# New Tank Ready for Fish



## cessna1466u (Jul 21, 2012)

Hello Everyone, completely new to the Cichlid scene and honestly to the aquarium scene. My wife thought it would be a good idea to get into the hobby tot try and release some of the stress I have been going through lately. To my surprise it has helped tremendously. I found a decently priced 36gal bow front with hood. Added some Blue LED's to it and make my own stand. I purchased some hardscapes, painted the background black. Installed the filter, wave maker and bubbler, heater, heater controller, light timer. Removed the bubbler, heater controller and switched the light timer settings. So now its been cycling for a couple of days and according to my local store I am ready to purchase fish. I want cichlids and I am pretty sure I wand African. My question is what do I start with. I want some color but I also don't want them to fight and be too aggressive. I want to be able to purchase these at a local store and I know there is no way for you guys to know what my stores have but just an idea would be good. I have 2 very well stocked stores near me. I also have some of the chain brand stores. My other question is mixture of fish. I hear from some of you that you have cichlids and also plecos or other types of fish. I asked my local store and he said no way, just cichlids because of the high PH levels. Is this really true? how do you guys get other fish in your tank?


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## DrTenochtitlan (Jun 17, 2012)

The first and most important thing we need to know are the dimensions of your tank. The key to most cichlids tanks is length, not height, because most of them are territorial. A 36 gallon bow front will be pretty small for cichlids, regardless. That said, you will have some options.


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## cessna1466u (Jul 21, 2012)

Thanks for the quick reply. I know I will be limited but we don't have that much space and I didn't want to get into a huge tank for my first set up. Here are the dimension. I figure a max of about 5 fish. 17"L x 31-3/4"W


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## DrTenochtitlan (Jun 17, 2012)

Ok, I'm just beginning to work on my first Cichlid tank myself, but since it's the length that matters, I'm guessing you'll have the same profile as a 20 Long or 29 gallon tank. First, I would start by looking at the "Cookie Cutter" setups they have for those two tanks. A lot (though not all) of your options will be limited to small, shell dwelling species, but they have a lot of personality and some really unique traits. Alternatively, I saw someone on here earlier discussing a species-only tank of Saulosi. I don't know if your bowfront would be too small for them, but the males are beautiful blue with black bars, and the females are yellow, so you'd have good color. You'd need to get 1m/4f, and your best bet would be to go to a local fish store (LFS) for that. Before you do that, however, I'd check with someone more experienced than I to see if the Saulosi will even work in your tank.

Here's the link to the 20 Long "cookie cutter":
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/cookie_cutter_20g.php

Here's the link to the 29 gallon "cookie cutter". You have all the same options as the 20 Long, plus these additional options:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/cookie_cutter_29g.php

Here's a link to the species profile on Psuedotropheus saulosi:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1

and the species article on the Saulosi:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/p_saulosi.php


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## DrTenochtitlan (Jun 17, 2012)

Here's a link to another relevant thread on Saulosi in a 29 gallon:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=246481


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## Storiwyr (Apr 24, 2012)

Bristlenose Plecos can be kept with Cichlids usually, as long as they are adapted to the conditions slowly. Whether or not it works is usually dependent on the temperament of the fish you end up getting rather than on water chemistry. You said you had it cycling for a couple of days? Usually cycling takes weeks. One thing you will want to get into this hobby is your own testing kit, preferably a liquid test kit rather than strips. That way you can check at home what your levels are for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH. There's a good article in the library here:

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/f ... _cycle.php

The whole thing can be a little overwhelming at first, but it's totally worth it!

The important thing to know with tanks is what Dr. Tenochtitlan said ... it's about length, and floor space for Cichlids because they are territorial and many of them prefer the bottom of the tank. Don't hesitate to ask questions here, people are very friendly and there's a ton of information and advice to be had.

One thing I would suggest is that you do most of your own research and ask around here, and kind of know what you want before you speak to people at a fish store. There are a ton of different kinds of fish that all have different needs and different compatibilities, and with Cichlids especially it seems that personality makes a difference as well--what works for one person may not work for another. The result of this is that it would be hard for a fish store employee to know everything about all the fish they have to carry to make a profit and stay solvent. Sometimes you will get bad information, whether it's intentional or not, so always take it with a grain of salt.

(Also, shell dwellers are amazingly fun. That's MY personal plug!  )


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## DrTenochtitlan (Jun 17, 2012)

> One thing you will want to get into this hobby is your own testing kit, preferably a liquid test kit rather than strips. That way you can check at home what your levels are for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH.


I've been doing my own research on here for about the last five weeks, and I can save you some time by telling you that almost everyone seems to recommend the API Freshwater Master Test Kit (the liquid test kit) as the best. You can find it for around $20-25 or so at a variety of retailers.


