African Cichlids vs American Cichlids: The Showdown

[@CichlidCharmer]

What's your favorite characteristic of African cichlids? How about American cichlids? Also let me know if you have any recommendations in stocking a big American tank! And most importantly, from where did I steal the term “ultraviolent?” 😂

[@adriandiy673]

Thank you

[@sd_Raiders]

I know this video is about American cichlids but those rainbow fish have really confirmed my want of an ALL RAINBOW fish tank

[@CichlidCharmer]

Right? They are really a gorgeous fish. One thing bothers me a little though - they’re too small heads in comparison to their bodies. Still, very lovely 🥰

[@AndrewSparkfish]

Agreed, they are odd looking. A neighbor dumped one in my African cichlid tank.. he lived in there for nearly 8 years.​@@CichlidCharmer

[@sd_Raiders]

@@CichlidCharmer it’s not about the size of the head, but how they use it 🙌

[@CichlidCharmer]

🤪🤣@@sd_Raiders

[@makiarn777]

I’m number two yay! I love what you’re doing and you’re so awesome! You should be a voice over or narrator. Your voice is amazing!

[@CichlidCharmer]

Thank you so much, number two! That's a dream job right there. I appreciate the encouragement and your nice comment

[@makiarn777]

You’re so welcome. So happy I found your channel and I did subscribe lol! I have every one of those South American fish and I can tell you that you will love them. It’s still challenging trying to get the right mix because they can be butt heads ! I thoroughly enjoy mine! I have 7 tanks going and my Oscars and Severums are amazing.

[@Skysmeller1]

I had an African Cichlid tank similar to yours and it got boring after two years, they would spill water when I fed them and I agree are always moving too fast. Now I have a planted tank with a large Gold Severum and Angelfish and enjoy it more. I want to add two more Severums. They have great personalities.

[@CichlidCharmer]

There’s definitely a difference! I personally love the splashing when I feed them. I love how excited they get for supper. Can’t wait to get my American tank up though.

[@Skysmeller1]

@@CichlidCharmer Africans are awesome but once I got South American cichlids they became my fish of choice

[@ralpharroyo5680]

Love what you do my friend love watching your channel. I’ve started a year and a half ago with some Tetris to cycle My 75 and my 135 tank I got 25 of my monsters African Cichlid all crazy kind😂 but I want to thank people like you for being so charming and out there and putting in this content out for people like me to learn more. I currently have my boys and I grow out tank in the 75 ready to put them in my 135.❤ I saw in one of your videos that you wanted a picture of somebody else’s African Cichlid tank I will do that, sir. God bless you, your wife, children and grandchildren, friends, and family. Keep on doing your thing because I wake up at six in the morning just to watch your video every Saturday. Thank you sir.🤙🇺🇸🤙⚓️🤙🇺🇸🐸🇺🇸🇺🇸🤙

[@CichlidCharmer]

Isn’t keeping these crazy fish a real adventure? I love making them happy and telling you guys about it - and also the bad times. Have fun with that 135 🤘. Your comment is beyond encouraging- thank you so so much 🥰

[@RyanDahn]

Not sure if you’ve made any moves yet, but that 180g South American tank has sooooo many possibilities to make it more fun to watch. Severums are great tank mates for those fish but they’ll eat all your greenery. You could at a really big school of something like Colombian or serpae tetras. I also have a hill stream loach and 3 rainbow darters in my 75g South American tank that adds really cool action and diversity on the bottom of the tank. I’ve also kept a ghost knife with South Americans and they got along great. A 180 is a perfect size tank for a ghost knife. You could go electric blue acara or maybe some Kribensis or apistogramma as well for more diversity/fun action in the tank. That would all REALLY make that tank watchable all day long with different stuff going on top to bottom, left to right, back to front.

[@CichlidCharmer]

All good ideas - thank you! I have added some fish to the tank, but only as a holding tank until my new really big American tank is ready. Should be a few weeks. Thank you!

