New to keeping dwarf cichlids

[Angel1]

Hi. I am in new waters here. I have kept salwater fish for years but now I want to keep dwarf cichlids. I know next to nothing but what I am reading everywhere so I need every bit of help I can get.

I purchased a used tank, (was being used for saltwater but I have cleaned it all up and she is ready for fresh), tank is a 200 gallon with 2 built in overflows and a 30 gallon sump, nothing fancy about it though, just in the water, bioballs, and heaters, thats it.

Lots of questions but here it goes, hope you can help. Thanks
1) What type (sand or grave), and what coloring (light or dark) of substrate is best for the Ramirez dwarf or the borelli?

2) Can I keep both of the above species in the same tank?

3) The water coming back into the tank from the sump comes in quite strong. Is this going to bother the dwarfs?

4) I want to set up the tank so it is heavily planted with lots of "homes" for the dwarfs. I will also have some dither fish in there, such as neons, maybe hatchet fish, not sure what else. Any ideas?

5) What type of filtration set-up other that what I have would you all recommend for this big of a tank and the fish I want to keep?

6) Do I need to use Peat?

Thanks for all of the help, sorry to ask so many questions at once but I just want to make sure I have the perfect setup before adding anything. Thanks

 

[Neil]

Angel1,

WELCOME TO THE FORUM

1) What type (sand or grave), and what coloring (light or dark) of substrate is best for the Ramirez dwarf or the borelli?

Kind of depends on what you like the looks of. People use all different types of substrate. I use natural colored sand an small-grained gravel.

2) Can I keep both of the above species in the same tank?

You can keep more than those 2 species in that sized tank, but easily groups of those 2.

3) The water coming back into the tank from the sump comes in quite strong. Is this going to bother the dwarfs?

It is not ideal to have a high-flow situation for these types of fish. You could reduce the size of the return pump or disperse the water as it comes into the tank.

4) I want to set up the tank so it is heavily planted with lots of "homes" for the dwarfs. I will also have some dither fish in there, such as neons, maybe hatchet fish, not sure what else. Any ideas?

Sounds like it will be a great home for Dwarf Cichlids. The possibilities are endless with other fish that could be housed in this tank. Perhaps if you don't get sufficient response to this question here, you could try posting the question in the planted tank forum below. Those guys have tons of great ideas of utility fish and fish that just look good in a planted tank. They speak from experience.

5) What type of filtration set-up other that what I have would you all recommend for this big of a tank and the fish I want to keep?

If you are planning a planted tank, you should not need to overdo the filtration. Plants don't particularly like alot of water movement either. Here again is another one to post in The Planted Tank. Unless you have a heavy bio load, which it doesn't sound like you will, you don't need any kind of filtration that equals what you are used to in Salt Water or Reef aquaria.

6) Do I need to use Peat?

Not really with the kind of fish that you are choosing. But it is certainly an option if you want help in maintaining a lower pH.

Thanks for all of the help, sorry to ask so many questions at once but I just want to make sure I have the perfect setup before adding anything.

That is very smart of you. It is always a good idea to research and carefully proceed before you jump into something new. With this approach, you are likely to succeed in your efforts and get the maximum enjoyment out of your efforts. Good luck,
Neil

 

[Randall]

Dear Angel,

Welcome to dwarf cichlids, and welcome to the forum. You're an angel for wanting to do your homework before taking home any fish!

Others here will be posting information for you here, I'm sure. I'll give your questions my best shot.


Hi. I am in new waters here. I have kept salwater fish for years but now I want to keep dwarf cichlids. I know next to nothing but what I am reading everywhere so I need every bit of help I can get.

There are several good dwarf cichlids books available. Linke & Staeck's American Cichlids I - Dwarf Cichlids, Tetra-Press 1994, is a little dated, but it contains good basic dwarf cichlid information.

I purchased a used tank, (was being used for saltwater but I have cleaned it all up and she is ready for fresh), tank is a 200 gallon with 2 built in overflows and a 30 gallon sump, nothing fancy about it though, just in the water, bioballs, and heaters, thats it.

Lots of questions but here it goes, hope you can help. Thanks
1) What type (sand or grave), and what coloring (light or dark) of substrate is best for the Ramirez dwarf or the borelli?

For many dwarfs, a light colored fine substrate is preferable; either a coarse sand, fine (pea) gravel or 1mm industrial quartz. Your local retailer should be able to help you.

2) Can I keep both of the above species in the same tank?

Yes, and then some. In a 200-gallon tank, you could keep a baby whale! Seriously, with a tank that size and the appropiate plantings, decorations (wood & rocks) and cave structures, you could house several pairs or trios of dwarf cichlids, and each would be able to have its own territory.

3) The water coming back into the tank from the sump comes in quite strong. Is this going to bother the dwarfs?

Dwarf cichlids generally keep to the bottom third of the aquarium. In a 200-gallon tank, the current in the lower water column should be suitable for the fish. If not, can you position the inflow in a matter that would create the least amount of turbulence?

4) I want to set up the tank so it is heavily planted with lots of "homes" for the dwarfs. I will also have some dither fish in there, such as neons, maybe hatchet fish, not sure what else. Any ideas?

Again, given the tank's size, either one or both would be just fine. If you like, you could also look into a pencil fish species (my personal favorite), but any of the small tetras and/or hatchet fish should do it. Please be careful not to overstock with dithers. They have a way of picking off dwarf cichlid fry.

