uncharted waters (for me anyway)

[Bandit]

I've kept several freshwater tanks in my time and i want to try moving into the land of dwarf cihlids, i know a fair bit about fresh water tropical fish in general but nothing much about cichlids. Im gonna get a new tank (hopefully) for the cichlids, what is a nice size tank for dwarf cichlids? i dont have unlimited money so anyone please recommend a tank that isnt gonna cost me hundreds and hundreds of $$$$$(well pounds, but i take it you are all in the usa so when in Rome) What are good first timer dwarf cichlids and how big do the average ones get? Basically any info you can give on dwarf cichlids, any useful links would be appreciated aswell.

Thanks for your help

 

[Bissot_J]

hi,

i will suggest a 20 to 25 gallons tanks
with A. cactuoides or A. borelli who i think is the Apisto who support better , a non very top water quality (doesn't mean they will support anything ) but they support ph around 7.

 

[Neil]

Bandit,

WELCOME TO THE FORUM

Glad you are persuing an interest in Dwarf Cichlids. I think that you will find them very rewarding, if not frustrating at times. However, you can mitigate some of the potential problems by research. Looks like that is what you are doing.
Bissot_Js' post was a little difficult to understand, but I think that he is suggesting that a 20-25g. tank with cacatuoides or borellii would be a good first choice. They can tolerate diverse water conditions, but will be fine (and may breed) in neutral (7.0pH) tap water. I agree.
As far as links, this (The Dwarf Cichlid Forum) would be my first choice. You can find a ton of information here via the search at the top. However, there is also much information accessible on the net. Try a google search for Apistogramma.
Neil