# Giraffe Cichlid



## MaxPayne (Mar 11, 2009)

Currently I have a 30 gallon fish tank wiht just a giraffe cichlid. I know they can grow to be ten inches, so does that limit me to just have one fish i the tank or could i get possible tank mates?


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## elgu3ro88 (Dec 16, 2008)

ooooo. u mite get a lot of heat for trying to keep a venustus in such a small tank. im sure people who have more knowledge on the subject will tell you, but venustus definitely need a much larger tank.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Yes, even for that one fish you need a larger tank. If that tank is the biggest you have room for then I'd take the giraffe back. What are the dimensions of the 30G? There might not be any Malawi that would be comfortable in it depending on the length of the tank.


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## Joea (May 25, 2004)

A six foot, 125 gallon would be best for _Nimbochromis venustus_. For a single specimen, a four foot, 90 gallon would suffice.


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## MaxPayne (Mar 11, 2009)

Its an all glass thirty gallon, I guess Ill donate it to my friend


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

You could do a species tank of a dwarf mbuna in a 36" tank. Demasoni are popular, get at least 12 to spread aggression.


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## MaxPayne (Mar 11, 2009)

I decided im going to purchase a 55 gallon or higher sometime in april. Would i be able to have a the Giraffe cichlid and a native Yellow Perch together? or would the Giraffe cichlid be to territorial


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## RCain (Dec 17, 2008)

I kept native species in a tank for years, Bass, yellow perch, and pumpkinseed sunfish.
Water paramaters are much different. Perch were happy with unheated, dechlorinated tap water @ about 65 degrees, ph 7.2. 
Lake Malawi species prefer a higher PH around 8.0 and temps much warmer than the perch would happily tolerate.
I wouldn't keep perch together with africans, although I doubt that the Giraffe would terrorize the Perch, more likely the other way around.


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## hobbeslax (Nov 22, 2005)

The water chemistry requirements for the perch and the venutrus would not be compatable. Having a perch would be cool though. Look online for used aquariums. I just got a 50 gal set up (stand, canister filter, lights, etc) for $150.


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## MaxPayne (Mar 11, 2009)

Thanks. I just bought a 55 gallon today. My neighbor just had it on the driveway and sold it to me for 35!


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## venustus19 (Aug 30, 2007)

i still think that the venustus will not be happy in a 55... just my opinion... i have a 90 gallon and i choose not to put a veustus in there... i have a group of tram intermedius, and right now, my 3 males are a good 5-6", and i am wondering if they're too big for my tank... it just seems that they are too big for a tank that size... so a 10"+ fish to me is WAAYYY to big for a 55...
but maybe for just 1 venustus and some filler fish, it may work, i just would feel bad for the fish, that's all...
HTH.


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## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

Joea knows his stuff and he said a 4 ft. 90g. *could* work for a single specimen. A 55g. is just to small for a venustus that's full grown. Depending on how big your venustus is, the 55g. *could* work for a while until you get a *larger* tank. I'm not that familiar with them but maybe ask at what size it would have to be moved from the 55g. and how fast they grow. That's if you really want to keep it and think there could be an even larger tank in your future :wink: .


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## FireHorn123 (Apr 16, 2017)

:fish:


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## Mudkicker (Apr 2, 2003)

opcorn:


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

This is an old post that was bumped by a spammer so I doubt if there will be any updates from the OP!!


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