# Alright all you cichlid people....



## skubasteve! (Feb 14, 2007)

OK, so I have had my 125g for a few months now and finally got around to setting it all up. I have everything ready all I need to do is add water and cycle it. I wanted to get a fahaka puffer, but my gf says she would like me to do something with more than one fish (as all my other tanks have solo P's).
I kinda wanted to do a setup with a few oscars, but she thinks they are ugly. Now my question is, what kind of cichlids (not solo, more than one) would you put in a 125g if you had one? Keep in mind they must be readily available. I would like something aggressive, but can be kept with others, it can be one species, or multiple, is should be a colorful/stunning fish, and somewhat to very personable.
I dont know too much about cichlids hence me asking for your help/opinions.

Thanks in advance!


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## ChilDawg (Apr 30, 2006)

I'd look into doing a Malawi setup with _Labidochromis caeruleus_.


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## scent troll (Apr 4, 2005)

first rule with your fish tank is its your hobby, tell your girlfriend to find her own hobby. mine respects my tanks. she wont care for them, feed them, clean the tank so why the hell is she gonna bud in with what i should and shouldnt have.

anyways.....

a 125 with multiple cichlids...quite honestly the suggestions are too endless. i would simply research around for coexistable cichlids to share a living quarters and pick and choose your own. but choose YOUR own, not the girlfriends.


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## FEEFA (Nov 19, 2007)

a tank that size u could 15 malawins or africans in general
they come in a range of colors mix it up 2-3 of each urr girl will have a blast 
picking them all lol
they will be happiest with lots of caves and u can also add tinfoil barbs silver $s
plecos danios. uv got lots of options to make a great cichlid tank if u want to go 
that far with it good luck

i assume the tank is 6ft long


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## skubasteve! (Feb 14, 2007)

Yup its a standard 125g 6x1.5. Its not only her decision, I agree with her that I need a tank with a little more "action". What would yall suggest if I wanted just a few larger cichlid species? <4/5 fish?


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## maddyfish (Sep 16, 2006)

Angel community, severums (several colors available now), festivums, discus, or you could go africans ( no personality IMO).


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## maddyfish (Sep 16, 2006)

1x gold severum http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_severumm.php 
1x blue dempsey http://www.aquahobby.com/dempsey.html
1x zebra pleco http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_zebra.php
How about those for a start? You could try another severum in there as well, and the schooling fish of your choice as long as they are either fast, or 3.5". Or substitute another non-aggressive smaller than 15" catfish of your choice.


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## CichlidAddict (Jul 1, 2005)

Personally, if I was going to do a large aggressive mix in a 125 I'd try:
1 - Jag
1 - RD/Midas
1 - Texas
1 - Trimac (if you can find one)
1 - Red Terror

These will all reach 12" give or take a few inches and are all pretty aggressive. But if you get them all young and raise them together with lots of hiding spots and larger plants in the tank you'll probably be all right. I would avoid feeding live food if at all possible.
This would definitely not be a boring tank.
If my dovii ever bites the dust, I'm going to try a mix like this in my 240 (i'll probably add a few more fish in the mix though).

Good luck!!


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## ChilDawg (Apr 30, 2006)

I'd go with something else, catfish-wise...a standard plec might get a bit big after a while, but should be fine for a few years. A ZP is probably too expensive to risk in such a tank.


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## maddyfish (Sep 16, 2006)

CichlidAddict said:


> Personally, if I was going to do a large aggressive mix in a 125 I'd try:
> 1 - Jag
> 1 - RD/Midas
> 1 - Texas
> ...


That's quite a few big, aggressive fish in 6 ft tank.


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## scent troll (Apr 4, 2005)

maddyfish said:


> Personally, if I was going to do a large aggressive mix in a 125 I'd try:
> 1 - Jag
> 1 - RD/Midas
> 1 - Texas
> ...


That's quite a few big, aggressive fish in 6 ft tank.
[/quote]

i think that would work fine if you left out the RD


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## skubasteve! (Feb 14, 2007)

CichlidAddict said:


> Personally, if I was going to do a large aggressive mix in a 125 I'd try:
> 1 - Jag
> 1 - RD/Midas
> 1 - Texas
> ...


I like the look of the jag, and the red terror, but I dont care for the others.

Can more than one Jag live together? If so, how many in a 125? Is it worth trying to breed them? Are they readily available, and how much do they typically cost?

