# Cichlids for large planted tank?



## emptyhead (Apr 16, 2007)

I have set up a couple of 6' 150g tanks at work. They are both Malawi tanks right now, but I am throwing around some ideas for the tanks. I am thinking of turning one into a planted tank.

What cichlids could I keep in a large planted tank? I was thinking maybe angels, acara, festivum, or severum. Thoughts? Would these cichlids destroy the plants? Could I keep a large school of neons or other tetra with these cichlids? What about Geos?

What would you do with a 6' 150g tank?

These tanks are intended mostly for small children to view, so I don't want just a couple large predators.


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## Gino Santangelo (Nov 26, 2008)

geo is latin for earth. geafagus latin for earth mover. Angels OK. If your dead set on cichlids for this planted tank put some rocks around the plants root base.


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

G'day *emptyhead*,

Just becuase it's a LARGE planted tank, doesn't mean you have to keep LARGE cichlids in it.

Severums have a reputation as plant eaters and destroyers (Blair yours in an exception :wink: ). As *Gino Santangelo* mentioned, geos are earth eaters and will unintentionally uproot plants as they sift through the substrate. If you want to keep tetras in a planted tank, you want to aviod medium sized, or larger, SA cichlids as a general rule as if the tetra fits in it's mouth, it will eat it.

Angels are a good choice to start with, but there are some provisos. Despite thier name, angels are still SA cichlids and have a reputation for a fair amount of conspecific aggression. Many experienced angel keeprs on the SA forum will suggest buying a group of juveniles and growing them out till pairs form, and then removing the umwanted fish. Or you could try and buy a bonded pair. Thing is, that it is pretty hard to remove fish from a planted tank, so you want as little agression as possible in the tank among cichlids, or grow out groups with the plan to remove some later.

Possible cichlid stock list I would look at would be, 6 Bolivian rams, 1 pair of Angels, and 1 pair of Laetacara dorsiger - red breasted dwarf acara.

As for tetras, Cardinal tetras are again a stock choice for planted tanks. I would also reccommend Rummynose tetras and Lemon teras. You could easily have schools of 20+ for each.

Other tankmates to consider would be a couple of bristlenose catfish, thier are many species of bn's, it just depends what your LFS stock. You could also consider a gang of 10+ corydoras catfish or couple peckoltia catfish as clean up crew for uneaten food stuffs.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

No reason why you can't keep the Haps and Peacocks in a heavily planted tank.


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## Gino Santangelo (Nov 26, 2008)

I like dead fish floatin's idea of cardinals or rummy's as far as tetra's, yet this tank could support a large bio load of many different small species at the same time. But in this tank if it is to be planted as far as cichlids I'd stick to the ones that don't maniplulate their enviroment to much. Hows this for spelling "I have one son and one dotter'.


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## emptyhead (Apr 16, 2007)

Fogelhund said:


> No reason why you can't keep the Haps and Peacocks in a heavily planted tank.


Which plants would you recommend? I have tried a couple as experiments - and the fish ate them - though I do have acei and labs in there - maybe they ate the plants.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

emptyhead said:


> Fogelhund said:
> 
> 
> > No reason why you can't keep the Haps and Peacocks in a heavily planted tank.
> ...


The problem is likely that you tried "a few". A few will get eaten, as they are often seen as curiousities. I keep, or have kept, a dozen varieties of Cryptocorne, Anubias, Java Fern, Brazilian Swords and Giant Vallisneria in with Tanganyikans, Malawian Haps, Peacocks and Mbuna without issue. When you have a heavily planted tank, they seem to not bother.


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## emptyhead (Apr 16, 2007)

Fogelhund - thank you for the reply and the photos. This is interesting. I may have to give it a try.

I need to measure the PH - with the crushed coral and lava rock in the tank - to see if the plants would be okay. I'll have to read up on this.

What did you use in these tanks - substrate, CO2?, ferts?.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

The ph in these tanks is typically about 7.9-8.1. I use sand substrate, no CO2, no ferts.


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## the_evil_dickfeldi (Feb 17, 2006)

Hi Fogelhund, what are those haps in the last picture? Fryeri?


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

the_evil_dickfeldi said:


> Hi Fogelhund, what are those haps in the last picture? Fryeri?


Yes, they are fryeri.


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## emptyhead (Apr 16, 2007)

I moved the yellow labs and acei to the mbuna tank and put 38 plants in the peacock/hap tank.

I put in 5 red val, 10 jungle val, 10 corkscrew val, 10 chilensis, and 3 pennywort.

I did this on Friday, and I see no signs of the fish eating the plants. I will try to post a picture soon.


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## emptyhead (Apr 16, 2007)

Here is a very late update: the haps and peacocks mowed the plants down and I removed them. Now I have some big fake plants. I have added a big bunch of common stem plants from a local pond and let them float in the tank, they have wrapped around one of the big fake plants and are growing well. I also added duck weed - which all got eaten.

I am keeping the two tanks as Malawi (and fronts) tanks. I am enjoying watching the fish mature.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Wow that's surprising! I was about to agree w/Fogelhund and say go with carnivores and they will not even nibble. My peacocks/syno. lucipinnis are in a planted tank and my Tang tank is planted.

Do you have any herbivore haps in that mix??

I have a fair number of plants, but not as many as Fogelhund. I do use 2.5 watts/gallon and add fertilizer tabs every month or so. But no CO2.

My key to success is a large amount of fast growing plant like vallisneria. And then my java fern, crypts and anubias do well. But only with the vallisneria...otherwise they grow black algae on their leaves and die.


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## emptyhead (Apr 16, 2007)

I don't know if I have any herbivorous haps.

Here is what is in the tank as best I can remember right know: 7 peacocks, livingstoni, moori, venustus, 3 fronts, syno, borleyi, compressiceps, fryeri, and rostratus, 2 gibbicep plecos, a brown common pleco and 3 giant danios.


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## fishman13 (Jul 27, 2009)

Just 2 angelfish and enough golden tetras to make a school.javascript:emoticon(':fish:')


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