Top 10 Best Cichlids for Beginners! (Beautiful and NOT Overly Aggressive)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 ก.ค. 2024
- #bestcichlids
#10bestcichlids
#AfricanCichlids
I'm often asked, "I'm starting my first African Cichlid tank, what fish do you recommend?" Well, here finally is a list of my top 10 best cichlids for beginners (but experienced fish keepers will also love these fish!). They are recommended for a beginner's African Cichlid tank because they are both beautiful and not overly aggressive. Some of my favorites are on this list! There are around 20 more I could have added, but this is a good start.
Take a look and tell me what you think about my top 10 list and share with me in the comments below which fish would be on your top 10 best cichlids for beginners list. Remember the motto of this channel: ALWAYS BE LEARNING!
When making my choices I imagined a situation where it was the first African Cichlid tank and it was around 60 gallons. A very common starting point for cichlid keepers. I suggested fish that wouldn't get too large too fast and quickly outgrow the tank in six months. I also made sure not to include fish that would discourage the new fish keeper by being too aggressive.
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Hi Ben I'm getting a 21gal or 80lit tank what type of fish do you suggest to put in this tank. Would tiger barbs or similar fish be good this size tank.
Would this work for a 55 gallon
Excellent video. I love all of these fish and wish I had them.
thank you
Nice video
Looks like a great top ten list, thanks so much for sharing Ben ! .... could most of those fish be kept with various variety of Geophagus ?
Cheers
Mike
very nice content .support you.see you around.stay safe friend.have nice day.
I'm a beginner and the video I took advice from (before I found you) said mbuna was good for first timers.😮
Ben your one of the best around I need a list of what not to get lol....I've made a terrible mistake of getting mbunas and peacocks in my 75 gallon without doing my homework.....just imagine what I've been through.....never will I do anything without reading and asking questions again....love the videos!
I used to keep a mixed tank, Mbuna, Haps and Peacocks. It worked…Until it didn’t. When the Mbuna put on size they were vicious in protecting their territory. So, despite looking Mbuna, I ended up keeping only peas and Haps, and it’s worked out well😀👍🏻
Electric blue acara!
GREAT CONTENDERS! Thanks for the tip
I just started my cichlids tank got mbuna
Very helpful. Thank you.
Thanks so much for the info....
Thank you for the wonderful information
Excellent subject for a video Ben thanks!
Beautiful fish.. nice video too...
Thank you very much for this info, Ben! The Ruby Red Peacock is my fav on this list.
Heather Nielsen - Scarlet Aquatics Yes, they are amazing. Also check out Eureka Red and German Red, all great fish 😀
This is really helpful and informative. Many thanks
Good list
Great video!
Awesome looking top 10 Ben😎👍🏾, , thanks for giving me some ideas
Simple to the point and easy to understand , great Video👍
Love the content Ben Ochard keep it up. I may ask u for some pointers sometime...always somthing to learn,
I look foward to seeing more!!!!
This is great thanks! I am just starting my 75gal tank. I love angels and am wondering if I introduce the Angels first and then some of these cichlids if that would work.
Because of the high pH needed by African Cichlids, and the aggression, I wouldn’t suggest mixing them.
Great
you are a pleasure to llisten to and very informative. I am redoing my 55gal. acrylic hex and am seriously thinking of going cichlid because of you
Thank you John. I appreciate the kind words and certainly update me on your progress.
Hi Ben, Boom, another smash hit video!!! I really enjoyed your choice of fish. They would make for a very beautiful, peaceful tank. Keep up the great work, I will definitely share this one. Thanks for sharing.
Another great video Ben. Love your easy jovial presentation filled with excellent real life knowledge and experiences.
Thanks again 😊
Thank you Michael. Very encouraging!
THANK YOU BEN!!! I'm cycling my new 125 and I've not raised African cichlids before. So...I've been struggling with WHAT to stock my tank with for weeks now once it's cycled. This video was exactly what I needed and will give me a great place to start! Thank you again.
NittanyFins That’s awesome! What did you end up getting?
good video thank you i learned something
Number two looks nice. Different blue from every other African cichlids
One of my favorite all time fish both for color and temperament, Placidochromis Jalo Reef. Highly recommended 😀👍🏻
Ben the #1 fish where did u get it? Never seen it my local area fish store. Not even CK fish world didn't have it.
You’ll need to order from someone like the Cichlid Shack. The are amazing fish.
Great Video sir Happy Holidays !
really have enjoyed your videos...just got back having an aquarium again and how much I have learned just from a few videos....
Thank you Phil. It's people like you and comments like this that motivate me to continue.
Great video Ben. That red cap deserves the top spot for sure.
Love your vids mate.. No pretentiousness, just straight our sharing the love. Thanks.
Thank you Mark, that means a lot, thanks!