[@bryantcaylor3649]

Lighting blue Acara's would brighten that tank up​@@CichlidCharmer

[@CichlidCharmer]

@@bryantcaylor3649 thanks! I have three EBAs in there now, but I’ll be moving them over to the new 10-foot tank most likely. Or maybe I’ll just get more lol

[@Fphilip73]

I have a 200 gallon stocked with 1x Balloon Red Tiger Oscar, 1x Red Tiger Oscar, 2x Albino Oscar, 2 x Jack Dempsey, 5x Red Tapajos, 1x Surinamensis, 2x Electric Blue Acara, 2x Convicts, 1x Gold Spotted Pleco, 1x Synodontis Decorus Catfish, 1x Huge Bristlenose Male, 1x Ghost Knife Fish. Their all happily sharing the tank. No issues at all.

[@CichlidCharmer]

Thank you for the info!

[@stefanosahretis5075]

For me its the personality of the Africans cichlids display, not keen on American cichlids as I find them boring at this stage , but that may change , great video mate, you African inmates are awesome, nice job

[@CichlidCharmer]

We are always changing… at least I am. I can see where you would think they are boring though with that slow mo thing. Anyway, thank you stefanos. Good to see you hear again!

[@eduardocp5411]

Hola bro buenos dias, saluo soy de México, y muy hermoso tu tanque ojala algun dia tenga uno asi, una pregunta apoco el pez Oscar no se come alos peces arcoíris???

[@CichlidCharmer]

Thank you! So the Oscar will eat anything he can catch that fits in his mouth. Rainbow fish are fast, so they won’t all get eaten right away, but I think you’ll find them disappearing one by one. The best dither fish are boring silver dollars, unfortunately. I wanted Congo tetras, but they’d become dinner one by one as well.

[@Gilsfishroom]

For me, African tanks are pretty when you stop for a look then keep on walking. With a peaceful South American community tank you can have a wide variety of colours, shapes and behavours. You can also maintain a pretty natural scape without it being destroyed, unless you keep severums and try to have plants. The big Centrals have the most personality and will interact with you, although quite often they can be a singe fish tank only. My SA tank has geos, severums, albino heckelii, a chocolate cichlid, some catfish and some tetras. I have a midas cichlid that is heaps of fun, but will take a piece out of my hand if I'm stupid enough to stick it in his tank.

[@CichlidCharmer]

That’s what I’m looking forward to! So do you have CAs also?

[@Gilsfishroom]

I went through the big aggressive fish phase in my younger days. The best wet pet I had was an Oscar who would play catch with a ping pong ball. These days I prefer to have a nice looking tank as well as the fish. The Midas I currently have here I'm only babysitting for a mate. It is absolutely bats**t crazy! A school of Tetras would make your Angels more interesting as they swim through the school and scatter the smaller fish.

[@CichlidCharmer]

@@Gilsfishroom THAT would be something to see! I had tetras to begin with, and they seemed to stress my angels out, and occasionally I would see one nip at their fins. I investigated them before adding them to the tank to make sure they wouldn't nip, yet they still did.

[@Gilsfishroom]

I'm surprised to hear that. Like you, I preter veiltail angels, and have never had that problem. Currently they are kept with Black neons, Cardinals, Pristella and a few Rasboras.

[@CichlidCharmer]

@@Gilsfishroom I didn't see a lot of fin picking, but I did see it occasionally, and I always wondered how much of it was going on when I wasn't looking, and would I wake up one morning to an angelfish who suffered through a long miserable night with hardly any fins left? I'm a little paranoid after I added a juvie green severum to my community tank some years back and he pecked my female angel to near death overnight. The male was by her trying to fend off the severum, but he was too fast for him and he was powerless to protect his lady. So sad.

[@sparrowsfish]

Love my electric blue acaras

[@beatlesean9625]

Love the content Clockwork

[@CichlidCharmer]

Why thank you, and good job 🤩

[@vigilante9259]

Hey so a question, I'm setting up a cichlid tank, yellow lab, electric blue acara, golden severum, oscar. Can I put these fishes together in a tank?