I also like the look of the red terrors, however I only like the look of the female as I am not a big fan of cichlids withe the "hump" b their head. Can they live together? How many? Is it hard to find a "true" red terror? Are they readily available, and how much do they typically cost?

Thanks again for all the responses so far. I would prefer not to keep any plecos or catfish.

What about Green Terrors and Jack Dempsys? I like the looks of both of those, can I keep multiple GT's or JD's in a tank? If so how many and which do you prefer?


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## CichlidAddict (Jul 1, 2005)

skubasteve! said:


> What about Green Terrors and Jack Dempsys? I like the looks of both of those, can I keep multiple GT's or JD's in a tank? If so how many and which do you prefer?


I left those off the list because they're not as aggressive as the ones I listed and would probably get beat up. BUT, if you wanted you could keep multiple JDs and GTs in a tank. You still might have a problem if a pair decides to breed, but it probably wouldn't end in dead fish like it would with jags or midas.
Hope that helps a little.


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## skubasteve! (Feb 14, 2007)

Thank you very much CichlidAddict, that helps alot.


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## Snake_Eyes (Jun 14, 2006)

From what I've read a lot of people that mix jags in a community setting do fine as long as the jag is not the king of the tank.


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## AKSkirmish (Jun 24, 2005)

Ocellatus2000 said:


> Personally, if I was going to do a large aggressive mix in a 125 I'd try:
> 1 - Jag
> 1 - RD/Midas
> 1 - Texas
> ...


That's quite a few big, aggressive fish in 6 ft tank.
[/quote]

i think that would work fine if you left out the RD
[/quote]

I believe it would be the trimac that gives the trouble......Not much stands up to the agression of a true trimac.....


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## ChilDawg (Apr 30, 2006)

That is true, and I think you'd be doing at least 30% PWCs weekly on that tank once (if?) they all grew up together. You might be better off chancing it with a cheap FH and hoping that the genes for aggression didn't show up as much.


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## skubasteve! (Feb 14, 2007)

I googled pics of the rest of the fish and I like the looks of these.

Texas, firemouth, JD's, and severums. I would also like to throw some tiger barbs in there....

One of each? Or how many of each of these could I do? Does M/F matter when putting these species together?

Thanks for the great help so far!


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## Alexraptor (Jan 30, 2003)

I say go for the oscars!
They are wonderful fish with great personalities.

So your girlfriend objects to them, heres the trick.

Buy young Oscars that are still fry/babies, of perhaps even better, take her with to pick the ones she likes best. Its infallible as they are extremely cute when their that young.


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## AKSkirmish (Jun 24, 2005)

skubasteve! said:


> I googled pics of the rest of the fish and I like the looks of these.
> 
> Texas, firemouth, JD's, and severums. I would also like to throw some tiger barbs in there....
> 
> ...


Tiger barbs wont last with the combo....The texas I would think would beat them all to hell in no time....
The other mixes sounds pretty solid though-


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## skubasteve! (Feb 14, 2007)

Could I do an all Texas? Or all firemouth? Or all JD tank? How many of each if i did that?


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## AKSkirmish (Jun 24, 2005)

I would just to due the combo you wanted minus the Barbs....

I like to overstock-
So I'll let other's help ya out on how many to stock with.....They will have a better realistic idea than I would ne how


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## skubasteve! (Feb 14, 2007)

AKSkirmish said:


> I would just to due the combo you wanted minus the Barbs....
> 
> I like to overstock-
> So I'll let other's help ya out on how many to stock with.....They will have a better realistic idea than I would ne how


With or without the Texas? Thanks AK.


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## AKSkirmish (Jun 24, 2005)

skubasteve! said:


> I would just to due the combo you wanted minus the Barbs....
> 
> I like to overstock-
> So I'll let other's help ya out on how many to stock with.....They will have a better realistic idea than I would ne how


With or without the Texas? Thanks AK.
[/quote]

With-
Can always remove if need be-


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## skubasteve! (Feb 14, 2007)

Alright, thanks for the quick responses AK. Much appreciated. Now I just have to get some numbers figured out!


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## AKSkirmish (Jun 24, 2005)

I would try to add some thing like some dithers to the tank-
Maybe some clown loachs for the bottom-
Maybe something along the line of some of the fancier pleco's that will go along with the setup-

But lets see what other's have to say also



skubasteve! said:


> Alright, thanks for the quick responses AK. Much appreciated. Now I just have to get some numbers figured out!


NP-


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