While these dwarf cichlids would seem to be perfect for a community tank, it’s usually not recommended. Source(s): btw neither is a dwarf cichlid. Before you begin your fish keeping journey, you’ll need to know what fish to choose for your aquarium and how many fish can live in a 20-gallon tank. On average, a 20 gallon tank is approx 24 – 30″ long and about 12″ wide depending on if you have a standard or long tank. The Pterophyllum scalare subspecies, in particular, were bred extensively to develop many wonderful colors and patterns.. Also, because cichlids like to hide amongst rocks, a long, low, horizontal tank would be better than a tall, thin, vertical tank. Angelfish. However, I believe that most dwarfs are highly adaptable and will thrive in many different types of environments as long as they are complex environments. The tank that you keepyour Cichlid will be their habitat while they grow up. However, it would not be practical to keep a few peacocks in your 30-gallon as most cichlids species only get along with their own kind. There really aren´t allot of cichlids suitable for a 20 gallon fish tank, most get pretty big. Thereare three aspects of this step that you need to keep in mind: Convict Cichlid (Amatitlania nigrofasciata) – Though these cichlids are fairly easy to care for, they can be quite aggressive and tend to do best in a single species tank. Knowing this, if you have fish that is 6″ long when full-grown, then it only has 18″ to swim back and forth and will only 6″ in tank width to turn around. Always take into account the size of the fish species before stocking up. Contrary to many sources (and even some aquarium stores), these are not small cichlids, and they need to be kept in groups of five or six fish. A 20-gallon tank is ideal for a beginner to the hobby and offers lots of exciting options. Plan on getting a tank that is at least 29 gallons (109.78 liters), although a 50 gallon (189.27 liters) tank would be better. This is a great practice and I have had great success when trying to reproduce natural habitats. When I was a kid, we moved an aggressive pair to a 5 gallon tank. If you mean some sort of the dwarf species like or example Kribs or Rams you could have like a pair of each, plus some other fish like a dwarf dwarf gourami or a school of tetras. You could easily fit a small group of 4 or even 5 of some kinds in a 38 gallon. The first thing that you need todo is to buy an appropriate tank for housing your Cichlid. Please carefully research your options and their individual care. Yellows grow up to 5+ inches and with proper care, tank raised convicts can get up to 4+ inches. The natural habitats of dwarf cichlids vary widely and many aquarists try to duplicate natural habitats in their tanks. A 10- or 20-gallon aquarium is sufficient for their needs. My wild ones are over 5 inches. Generally, a decent group of fish will only need about 20 gallons of space. The majority of these micro African cichlid species hail from Lake Tanganyika in East Africa. Here are some 10 gallon cookie cutter stockings, only thing wrong is the suggestion of zebra danios in a school of 4, and in a 10 gallon (way too small for these fish, they get really nippy in schools under 6-8 and tanks under 2ft) An aquarium of that size enables you to keep a range of freshwater fish, living plants, and invertebrates, too. Dwarf cichlid still have the parental instincts of their species, but are much easier to care for, especially in a large tank. How Many African Cichlids Can You Put in A 30-Gallon Tank? Because of their small size, you don’t need a huge tank to keep Apistogramma happy. ... and easy care are understatements for the convict cichlid. Many cichlids will grow to recognize their owners and will become excited at the sight of them. Pelvicachromis pulcher (African) At three to four inches when fully grown, this fish is also classified … My colony is kept in a 20-gallon high tank. The Ramirezi is a small South American dwarf cichlid. (I currently have a 55 gallon freshwater planted community tank, a 20 gallon hex goldfish tanks and a 2.5 gallon natural planted tank that houses 1 male betta.) Pseudomugil gertrudae. Given the rule above, you can have anywhere from four (4) medium-sized cichlid like the peacock, to six (6) dwarf African cichlids in a 30-gallon tank. Also, ensure that your aquarium environment fits the species of fish you want to bring in. While Dwarf Cichlids are generally peaceful, males may quarrel over territory, especially if they have a mate. As a sidenote, the bigger you choose, the better. In fact, we recommend going with a tank size closer to 30 gallons. While I wouldn't reccomend Dwarf Ram cichlids due to fragility, for example, some species of Apistogramma cichlids tend to be hardier and easier for a new keeper to keep. You should have no more than one inch of full-grown fish for every two gallons of water in your tank. Dwarf cichlids, although closely related to their larger cousins, are much easier to care for and are far less aggressive to tankmates and each other than their larger counterparts. It’s a weird, I know… but it’s the easiest way I’ve found. Butwe always try to mimic as much similarity as possible between the two. A 20-gallon aquarium offers many stocking options beyond a 10-gallon; however, they do have their limitations. This means that a 20-gallon tank can hold should accommodate about twenty 1-inch fishes. The male grows up to 6cm tall and is characterized by a more splendid coloration and clearly larger anal and dorsal fins. These smaller species of African cichlids generally grow to be no more than five inches and can be kept in a tank of 20- to 30-gallons. This smaller rainbowfish is known for its piercing blue eyes, bright yellow … In fact the ones i mentioned absolute minimum is a 20 gallon. There are the dwarf lake Tanganyika shell dweller and dwarf apistogramma species that could work, depending on the dimensions of your tank. Like many other cichlids, they do better when they are a little overcrowded. Dwarf cichlids are Apistogrammas, Bolivian and GB rams, P. Demasoni..just to give you an example. Living Space. Ramirezi are no beginner fish. You can keep a pair in a tank at least 30 gallons in capacity without other tankmates. When I talked to the guy working there, he suggested for my 40 gallon that I should get all males (to avoid hybridization) and approximately 12 for a 40 gallon tank to overstock them and prevent fighting. That depends on what species you want. 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