[@CichlidCharmer]

Depends on tank size, but if the tank is large enough, which for an Oscar with tank mates I would at least say a 125 gallon. The yellow lab is not recommended.

[@vigilante9259]

@CichlidCharmer yeah its a 125 gal, so expect for the yellow lab the rest if fine together right?

[@CichlidCharmer]

@@vigilante9259 The yellow lab is a totally different type of fish with different requirements. It might be fine, but I wouldn't mix with Americans. There are so many cool American options anyway, like the rainbow cichlid that would be a better fit. You can try it, because stranger things have wound up working. You just never know. I wouldn't do it though.

[@vigilante9259]

@@CichlidCharmer as long as they are fine with fishes like Oscars then I'm fine, as I'm just looking for different varieties of cichlids to have a mix community tank

[@Mcgee18]

I love seeing the Cichlid Bros 180 gallon with Geos and Oscars and many other fish the Geos are the favorite they’re so beautiful

[@CichlidCharmer]

I do too!

[@pollylewis9611]

Oh I'm drooling over that huge tank, shudder whipping my drool off! I just love Oscars their big puppies with a psychopath tendency! My mating pair were in a 125gal tank along with 1 huge common pleco, no plants and limited decor the Oscars would rearrange everything I mean everything, but they both wanted attention and when the female didn't get it she'd spit gravel on the side and then go sidewise float to the bottom and just lay there. I sent you an email on what I have yup baby GBR's so far only 1 fatality, so fingers crossed they make to the eating stage. Thank you again for another great video, you know me go big or even bigger, or how about huge yeah.......

[@CichlidCharmer]

Such a funny comment! 😂 that is SO funny about the female posting on the bottom of the tank. I’m not sure if I will do Oscar’s or not, but stories like that sure entice me. Baby GBRs - that’s awesome! I’ll check out the email as soon as I can. Thanks, Polly

[@pollylewis9611]

Bare with my tek skills I have problems converting videos lol, at least it's not from my flip phone ha!@@CichlidCharmer

[@MrJbassrw]

I’ll take that angel/geo tank all day every day over any African tank. Peace and fish on!

[@harrisonhanson2998]

Those angels are absolutely gorgeous!

[@CichlidCharmer]

Thank you!

[@davidleach4689]

Green terror gold saum red severum blue acara also vieja are stellar and you can mix in your geos

[@CichlidCharmer]

Those are good ones. Thank you!

[@torquendirty2186]

Dude you can fit severums in with your angels and Geos. Also, fave sa are spistos

[@CichlidCharmer]

Can, but I don’t want to. I want them in a larger tank with other large fish.

[@rantsandreviews]

I kept Africans (Mbuna, Haps, and tanganyika) cichlids for years. But to me they are all flash and beauty with no personality. Like a tank of big Tetras. S. Americans on the other hand are truly "pets". My big boys not only interact with people but they can actually differentiate between various people (family, friends, guests) and me. Only I get the joyful puppy reaction. Other folks are just tolerated. I can only guess but I feel like they are far more intelligent than other fish. Africans are beautiful but mostly mindless in my experience. I still love tanganyikans...but to me they are not pets...just ornaments in a glass box. I appreciate them but I am not attached.

[@CichlidCharmer]

I wonder if after I get some of those Americans, I will start to feel a difference in personality with the Africans. Right now they seem full of personality. You are getting me even more pumped for these. So funny how they only tolerate others, but get so excited to see you!

[@adriandiy673]

Who do you buy your fishes from?

[@CichlidCharmer]

Good question! I’ve bought from Imperial Tropicals and Snake River, as well as Red Fish Blue Fish. My latest AC shipment was from Ron’s Cichlids. Amazing quality fish from Ron’s 🤘. Thanks for watching!