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## Michael_M (May 31, 2012)

With that size tank I'd definitely be more inclined to try out some tangs, they are very interesting to watch and you aren't limited to a single species.


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## cessna1466u (Jul 21, 2012)

"(Also, shell dwellers are amazingly fun. That's MY personal plug! "

I have seen these shell dwellers, are they compatible with the African Cichlids I see at the stores? Like the jack dempsey, peacocks, and electric yellows? the kids would love them.


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## cessna1466u (Jul 21, 2012)

See here again I was led wrong by the store guy, (maybe I should find another store). I did purchase a test kit, it is only the PH level test though. When I asked him about the all in one kit with 6 bottles he said I would need that. Weird since you would thing he would want to sell me something more expensive. I will go back and get the entire kit today. As far as the Tangs they are very cool looking, the problem I see is getting them. I don't think they are available locally. I think I might need to order them online, and that is going to get pricy from what I have seen with shipping.


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

Find out if there is a Cichlid club close to you, good place to get fish, or maby try a want add here on this site


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## cessna1466u (Jul 21, 2012)

Thanks Fusion, great Idea. I'm sure there is a club somewhere in the pacific northwest. There is a guy on craigslist selling a bunch of various cichlids for $10 each. I will check with him.


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

Just make sure your tank is cycled before you put any fish in, you dont want to spend money on fish and have them sick or die


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## cessna1466u (Jul 21, 2012)

Will do, what about this "magic juice" that the pet store is trying to sell me that I can put in with the fish and not worry about cycling the tank?


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

Thats probably Dechlorinator, you need it but it dont help cycle the tank, you can buy "magic juice" to help cycle, Dr Tim one of the site sponsors has a product.

Better to do it the fishless cycle way, storiwyr gave you the link in a previous post ^^^^


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## Storiwyr (Apr 24, 2012)

Cessna, I see you're in Washington State. Dawg2012 and I are both in Portland, OR. There are places you can easily get shellies here if Portland isn't too far a drive for you ... I have a Tang tank with multies in it, Dawg has multies and Ocellatus in various tanks. If you need some store names, drop me a PM.


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## cessna1466u (Jul 21, 2012)

Thanks Storiwyr, I was just in Portland over the weekend. We went to the Zoo then to Rockaway beach to do some crabbing with the kids. I do want some address, I will PM you. When you say you have a Tang tank with Multies you mean multi varities of cichlids?


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## Storiwyr (Apr 24, 2012)

cessna1466u said:


> "(Also, shell dwellers are amazingly fun. That's MY personal plug! "
> 
> I have seen these shell dwellers, are they compatible with the African Cichlids I see at the stores? Like the jack dempsey, peacocks, and electric yellows? the kids would love them.


In the size of tank you have, the species/types you name would not work very well. Jack Dempseys are also not Africans (I don't think?) and have different needs for water parameters. Shellies have all a ton of attitude, and in that length of tank, you might be able to keep Cyps as well. My 75gallon Tang tank currently has multies and Cyps, although later it will have some other species as well ... it's already fun to watch!






There's a short clip of my tank ... ignore the random Sheryl Crow in the background and my lack of filming skills, I still haven't figured out this newfangled smart phone business.  "Multies" are sort of the pet name hobbyists use for Lamprologus multifasciatus, which is a species of shell dweller. 

As for the magic petstore juice ... I have come to the conclusion, though others may have differing opinions ... that you should never trust a product that claims to instant-cycle your tank. It just doesn't seem to work that way. Sometimes you can use a reputable product (like Dr. Tim's) as an emergency method when you have an already stocked tank that either loses its cycle or else was never cycled in the first place because you didn't know it needed to be. The best situation for your fish is going to be to cycle it BEFOREhand. You can try using a product like Dr. Tim's to speed it up significantly ... that's what I'm going to be doing with the 20g I'm setting up right now. But it won't instant cycle.

One thing you should always have in the back of your mind is that a fish store/pet store is a business. Sometimes (not ALL the time, but sometimes) you will run into people who will tell you wrong information because they think they can make more money that way. Just keep it in the back of your head.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

A quick word of advice...

Some stores will tell you that whatever fish you're interested in will work in your size tank. The big monopoly stores have every cichlid labeled with a minimum tank size of 29 gallons, which isn't the case with any of their fish. Come here for stocking suggestions- sometimes it's not what you want to hear, but you'll be getting REAL info to start you off with the best chance of success.

Also, without any established media, there is no way you're tank is cycled. While you're checking tank water parameters, check your tap water as well. Look for any ammonia or nitrates right out of the faucet(hopefully 0), and your pH.

You are limited with your size tank, but there are still plenty of possibilities to get some sweet fish for your family to enjoy. It may seem a bit overwhelming to start, but doing your homework is key.

Good luck


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