5) What type of filtration set-up other that what I have would you all recommend for this big of a tank and the fish I want to keep?

If your set up can be fitted for mechanical filtration, in addition to the biological filtration you already have, that would help to keep your water crystal clear. If not, a canister filter could be used. I'd recommend either the Eheim or ViaAqua brands.

6) Do I need to use Peat?

I don't know your tap water parameters. If your water is moderately soft to moderately hard, that should be fine for A. borellii, A. cacatuoides and Microgeophagus altispinosa (the Bolivian ram). For the true soft water species, either added RO water or peat conditioned water would be beneficial, especially for breeding.

Thanks for all of the help, sorry to ask so many questions at once but I just want to make sure I have the perfect setup before adding anything.

It's our pleasure!

Please don't forget to look into West African dwarf cichlids too! For further information concerning some of these magnificent species, please refer to the "African & West African" forum.

Good luck!

Randall Kohn

 

[farm41]

Welcome Angel1,

Glad to see you here.

A. Borellii and M. Ramerizi would make excellent tankmates. Maybe some A. cacatuoides too. Could I suggest cardinals and rummy nose as an alternative to neons. My rummy nose always stay schooled up even with only 8 of them in my 75.

What are your water parameters?

How about you start another post in the 'The Planted Aquarium' forum and we get started on many of the issues specific to planted tanks. A 200g planted tank, that's something I can only dream about right now.

 

[tjudy]

8O 200 gallon planted tank!!! Lots of Apon. ulvaceous... big ones! :wink:

You might be able to hook up with the Coca-Cola distributer to deliver the CO2... :lol: daily... (just kidding)

A 200 gallon tank with dwarves and plants will be the envy of all.... Good luck! Let us know how we can help.

 

[aspen]

>>'A 200 gallon tank with dwarves and plants will be the envy of all.... '

you bet.

you can read my comments on your venture in the planted section, but i would caution you not to overstock that tank with dwarfs. apisto rules ime, are not the same as for africans. deliberately overstocking doesn't work that well. you can keep a LOT more apistos in 20- 10 gal tanks than you can in one 200 gal.

rick

 

[Angel1]

Thanks for all of the help

I am not quite sure I understand why I would be able to keep alot more Apistos in 20-10 gallon tanks than in the one 200. Could you explain further?

This group has been more than helpful and everyone seems extremely nice. Thank you for all of the help and quick responses.

 

[Neil]

Angel1,
Rick has a very good point here. No matter how dense the plants are in your tank or how well partitioned it is with various types of structure, it is still open territory. The walls of the tank are the only "real" boundry. In the wild fish have a much larger area to forage for food, hunt for mates and establish territories. A 10gal territory can only be 20"x10", but in a 200, one pair may have a 36"x24" territory. Remember the groundspace is the important issue, because that is the part of the tank that apistos occupy. There is alot more ground space in 20-10g. tanks, than there is in a 200. Even though they hold the same amount of water.
Neil

 

[Angel1]

I got it!

Thanks for the explanation. That makes perfect sense. I understand completely now.

So how would you suggest I go about adding the fish, once the tank is ready of course.

My hopeful list is

Ramirez
Borelli
Kribs (maybe)
Rummy Nose
Black neons (maybe)
Corys

As far as the dwarfs go, am I to understand that I should have a trio, 1 male and 2 females?

Thanks

 

[aspen]

some dwarfs do well harem style, others are pair bonders. a friend bought 6 rams, 3 male 3 female. they all paired off in his 100 gal tank (5 foot long), and one pair, the one who nested in the middle of the tank, were pestered so bad from the pairs on either side, that he had to give them away (to me). the other 2 pairs did well in their space. i have bought 3 rams together (1 male, 2 females) and invariably the pair will drive the third away, and will actually kill the second female if you don't catch the situation in time.

digital boy, (dimitri) gave me 3 extra female cacatoides yesterday (thanks dimitri.) they came from 2 tanks in his house, a 25 and a 10 gal, and they were raised from his old pair. his 25 now has 4 females, and 1 male, a really nice set-up. i liked this style so much that i combined the 3 females he gave me with my own pair of cacatoides, and the 5 fish are in my 35 gal planted tank with 3 golden dwarf bushynose plecos, 12 beckford's pencil fish and 7 hatchets. this is a great set-up, and i plan to leave it this way for a good while.

fish combining is an art, esp cichlids. they will get along then something changes, and they have problems, and you need to step in and change the tank dynamics. as long as you stick with less agressive dwarfs, it will be an easier time for you. i would stay away from viejitas in a community style set-up. (i had a bad experience.) ime, cacatoides, if given the room should do ok, with the rams and maybe the borelli's. but the key will be to have it jam packed with plants, and provide lots of places for the little guys to call home. some apistos prefer different habitats to others. example: rams are open spawners and like to claim a sword leaf or piece of slate, while most apistos prefer caves, which can be made from a variety of different things.

you will likely need a couple of 'support tanks', ie, tanks to pull different fish when they start acting up, and for fish that don't seem to fit the tank dynamics at the moment. at least, that is my experience. i like to grow out my new plants in 20 or 30 gallon tanks, and to quarentine them for snails. these are often housing fish that don't fit in.

warning: keeping dwarfs is ADDICTIVE. they are very cool fish.

rick