[@MakoyUnggoy]

Heres a 'short' of my old huge green severum but if I had a new one it would have to be the red tiger severum, they have stacks of colour! kzbin.infofptq_gbzwTk

[@CichlidCharmer]

Thank you - I would love to see it. My phone won’t let me click on the link, so I will have to try on my pc

[@nletner413]

I’m 8 months into my American tank. Oscars, Severums, uaru, chocolate cichlid and red hooks for dither fish

[@CichlidCharmer]

Sounds like heaven.

[@WatsonsAquatics]

My guys didn’t make the cut hahaha great comparison video though!!!🤝

[@CichlidCharmer]

That is for another video, probably at the end of one. However, I’m having some serious trouble with apple videos being in the wrong format for every single other software out there, and iCloud reduces everything to 720p! Anyway, hopefully I can get it to work. I bumped this video up because of this issue.

[@WatsonsAquatics]

@@CichlidCharmer I actually had the same issue trying to send videos to a family friend! It took it from 4k to the same 720p maybe even lower

[@CichlidCharmer]

@@WatsonsAquatics So far I haven't been able to find a way around it. Google Drive will only show audio, unless you can convert your files from the default Apple format to MP4. I think there is a setting where you can change the default on your phone to MP4, but that doesn't help already recorded videos.

[@WatsonsAquatics]

@@CichlidCharmer interesting, I seen the mail drop allowed it to show highest format but i don’t know if audio shows up that way also

[@dakiwifuit7587]

2 my favorite American Cichlids: Umbee and Festae!

[@CichlidCharmer]

Thanks for those!

[@Wizardsfishbox]

Good day! I think African cichlids are colorful but you need to check out these American cichlids: red terror cichlids ( especially the female), blue carpintis, green taxes, lemon Oscar, jaguar cichlids,salvini cichlid, multi fascitis (yellow jacket) black belt, jack Dempsey and rainbow cichlid to name a few lol. By the way severum and discus too. Happy holidays, Wiz

[@CichlidCharmer]

Thanks for those -- I am familiar with most of them, but not all. Also, thanks for including your name, Wiz. Your KZbin ID would be too hard for me to recognize, but I recognize Wiz. Happy Holidays to you too!

[@RyanDahn]

You could totally put a blue lobster in that African cichlid tank! It would add some movement to the bottom.

[@CichlidCharmer]

I’ll have to look that one up. I’m not sure if my boys enjoy a nice lobster tail now and then or not 🤪

[@goxyz123]

Agree with you. Ditch the Angels and get some beasts!

[@CichlidCharmer]

😂🥰

[@kgconstrictors]

Clockwork Orange! Dooby Doob

[@CichlidCharmer]

You get 500 points!

[@michaelwilliamson3829]

I have a 125 gallon with 1 jack dempsey, 1 electric blue acara, 1 black acara, 1 Nicaraguan cichlid, 2 red spot severums, and 3 clown loaches. I would really like to go up to 200 gallons so i can add tiger oscars and a chocolate cichlid.

[@HalifaxCollect]

Big Harlequin cichlids are superb.

[@HalifaxCollect]

Oh, and Salvini too. They change colors like fish in a computer game.

[@CichlidCharmer]

Harlequin cichlids -- red terrors, right? They are gorgeous. I hear they are on the high end of the aggression scale. Salvini's are nice too! I'm trying to decide on a more peaceful American tank, or a more aggressive one. I sure love a lot of the central "nightmare" level cichlids!

[@HalifaxCollect]

@@CichlidCharmer Indeed. Conventional wisdow had me thinking these guys were too territorial for my tank but everyone got along great. Sometimes it's just the luck of temperament, so to speak, and probably the set-up. I had a pair of Red Terrors (the female looked unbelievable). They shared a tank with two Oscars, one Jack Dempsey, one Green Terror and three fire-mouths For some reason it worked. And to answer one of your questions. I prefer American cichlids when it comes to big fish. I think the reason why they "hover" around and move slowly is that they are less inclined to open water style swimming. Also the way the float around pensively, like they are picking their moves and actions carefully, is endlessly fascinating and satisfying to me.

