Dwarf cichlids

Question
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Followup To
Question -
I am very interested in the behaviors of the different dwarf cichlid.  I have a 15 gallon tank that I have been maintaining for about three years.  The majority of fish that I've keep are livebearers and tetras.  I've been reading everything that I can get my hands on about cichlids and decided to try this species.  I am cycling a 36 gallon bow front tank and it's just about ready for me to slowly add in more fish. I would like to buy a good beginner cichlid species that has interesting characteristics and behavior. What are some of your suggestions and is there anything that I should do in preparation for the species?  
Answer -
Hi Connie,
 May I suggest you take a look at my webpage

http://cichlidresearch.com/simpleaquarium.html

and consider the convict cichlid.  They aren't the most colorful fish in the world, but you can't beat them for wonderful parental behavior in an aquarium.

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>

I would perfer the convict cichlid, but was told that it would grow to big for my 36 gallon tank.  I was going to settle for dwarf cichlids instead.  

Answer
Hi Connie,
 Hmm... whoever said that was giving you bad advice unfortunately.  

 A big convict male is maybe 5 inches max while a female is typically around 3 to 4 inches at most.  They aren't big fish. We breed lots of them in tanks in my lab and convicts do very well in a 20 gallon tank (I have bred maybe 200 plus pairs of these over the years).  36 gallons would be a wonderfully sized tank for them.  

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>