# Tropical tank conversion ???



## tekjunkie28 (May 5, 2012)

I think I have made up my mind and will start a Cichlid tank. I currently have a fiddler crab, chinese algae eater and 2 Glofish. I also have a sunfire? molly in another tank awaiting a new home. The molly actually was aggressive and was ramming the Glofish and killing them afaik as I only actually saw this once. She has been fine in her 1.5 gal tank alone so idk what her problem was. 

So down to business, my setup:
20gal tall 
aquaclear 30 filter (thought about getting a canister)
API master test kit
50 watt heater
and a stick on the tank thermometer

Can I put some small Cichlids in with the danios and will the Danios (Glofish) survive in a Cichlid environment? If not ill just take them back to pet store and get something that will live with them as I would love to have a diverse tank.

Do you recommend a Canister filter or is the AC30 enough? yes the AC30 is loud but the tank is in the living room with 2 Monitor Audio RX 6's so its a non issue *pc 

Also can i mix and match south american and african Cichlids?

I have some pictures of my tank in my gallery. So i read up on the fiddler crab and it says he will probably die so I really have no way to take properly care of him. Just purchased the test kit last night and will take reading here in a few hrs. Help me plz lol


----------



## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

No you can't mix cichlids like that. The only ones that would fit is probably a pair of dwarfs, which I would suggest read up on them as many require low ph.

Some dwarfs can co exist with some danios no problem, but read up on them well. Get a 100 watt heater, it would keep the temp more stable. Why do you have problems with fiddlers, I have had mine for 2 years and still going strong.


----------



## tekjunkie28 (May 5, 2012)

LOL wow fiddlers for 2 years? Whos his tank mates and what kind of environment? If i take out the danios will the fiddler crab be OK with cichlids? And what other do u recommend beside dwarfs if I dont keep the danios?


----------



## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

You can keep most top to mid dwellers with dwarfs as long as they require the same parameters. Just in a 20 you don't want to have to many.

I would doubt a crab will last long in there because they need places to where they can get out of the water and do eventually require brackish water. I keep mine in a 20 long with about 3 to 4 inches of water and a beach on one end.


----------



## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

I've never kept a crab, but I assume they like the bottom. So do dwarf cichlids. Territorial creatures don't share well.
In a twenty, you could have one or two dwarf cichlids - no more. The only Africans would be West Africans. You could put a pair of kribs (P pulcher), or two Bolivian rams. There isn't much else commonly available that would work.

You will have to beware of the Chinese algae eater though - it is also a bottom loving territorial fish, and may go after the cichlids. 

Glo-fish are genetically modified zebras. I don't know how other fish would react to their luminous colours - it's illegal to sell them where I am and I've never bothered to watch them to see.


----------



## tekjunkie28 (May 5, 2012)

they look neat but are less hardy then what i remember with my other zebras. 
when u say dwarf, what exactly do u mean?

I may only have them in the 20 gal for short time as im looking at getting a bigger tank but dont want to pay a ton.


----------



## Fearmancer (Apr 24, 2011)

I would suggest rehoming the Chinese Algae Eater as it will get WAY too big (12" or so) for that tank very quickly. They are also VERY aggressive and territorial in adulthood. I've mistakenly bought two of them and within 6 months grew from 1" to 8", they killed 4 of my swords and constantly chased the remainder.


----------



## tekjunkie28 (May 5, 2012)

Fearmancer said:


> I would suggest rehoming the Chinese Algae Eater as it will get WAY too big (12" or so) for that tank very quickly. They are also VERY aggressive and territorial in adulthood. I've mistakenly bought two of them and within 6 months grew from 1" to 8", they killed 4 of my swords and constantly chased the remainder.


I plan on it... I have been doing some more reading and have decided it will go for african Cichlids and do about 3 to 5 of them.. maybe some corys depending on which of the smaller cichlids I get. Would the aquaclear 30 filter be enough?


----------



## Fearmancer (Apr 24, 2011)

Well you are gonna be pushing the stocking level so I would suggest planting your aquarium, but seeing how some cichlids don't do well with plants (they tear them up) I would look into it first. Plants will take a huge load off the water column and provide cover for the less aggressives. The filter size should be fine but you want a filter with a bio-wheel to give your bio-filtration a big boost.


----------



## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

If you are going for malawi cichlids, plants are their food, and there is little they can't chew.

In general terms, a dwarf cichlid is a fish that maxes at under 12 cm. Very few east African lakes cichlids qualify. Other than Tanganyikan shell dwellers, there aren't any I would keep in a 20. They are quite aggressive.
Malawis need to be crowded, behaviorally, but you have to do a lot of water changes since they are herbivores. 

If you have been doing reading, you should realize that you cannot keep corys with African lakes cichlids. They would be slaughtered. 
Unless you have large large tanks, only African lake cichlids can be kept with African lake cichlids. That's it, that's all. They are fascinating, wonderful fish, but they fight.


----------



## tekjunkie28 (May 5, 2012)

Huh, well shoot. I figured the africans were less aggressive. Who are these ppl putting Cichlids in tanks with tetra then? or is that for LARGE tanks. 

How long can I keep these fish in a small tank? I have even thought about putting JD's in there for a short time period... A 55gal is my goal, I just cant do it right now but I would like to go ahead and purchase fish at this time.

Is there a article you can point me to that would answer a lot of my ?'s as I probably am just going to have tons more?


----------