[@petejeau]

I'm glad I'm not the only one that has become somewhat bored with an Angel tank. I have a 5 ft 150G heavily planted tank with 4 angels and a bunch of Ellioti I bred but I almost look at it like a museum piece lol. There wre 10 angels but one was super aggressive and knocked them down to 4. Same as you though no real connection. On the other hand my favourite tank is the 10ft 330G. All were added at around 2 inches over the last 12 months so still growing out. Oscar, several red devils, green terror, couple jack dempsy's, some convicts, some ellioti's, Vieja melanura, jaguar, salvini, clown loaches, silver dollars (great as dither fish) and a large sailfin pleco. Very little aggression in the tank at the moment but of course that could change. All have very different personalities and how they interact with each other. BTW my oscar feeds like your africans, same as the red devils. Great to watch.

[@CichlidCharmer]

Aren’t they though? Time to move on! That is so interesting. Is your tank 2feet wide and 2 feet tall? You have a lot of guys in that big tank, and I think the aggression will start once they mature. That’s funny that a few of them eat like my Africans 😂

[@petejeau]

@@CichlidCharmer Yes 2 feet wide and nearly 2.5 feet tall. I wont be surprised at all when the aggression starts. If it gets rough at all I have a couple spare 75G tanks I can place them in. My little 5-6 inch oscar will sometimes smash into the lid when he is aggressively feeding.

[@CichlidCharmer]

@@petejeau A prepared man -- good to know. Hopefully an outbreak of crazy doesn't hit your tank and you never need to worry about it 🤪

[@petejeau]

@@CichlidCharmer Indeed, good luck with the prospective American tank. Look forward to seeing it develop

[@andreacasoli3371]

What about discus?

[@CichlidCharmer]

I would say only if I have room for many tanks. I’m already getting a bit bored with these angels, and discus are pretty ornamental fish. They don’t really have lots of personality from what ai know.

[@andreacasoli3371]

​@@CichlidCharmer I get it, in my experience i had discus in the past and i find that they were personable, but on the contrary i never had the big south american cichlid so i don't know those

[@prudhvirajup894]

Try to setup new blue zair frontosa tank. Or Add blue zair frontosa fishes.😊

[@CichlidCharmer]

Cool idea, but I really want to have some of those Americans. If I did have a frontosa tank, I would want to have a colony with not much else in there. At least at this point. I need another building for more fish!

[@prudhvirajup894]

​@@CichlidCharmer that could be better, frontosa colony should have separate tank.

[@pablofletcher2744]

Clockwork Orange I believe

[@CichlidCharmer]

Well done, yes sir!

[@pollylewis9611]

Well done indeed lol!

[@eldgenb]

I think if you're comparing ultimate beauty across all south American and African cichlids, I think the Discus have the title for prettiest, but that's just my opinion.

[@Rzhobbyist]

My dream tanks 🥺❤️

[@CichlidCharmer]

🥰🥰🥰

[@tommy2tone8650]

Vieja cichlids, you take your pick as to which one you want. 😉

[@AntonyWillows]

Chocolate cichlids would be good addition

[@solidguintu]

I have both in my tank. And from my experience, at least in my tank. The large American cichlids don't bother my Africans. Maybe because they're so big and don't find the Africans as a threat and the Africans don't mess with the Americans because they're so much bigger. But I enjoy having them in the tank.

[@CichlidCharmer]

I’ve seen it done also, but I would be a nervous wreck in anticipation of horrible things. Thank you!