I'm a beginner (though I'm old) and I love my electric blue acaras.
Nice, I just got a 75 gallon and looking to start a cichlid tank.. Thanks for the suggestions!
Awesome and beautiful selection of hardy fish for beginners! 👍🐟
I always marvel at your filtration. Your fish are stunning, the work you put in has really paid off. Thanks for sharing your methods and tips!
All such stunning fish Ben.
I just got a 65 gallon and I'm so excited!
It's a great size to work with!
Thanks for using names for the fish that I can pronounce. Now I can go to the pet shop without a dictionary. 😊
Hey Ben, I am setting up a community 68 gallon tank and will be doing kribs and similar with barbs, danios, Cory’s, etc.
My second project is a 44 G African cichlids, Mbunda. I will have large pieces (10+”) of grape agate cluster rocks with rough surfaces. Are some Mbunda more susceptible to skin issues from abrasions that may occur with rock contact?
I also prefer such specimens to be smaller in size,
I try to avoid too many sharp points. Mostly because they can dart around when startled and catch an eye that can then turn into an infection.
Thank you werry much
HI BEN; GREAT VIDEO AS USUAL.....GREAT CHOICES FOR BEGINNERS.....
Thanks Daniel!
Great video! I just purchased a used fluval 406. I was wondering what Media you would put in it?Always love you videos you help me a ton! Thanks!
That Red Cap 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 Placidochromis are awesome fish. I hope to own a Wild Caught Placidochromis VC-10 one day, they have huge lips.
Great 10 Ben
Thank you Ben for your videos love them all I’m starting a 75. Would that amount be good to start off with some people say 10 to 15 and if you agree on 15 can you name another five for me? Thank you so much love all your videos. Switching over from salt water to cichlids 🎉
9:32......thanks for that....loved it the most....❤️🙏
Blaupunktbuntbarsch (Andinoacara pulcher)
Is also a easy fish and I really love them
Any Convict cichlids
Thanks for giving your 10 peaceful African Cichlids I'm new to this and love these fish . This is my question I have a 95 gallon pentagon corner tank will these fish do well in it
That's a good size and would be best suited for some of the smaller fish on the list such as the placidochromis and lethrinops varieties. Some of the "open water swimmer" do better in tanks that are 6' across (when they reach full size). Consider the Bi-color 500 (gets around 5"), the lethrinops Red Cap, Flavescent and Jalo Reef. All beautiful, relatively peaceful and good for that size and shape of an aquarium IMO.
@@BenOchart Thanks for getting back to me your comments are very important to me and my new tank.
I am new to cichlids and hopefully getting my 75 gallon tank soon. Would these cichlids on this list be ok to put in the 75 gallon with my pictus catfish? I want to get the Cats out of my 38 gallon. Any info is greatly appreciated.
Finally a beginner cichlid list not filled with mbuna!! Thanks Ben and I agree with your choices!
Whats wrong with mbuna’s?
@@raphaelknoops750 My experience has been that most of the guys like the other bigger Cichlids as they are more macho type fishes. I find a lot of women preferring mbunas. I am one of them. Of course this is not for everyone. But i would rather see mbunas more than any other type of cichlid.
Now if only my lfs kept these species 😆 great video Ben, - half a beer 🍺
That salsa was on point good top 10 for a beginner. 🇵🇷 wepa!
MEDINA CICHLIDS Wepa hermanó!
Why no yellow lab? Have only grown South Americans, Tanganyikans and westies, but am really drawn to that fish.
These fish look great and all, but where the heck can I find these? MY fish stores don't carry any of these.
Hi Ben, new to your channel. You are very relaxing to listen too.
I'm thinking of getting into cichlids in the future. I have 180l tank with livebearers in at the moment. information you have given me about the best fish to start off with is really great thank you 😉
You are welcome. They are a very interesting breed and a lot of fun to keep. Never a dull moment.
Should be top 10 African cichlids I think. Still a good list.
I admit that I'm biased. Thank you for watching 😀
Us Malawi noobs really appreciate this! Filed away for future use. My top ten are all South Americans save for one West African.
Why do so many people think that " Cichlids" equals "African Rift Lake species"?
If you're prepared to look elsewhere, there are several species that are not only excellent beginner's fishes, but in some cases are compatible with Tetras, small Barbs and Corydoras catfishes, and don't need to be kept in water that's basically liquid rock.
First off, there's Anomalochromis thomasi, one of the two avowedly pacifist Cichlid species (I'll come to the other in a moment), which produces stunning breeding colours, and won't turn into a berserker overnight when raising young. Will make do with a 29 gallon if you're keeping a pair, and a 55 will provide a happy home for a dozen of them.
Then there's the other pacifist, Laetacara curviceps. Again compatible with small "regular community" fish, and again, won't turn into a berserker overnight.
