# The Best CA Cichlid for me



## Technqe (Sep 21, 2008)

Okay so here the situation i just got a 14G tank today so i need to know what type of cichlid would live comfortably in this tank [and i can't get a bigger tank at least not any time soon] I would like to get a fish that is territorial and similar to an Oscar.


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## SinisterKisses (Feb 24, 2004)

You really don't have any Central American options in a tank so small (at least, nothing that comes to mind at the moment). You'll need to think South American, something like apistos or rams.


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

Cryptoheros nanoluteus :thumb:

they usually stay around 3" or so, maybe a tad bigger.


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## Technqe (Sep 21, 2008)

so a JD is out of the question


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

Yes, a JD is out of the question.
BV


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## Technqe (Sep 21, 2008)

what size tank would be better for a firemouth, blood parrot or jack dempsey


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

Firemouth - 35g MINIMUM
Blood Parrot - 40g breeder
Jack Dempsey - 55g

you know male Dempseys get 8-10" on average right? and thats average, *** seen 12" males before.


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## Hubbynz (May 10, 2008)

you could easily get a Convict in there they are nice and territorial.......possibly pushing it for a pair though


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

what is the footprint of the tank? if it is only 24" long it would be cruel to put a convict in there.


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## jgentry (Jul 3, 2008)

I'm not sure how it's cruel to put a convict in a 24inch tank. As long as you keep your water clean and you fish are healthy it would be fine. Your best options would be a female convict, female cutteri, or a pair of dwarf SA cichlids.


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## Technqe (Sep 21, 2008)

Well I went to petsmart talked to the guy there and he said 2 convicts will be fine so that's what i ended up getting. I'll post pictures when i have the setup done.


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## bitteraspects (Oct 1, 2007)

apparently the clerk was not so "petsmart" :lol:

rams probably would have been your best bet


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## Technqe (Sep 21, 2008)

so do you think the two convicts would be a problem


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## bitteraspects (Oct 1, 2007)

eventually, yes. they can grow to around 4in ea


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## Technqe (Sep 21, 2008)

whatever when they get to big i'll trade them in.


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## Technqe (Sep 21, 2008)

I'm finished with the setup and here are some pictures of the cons and the tank.










































also I don't know much about cichlids or fish for that matter but is it to early to tell what gender they are and if it isn't can some one let me know please


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## SinisterKisses (Feb 24, 2004)

Looks like two females to me. The tank will get too small for them both pretty quickly. Personally, I feel even keeping one in there as an adult is much too small of a tank. Females do get about 4" or slightly bigger, but males easily reach 6" or a bit more.


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

It's gonna be hard to trade in a Convict. They're probable the most common cichlid in the hobby and the most proliffic(arguably) . Unless you have a friend that would want them your probably gonna be stuck with them.

And yup that's two females. At least they cant reproduce.


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## Technqe (Sep 21, 2008)

Any second opinions on the gender [not saying your not right SinisterKissest just want to be sure]


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

the orange patches on the sides is a dead give-away.


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## Hubbynz (May 10, 2008)

I think you would get away with one con in there although the tank looks rather narrow.


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## BigJagLover (Oct 25, 2006)

That 14 gallon looks like it has the same footprint as a standard 10 galoon. If this is the case then you realy don't have room for even a female. Unless your into the whole cram as much fish in as possible thing.

By the way incase you don't know the measurements of a standard 10 gallon the footprint is 20 "x8" and i'm not sure but I think it's 10" high. Some one help me out on this ine please.

With all that being said though, Nice female convits. They will probibly start laying eggs soon if they like each other. females do that from time to time. Nice pick up's.


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## crotalusfan (Jun 21, 2008)

They are definitely both females. How big are they? I'm guessing pretty small if that is only a 14 gal. And yes it is too small for them. Especially when one or both start laying eggs, and then trying to protect said eggs. Good luck.


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## LJ (Sep 12, 2007)

> Personally, I feel even keeping one in there as an adult is much too small of a tank.


I agree the tank is too small. But is it really _much _too small? I think a 20L would be fine for a pair, let alone a single female.

Most of us want our fish to be happy, but I think we on this forum are often too zealous in our tank size recommendations. Certainly bigger is better, but there is a trade off between recommending large tanks and discouraging people who are new to the hobby. If we come off as unreasonable elitists we run the risk of newcomers rejecting truly valuable advice.


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## addicted2cichlid (Apr 8, 2008)

lookin at it it looks like a 10 gal with some extra height.... i dont know why u went and bought the convicts before asking about them... listening to 98% of petsmart employees about fish is not a good move. did they blow into the fish bag before rubberbanding it? (no offense to the 6 people who work there (world wide) that know there fish)

there is "cookie cutter" tank suggestions in the library on this site... def some good ideas in there for 10 gal set-ups, insert your 14 gallon tank and take it from there. ideas where the fish will live happily.

def females.


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## phishes (May 17, 2005)

addicted2cichlid said:


> lookin at it it looks like a 10 gal with some extra height.... i dont know why u went and bought the convicts before asking about them... listening to 98% of petsmart employees about fish is not a good move. did they blow into the fish bag before rubberbanding it? (no offense to the 6 people who work there (world wide) that know there fish)
> 
> there is "cookie cutter" tank suggestions in the library on this site... def some good ideas in there for 10 gal set-ups, insert your 14 gallon tank and take it from there. ideas where the fish will live happily.
> 
> def females.


Good advise. Pet smart often gives wrong info on fish. A 14g will not work in the long term, and there may have some aggression issues in the future. A lot of beginners buy what they want, but don't think about what's best for the animal. 
A good Pet smart cichlid for a 14g is a blue ram. They are beautiful, and get about 3''. You could also add some guppies or neons.


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## marge618 (Mar 12, 2006)

phishes said:


> addicted2cichlid said:
> 
> 
> > lookin at it it looks like a 10 gal with some extra height.... i dont know why u went and bought the convicts before asking about them... listening to 98% of petsmart employees about fish is not a good move. did they blow into the fish bag before rubberbanding it? (no offense to the 6 people who work there (world wide) that know there fish)
> ...


------------------------------------

The footprint of your tank is used to determine what fish will work in the long term. Many people new to the hobby mistakenly think that the size (gallons) is the measurement used. Since cichlids need room to move the footprint *length and width *of the tank is what matters most. Thus, as the footprint of your tank is that of a 10g, and you want cichlids, stock the tank using the 10g 'cookie cutter' suggestions in the Cichlid-Forum library.

Try a Bolivian Ram. They are hardier than Blue Rams.

Endlers, freshwater red cherry shrimp, and taiwan moss with driftwood, heater and a sponge filter would be another good idea for your 14G set up. Then you could look at the 'cookie cutter' suggestions...find the *cichlid you want*... and plan a second tank based on that.

MTS (multiple tank syndrom) Have fun. :thumb: Most of us started with one tank.

There's a great Cichlid Club in Georgia. They just hosted the American Cichlid Association (ACA) Convention 2008 in Atlanta. Contact them. http://www.atlantaaquarium.com/


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## Technqe (Sep 21, 2008)

That good because I live about 20 minutes away from Atlanta


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## staples2485 (Aug 13, 2007)

hey i use to work at petsmart and im now a marine biologist! :lol:


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

> hey i use to work at petsmart and im now a marine biologist!


Good switch! :thumb: :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## sjlchgo (Mar 2, 2008)

What did you ever do with the convicts? I too believe that you will need at a minimum 30 gal for a pair.


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