[@jeremymoore450]

I love my 100 Gal CA Tank. I have a Green Severum and a Gold Severum. They are Puppy Dogs and follow me in the Room. I have a Green Terror in there and he is crazy but smaller and doesn't do much Aggression wise. My favorite is my Chocolate Cichlid he turns purple and Green and is different colors every day. He greets me at the glass and loves food lol. I also have a Female JD and a Female Red Devil they all get along great. MY Red Devil is a Puppy dog except when she lays eggs than she is super crazy but doesn't hurt anyone I have to scrape the eggs off to calm her down lol. I also have some Dither fish 5 Black Skirt Tetras and 7 Buenos Aires Tetras. They are the fast moving crazy tetras like the Rainbow fish. I have Rainbow Fish but in my Planted 55 gal community tank. They are some impressive colors and the blues, reds, etc. You can Keep Rainbows and Tetras that are bigger with CA Cichlids. The ones that are fast that can't be caught by the CA's lol. CA's need more Height vs length. As where AF Cichlids need the Length vs Height. In my CA Tank I also have a bottom crew of Catfish like a synodotis, Upside Down Catfish to name a few as a clean up crew because CA Cichlids are messy eaters and slow so some of the pellets fall to the substrate. Hope this helps. :)

[@CichlidCharmer]

Such good info, Jeremy! How tall would be sufficient for CAs?

[@jeremymoore450]

@@CichlidCharmer My Tank is tall 30 inches. They like the height because they don't swim back and forth like African's. They need a similar setup like Discus Tanks that are taller but not necessary as long. Of course the bigger the tank the better. The CA really love to be looked at and admired and they are slow swimmers. lol.

[@CichlidCharmer]

@@jeremymoore450 Very good to know for sure

[@PlainsPup]

I've always loved Neotropical cichlids, as well as African riverine cichlids, but I've never been into the African Great Lake cichlids. In fact, although I've never kept those few cichlids from India or Madagascar, I prefer them as well, and they do look more like cichlids from the New World and Africa's rivers than those from Africa's Great Lakes. I think this has to do with their colors and behaviors. People love how "reef fish-like" African lake cichlids are, but I much prefer the bright iridescent blues and greens of river fishes. I prefer their behaviors, too, and it's not just the aggression level, because not all African lake cichlids are super aggressive, and not all riverine cichlids are particularly calm. I love North American sunfishes, Asian anabantoids (bettas and gouramis), and catfishes from rivers and smaller bodies of water, too. I like many members of the minnow family as well, especially the "sharks" (rainbow, red-tailed, black, etc). I guess there's just something about those African Great Lakes fish that, while biologically extremely interesting, seem less aesthetically pleasing to me.

[@CichlidCharmer]

You certainly know your fish!🐠

[@PlainsPup]

@@CichlidCharmer I liked your comment about the general difference in shape between river and Rift cichlids. Yes, many river cichlids are more oval and chunky, while Rift cichlids are generally more streamlined and built for speed. Never really thought of it that way, but an important distinction!

[@adleonard7056]

Funny how you say you don't keep anything but Africans in alcatraz. I keep now, and have kept in the past Boosemani, Australian, and Mt Poverty rainbow fish in with my Africans. They make great dithers! It's strange how things work for some and not necessarily for others!

[@voultronix761]

Youre allowed to be bored ! Its so easy to get burned out in the hobby if you arent buying new tanks 😂

[@CichlidCharmer]

I know! I found out to support the floor for a tank this size in my house, it would cost $3000 at minimum to move it. And this spot where it’s at will be needed for a different tank when I get some large Americans. I need a shop for more tanks!

[@davidleach4689]

Your welcome

[@chillwill7s60]

The Central american cichlids are worth the experience. Central.

[@tylerwcisel2832]

Clockwork orange

[@iHeartOiSkanks]

Red Texas cichlid is a hybrid

[@Girthquake9]

Just don't stock a green terror. They look beautiful and start off super docile but man do they get nasty. The moment mine got to 8" and his hump started showing, I was picking up the pieces of some of my favorite fish the next day.. he killed 4 fish in one night

[@CichlidCharmer]

Oh my gosh that is horrible. I’ve heard that they aren’t as terrible as their name suggests, so good to know that. I’ve heard the red terrors are even worse.

[@rohitkansay2785]

Uaru cichlid

[@CichlidCharmer]

Good suggestion! Have you seen the panda uaru?

