african chichlids

Question
I currently have a 20 gallon tank set up, running mostly amazon species that are being moved into a 55. I'd like to turn the 20 into an African tank. is there a species you'd recommend for a tank that size? ideally i'd like to do a breeding pair of something.  

thanks,

Kyle

Answer
Hi Kyle,
There are so many beautiful african cichlid species that its hard to choose!

Yellow Lab cichlids or Electric Yellows are a great choice. They are a bit more docile and also very easy to care for. They are moutbrooders, with the female brooding the eggs inside her mouth and caring for the fry after they are free-swimming (they take shelter in her mouth if danger threatens). You should keep at least 3 females to 1 male. These fish are easy to breed and the fry are quite capable of eating crushed flake food.

This breeding routine holds true for the striking Cobalt Blue cichlid as well and the ratio of male per number of females is the same.

It is indeed one of the most fascinating breeder behaviors to witness.

Kribensis are another great species of cichlid (you only need 1 pair) to keep in something around the size of a 20 gallon. They breed relatively easily and usually are easy to find.

I found this link that provides some ideas on different cichlids (not all african) that are recommended for a 20-gallon aquarium -
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/cookie_cutter_20g.php

I hope this helps and good luck!
Susan~