Other Africans...no I would not. They need to be in groups and the smallest tank I would put certain ones in would be 36". Some people go 30" but that is the absolute limit IMO.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Small shell dwellers you can do... but take my word for it, the kids don't like them. You might, but the kids prefer the action of schooling tetras or rainbows, and single fish such as an angelfish.

You can see that is why we asked for dimensions, not volume. The volume doesn't matter so much it comes down to the length first, then the width, how you can stock with cichlids. You really need a 4' long tank to keep most of the colourful cichlids you see at the store.


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## brinkles (Jan 30, 2011)

Sure you're correct on those dimensions? 24x24x14 doesn't seem like enough space for 60 gallons.


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## Daxx (Aug 29, 2011)

indeed you are right its only 32 US gallons

why didnt i think to calculate that earlier 

42x24x14 is indeed a 60G tank and if so u could indeed keep cichlids

appoligies for the missunderstanding here if its indeed a 42x24x14 Tank!

Pseudotropheus saulosi + another speicies of your liking aslong as they are not from the same genus
anyway u could lets say keep about 18-20 fish in that tank if u dont go larger then 4" per fish?
but i leave that to the more experianced guys on this forum as i am not really to sure about this


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## Aspencer (Jul 23, 2011)

AnimallCop said:


> Hey, the tank is a 60 gallon bowfront, with a penguin 200 and tru temp heater. hope that helps, I am new to cichlids but i would like to stick with a blue and yellow theme to tie into my sons room any suggestions are greatly appreciated?


At least to me, your dimensions are off...a 60 g has to be bigger than 24x24x14...


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## AnimallCop (Sep 27, 2011)

I am probably wrong, I did measure with a tape and I know it takes just over 6 of the 10L water jugs of reverse osmosis to fill, so im thinking it is a 32 us gallon?


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## Daxx (Aug 29, 2011)

lol its a 60Liter instead of a 60gallon 

then no not possible to keep cichlids


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## brinkles (Jan 30, 2011)

3.8l/gal


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## jeff12 (Oct 21, 2011)

Fogelhund said:


> The tank is pretty much unsuitable for most african cichlids. The dimensions just don't work, as they require length of a tank more than anything else.
> 
> In my experience, kids prefer colour and lots of action. I would go with maybe an angelfish, and a bunch of tetras/dwarf rainbows.


A 60 gallon is not small for cichlids. Mine is the simliar and has a few cichlids in there. You can get the peaceful ones like electric yellows.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

What are the dimensions of your 60G? Have your original fish been together in the tank more more than a year?

Sometimes a mix with low odds of success ends up working. But when asked for advice, I like to be pretty sure it will work.

The OP has a tank that is 24" long. Many 60G tanks are longer, and length makes a big difference when your cichlids want to claim and defend a territory on the substrate.


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