55G American cichlid stocking ideas

Joe1985

some ideas are needed for the stocking of american cichlids, im looking to get another 55g tank and if i do ill be stocking it with americans, im not really familiar with these cichlid types so i was wondering if anyone could give me any advice? and would any be compatable with angel fish? thanks for any help in advance :)

djembekah

North or South American? :)

Chesherca

It can be tricky stocking different types of cichlids, but it depends on how you go about things. I've read of people having a lot of success with angelfish and Bolivian rams. . . but all I keep are the rams, so do your research! Good luck! Always nice to see you around, glad things are going well!

jeaninel

Angelfish are South American cichlids so if you already have them you may want to stick to South American. Do you know what your water parameters are (Gh, Kh, Ph)? Generally South Americans prefer softer water and Centrals prefer more basic water but there can be some overlap.
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Byron

Will only mention our profiles, second tab from the left in the blue bar across the top, and many of the common Central and South American cichlids are included. That may help you to decide, as minimum tank sizes, water params, compatibility are included for each.

Assuming the tank is a 4-foot 55g, a group of 5 or 5 angelfish would basically fill it. But some of the dwarf species could be included, along with dither fish (upper level characins such as the medium-sized tetra with some exceptions), and some substrate fish such as a group of corys. All depends on the cichlids selected. Just keep in mind that a 55g is not a "large" tank when one is consider many of these cichlids, so fewer cichlids and more of the "dithers" is better for the fish.

Byron.

Joe1985

they dont have to go with my angels i can always move them to another tank, my water here is very soft, south or north i am unsure yet, basically i wanted to get an idea of what i could have in a tank my size n what goes with what and so on in peoples experiences with american cichlids, i am researching alot, i looked at the tabs :)

Joe1985

haha hello hello good to see you around too been busy of late but love this website oodles of knowledge and great ppl

Chesherca

It is a great place to learn - and babble about the fishy friends!

My only experience with cichlids is Bolivian Rams, but your soft water will be perfect for them - and all of the other cichlids from the area(s) you're looking into! ALL cichlids seem to be very intelligent, and can be a bit. . . snarky toward each-other, though I've had wonderful success keeping my little 'Livies.

If you want to see some images and read about my experiences with them to see if they might be a good match for you, you can check out my tank thread. It's gathered quite a few pages of pure babble by this point, so you'll have to scroll through a bit to find the images/videos that apply. I really have to update my tank tab - every tank on there has changed by this point!

I'm really happy to see you doing the research before you buy. Whatever fishies you end up with, I'm sure you'll do a great job with them! Happy hunting!