[@rohitkansay2785]

@@CichlidCharmer no

[@Darrell-cm3iz]

Montecristo cichlid

[@gaidin]

Africans are definitely prettier (although the colors of your Africans are above and beyond normal) but give me the personality and drama between some oscars any day of the week....they come to greet me when I get home from work and theyre always happy to see me. You can't go past them!!

[@CichlidCharmer]

Thanks, and I love it! Can’t wait for my own 🥰🥰

[@Regnisab]

Why don't the Oscars eat the rainbows?

[@CichlidCharmer]

Good question! I think the rainbows are just too fast. That’s my guess. Usually if you have non aggressive wimpy fish with monsters, they have to be to quick to catch

[@BrittanyBauer-py6in]

SOUTH AMERICA CICHILD SO FUN THAN AFRICAN CICHLID AGGRESSIVE OSCAR FISH SO MUCH FUN PERSONALITY TWO OSCAR'S

[@CichlidCharmer]

Good suggestions!

[@champion_i_r]

Man u get bored easily

[@CichlidCharmer]

So, so true

[@dennispeleg7843]

Just make room for a new tank dang it!! Lol Don't get rid of the south American cichlids you have now! It's so relaxing. So a separate tank for central american cichlids. Nicaraguan, Honduran red point, firemouth and some rainbow cichlids. Or if you want mass murderers, go for red terror, Texas, cuban, salvini, veija species and so on. But if you decide to go big centrals, start them young and aim for males! They cross breed just as bad as African cichlids and the temperament is 10x worse than Africans! Especially if there is spawning. There's so many beautiful central american to choose from. Or you can do mesoheros species, quite a few to choose from! But don't you dare touch that angel fish tank! Lol Just stay away from the dovii cichlid. Or take the angels and place them in a 75 or 90 gallon with just a few Geo's, the rest would have to be re-homed, then you have the 180 for central. Just a heads up though, there are some central american cichlids that will do some hiding. They have to feel comfortable and safe, so lots of round rocks and driftwood for hiding and line of sight.

[@CichlidCharmer]

Man, I am going to be in contact with you when I do this Dennis! You are a wealth of knowledge. So I will probably have to get rid of these guys and maybe rebuild later. It will cost about $3000 to add floor support if I move them.

[@dennispeleg7843]

@@CichlidCharmer maaann, you can diy on the floor support. All you need is concrete padding blocks, few heavy duty adjustable metal joist (depending on crawl space height) and use 6x6 wood joist to stretch across wherever you are placing the tank. I reinforced my floor because I got a quote before and boy oh boy lol. Guy wanted $5500 to reinforce 4 ft wide by 10 ft area smh lol. But as far as the fish, I'm learning as I go. Some do better in a species setups, some do better as a pair in a large tank only(but then may have to place a divider, males can kill female after spawning and/or fry will/can start eating parent alive if they don't get enough food) some work out in community but all males and these aren't like Africans where it easy to determine. That's why a lot of times, sometimes, it's better to get them as a small group 4-5 and pick which is a male or if your into breeding, a pair. My firemouth is in a community of Honduran red point cichlids with swordtails as dither. I try to keep it geographically correct with american cichlids. My carpintis, pearlscale aka electric blue Texas, I keep solo in a 75 with dithers also. I have 2 salvinis (1.5 inch) in 20 gallon quarantine to see if one is a female.

[@dennispeleg7843]

@@CichlidCharmer also got to make sure if you decide to central american or larger South American like an Oscar or green terror, have to make sure if their water is moderately hard, hard or soft. Do they like high pH or low pH or neutral. Do they like moderate flow, heavy or none. Some come some lakes, some fast moving streams and rivers. Trust me when I took the step into central american cichlids, I read up on everything as best as possible, trial and error. They are beautiful without a doubt. We need to get in contact with each other.

[@dennispeleg7843]

Put the angels and geophagus in the 75 gallon!!! They be fine with you swapping over that decor for hiding if needed. Rehome the rest.

[@AntonyWillows]

Chocolate cichlids would be good addition