# Starting cichlid tank, need help



## EWC88 (Mar 14, 2014)

Hey everyone, first time posting here and starting it off with some questions on advice. A little while ago I took in a Jewel cichlid from someone who was taking poor care of the fish. Currently he/she is housed in a smaller tank till I get his permanent home all setup. This is where I will need some help.

I have a 40g tank, I believe I read somewhere that the 40g is a good size for the fish, is this true?

I have a canister filter, heater, and light setup. I want to give this fish the proper living, and since this is my first time housing a cichlid I need help. When it comes to tank design what does this type of fish like? For substrate do you recommend sand or rocks? Are these fish plant killers or they like plants? I seen people have mostly big rock walls in their tanks, is that this style tank for this fish?

My other question I have is, what other fish can I house with the Jewel? I really want color in the tank but open to anything. I have read Jewels are aggressive, now currently my Jewel is housed in a tank with guppies and rosey reds and the Jewel is not attacking or anything.

I'm sure I will have more questions but that is all I can think of now. Thanks in advance!


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

What are the dimensions of the 40G tank?


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## EWC88 (Mar 14, 2014)

Actually just did measurements, thought it was a 40g but its a 37g. 36"width, 12"depth, 19.5" height. The height is a little off because the stand is sitting in stand and I know it sits a little inside the stand.

Is 37g not big enough?


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## EWC88 (Mar 14, 2014)

Was doing some googling and found couple sites on care for Jewel cichlids and some said 30g tank others say 40g so I'm even more confused.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Here is an article from the Library about Jewel cichlids that may help you out a bit.


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## EWC88 (Mar 14, 2014)

Does the 3g difference (4" width difference) a major factor for the fish? I want to give the best housing for the fish but I have no other tank to put him in safely (I have turtles tanks but they'll try and eat him/her).


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## AlmightyJoshaeus (May 2, 2013)

If I recall correctly from the article, your tank is just the right size for a pair of jewels. HOWEVER, you should not simply buy any random two jewels - they are aggressive fish and may kill each other if incompatible. Instead, you should get six and remove the other four when you have an obvious pair (the other four will most likely be either killed or forced into the corners...try to remove them before they are killed outright). This 'buy six, get two' rule applies to most of the pair-bonding cichlids, so if you do not go with jewels but go with something else (I.E N. brichardi, Convict cichlids, etc) you'll still need to get six to have a decent shot at getting a pair. By the way, jewels will uproot plants, although plants may last longer if they are potted.

As for cichlids...gallonage does not matter nearly as much as the footprint - and especially the length of the tank - does. These are, almost without exception, territorial, bottom-hugging fish that have little appreciation for more vertical room than necessary. Your tank sounds like a 40 gallon (the 4-foot, 40 gallon long would be more useful, but oh well...you have lemons, you make lemonade), and you thus have a decent number of fish options besides jewels, including (but not limited to):
- Most of the smaller (I.E 6 inches long) central american cichlids
- Apistogrammas (dwarf cichlids...I.E they are not particularly likely to shred their tank mates or their decor)
- Several Lake Tanganyika setups with several (potentially very different) cichlid species
- A 1 species colony of some of the more docile mbuna from lake Malawi, usually with 1 male to many females (Pseudotropheus Saulosi is a favorite for smaller cichlid tanks)
- A similar colony of the less aggressive Malawi peacocks (this tank is probably not big enough for the Malawi Haps) OR a similar colony of Victorian cichlids (only the males color up in these species generally). Again, these work best with one male to many females.


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## EWC88 (Mar 14, 2014)

I'm not really looking to do a pair of Jewels, mostly because I don't want to end up with a breeding pair. I will check out your list of other fish though and see what I like. But question with my tank size, how many fish would be the appropriate amount so I'm not overstocking?


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

You can stock a few more fish than that recommended in the 29G Cookie Cutter Setup but the problem will be finding a compatible species for the Jewel cichlid.


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## Habanero (Nov 20, 2013)

Jewel cichlids do not come out of any of the cichlid lakes (Malawi, tanganyika, or Victoria). They come from rivers. They are different from your mbunas, haps, and peacocks. Before I really knew anything about cichlids, I bought a 1.5in female jewel cichlid. She was in a tank with a male jewel. They were both white, with rainbow sparkles. As soon as I added her to my tank, she turned olive green with red lips and chin. After I did some research, I found these for $2.99 at a local fish store (I paid 5x that amount for mine).

These stay pretty small, so it should be just fine in your size tank. Mine is about 2.5in and I have had her for 4 months now. She does just fine in my tank, with other fish pushing 8in. I would rather not have her in my tank, but my kids adore the fish.

If you really want to keep the Jewel, then do some more research on them, and get some more for cheap. I have seen like 20 of them in a 20 gal at the fish store (not recommending those numbers to the tank size, just saying they are cheap and should be easy to find). If you are interested in learning and housing a variety of Cichlids in your tank, then it might be a good idea to empty the tank of fish, and get some tanganyika fish. Many of those stay small and grow slowly. Many look way cool and have unique body shapes, colors, patterns, and fin shapes. Their personalities are very engaging as well.

Be careful entertaining your interest in cichlids. You may end up with a 55 gallon, 75 gallon, or better yet, a 125 gallon tank, lol.


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