Hi, All Fish lover

[Chi Curtis]

Hello I'm new to the cichlid hobby. I used to have a saltwater setup but decided to go fresh water after moving. Setting up a new 55 g tank, which has been running for about 2 months with a few small test fish. From a previous saltwater setup, I have a wet/dry filter system. The base is crushed coral with a variety of rocks. Last night, I went to the local store and got the impression that I should buy all of my fish at once. I understand that introducing fish later is difficult, but it isn't impossible. They had a mating pair of Texas cichlids that drew my attention, but he's trying to talk me out of them and into an african setup because my crushed coral base's ph is nearly 8.0. Learning about these fish, their compatibility and species, is a chore, but I'm trying. Coming from saltwater, I'm not a fan of tanks with 10-20 fish; I'm more impressed with 4 or 5 high-quality fish. Is it advantageous to have so many? Thank you for all of your suggestions.

[soggycookies]

Hello I'm new to the cichlid hobby. I used to have a saltwater setup but decided to go fresh water after moving. Setting up a new 55 g tank, which has been running for about 2 months with a few small test fish. From a previous saltwater setup, I have a wet/dry filter system. The base is crushed coral with a variety of rocks. Last night, I went to the local store and got the impression that I should buy all of my fish at once. I understand that introducing fish later is difficult, but it isn't impossible. They had a mating pair of Texas cichlids that drew my attention, but he's trying to talk me out of them and into an african setup because my crushed coral base's ph is nearly 8.0. Learning about these fish, their compatibility and species, is a chore, but I'm trying. Coming from saltwater, I'm not a fan of tanks with 10-20 fish; I'm more impressed with 4 or 5 high-quality fish. Is it advantageous to have so many? Thank you for all of your suggestions.

For marine fish I definitely agree with you, having fewer but more flamboyant fish is a good idea, less risk of diseases and parasite outbreaks due to aggression, but you still get the satisfaction of showpiece specimens. One thing to note about saltwater fish is they are generally a lot more territorial because their natural habitat is literally HUGE compared to the confines of an aquarium.

All the best!


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[Harlequinmania]

Maybe you can start with doing some research and come up with a "Fish list" with a list of fishes you want to keep and stick to it. It will be easier this way and avoid any territory or aggression issues along the way. 

The scape of the tank play a part too in avoiding tank aggression . Happy hunting.