Of you could go for something a little bigger, and opt for Cleithrocara maronii, a good choice if you're looking for something that will live happily with, for example, Pearl Gouramis.
A little more temperamental, but still considerably less belligerent than many Rift Lake species, is Herotilapia multispinosa. Breeds beautifully in a 55.
You could also go for something like Apistogramma panduro, whose small size means you can keep it in a 29 gallon. Furthermore, the VAST difference in appearance between male and female, means you can guarantee to acquire a pair for breeding, no guesswork involved!
Or, if you can find this rarity, you could go with the "super dwarf" Apistogramma angayuara. So small you can keep a pair in a 15 gallon, or no less than six in a 29.
There's more to Cichlids than Rift Lake species!!!!
Good recommendations. My focus, as you can tell, are Lake Malawi African Cichlids, but there certainly is a world of cichlids out there that go way beyond Lake Malawi. Thanks!
Hi I'm new to the hobby,I raised Oscars about 15 years ago,now I'm building a tank with mbuna,which is crazy,bought my first four fish around 3 months ago,ended up 2 females 2 males,2 ýellow labs decided to have fry,now my two blue mbuna are also ready to produce some fry,so wasn't realy ready for all this but I have 2 well sized baby fish just starting to interact with the rest of the tank mates,my tank is a 250 litre corner tank,I'm thinking of buying a 300 litre tank to separate girls from boys,having watched your video I'm not sure if these fish would mix with african mbuna ???
Ben, could i keep multiples of these 10 fish in a 75 gallon? Love your videos, keep up the excellent work.
I was hoping you would pick the Lethrinops as #1 😍 I love mine. They have an interesting personality.
I'm going to take your advice I'm starting a 60
Jose Rivera Let me know how it goes 😀
Red caps a good number one Ben! I’d love a breeding group of them🔥 so they do well with all your other aulonocara & placidochromis etc?
Cichlidscape • He’s the boss and as soon as anyone puts on size or attitude they get moved to the 100.
Absolutely beautiful fish could you give us some pointers on say a smaller tank like a 55 gallon with a very personable Fish or two
Thank you. The one's mentioned would be okay in a 55 gal. The only one I wouldn't throw in there would be the Red Cap and possibly the Lemon jake because they are so very docile.
SIR I AM THE BEGGENER OF CICHIDS FISH .PLESE RECOMMONDED SOME CICHIDS FISH FOR MY 80 GALON FISH THANK
Very pretty fish in s besutiful aquarium. The clown loach will get much bigger most if not all the cichlids he named are in commonly known because of their beauty as the peacock cichlid group were Utaka (open water) cichlis from Lake Malawi and are also known to be more peaceful that the rock-loving mbuna (means rock fish). He also had some sleepers or sleeper cichlids or kaligona (sleeper in Chichewa), Nimochromis known as sleeper due to their habit of pretending to be dead to capture small fish. Most famous for this tactic is Nimbochromis livingstonii a.k.a. Livingston's. This tactic is also used by a Central American cichlid Parachromis fredrichsthalii (Yellowjacket cichlid) which is also known for feigning death to lure small prey fish. Nimbochromis venustus a.k.a. Venustus hap or Giraffe hap, imao, the most beautiful of the Nimbochromis group and peaceful shifts substrate much in the manner of South American cichlids of Geophagus genus on the aquarium. This information comes from Alexrod's books, Wikipedia and several other authors as well as my experience with species: N. venustus, N. livingstonii, N. polystigma, G. steinachneri (Redhump eartheater), Satanoperca jurupari (Demon earthester), and Chromobotia macracanthus (Clown loach) as well as mbuna.
I had a ruby red that almost killed every fish in his tank. I understand temperament varies.
Great video - thank you. Of the 10 you mentioned, are there any that should not be kept in the same 75G tank?
Yes. Lethrinops should not be mixed with any larger more aggressive fish like a Nimbochromis or even fish in the Protomelas family, like the Taiwan Reef and Fire Hap.
Would this work for a 55 gallon
The smaller varieties would. In my more recent videos I have several of them in a 55
Thanks Ben I'm getting a 75 gallon. I want all males how many should i stock in the tank? Going to use the 10 you just listed.
Love the star sapphire's color. Where would you say they are in terms of temperament? Roughly compatible with peacocks, or no?
Hi, beautiful video. What species of aulonocara would you recommend me for a 65 gallinas tank? Is It better keep just males? Joe many fishes may I keep in it? Thanks so much.
Hey ben What do ya think about adding a protomelas steveni to an all male mbuna tank
chris lu I don’t think it would end well...
Are flavecent and blue neons the same fish
No. Both are very different and very beautiful.
Thank you! How about Blue Rams for 50 gal.
Blue and Gold Rams are beautiful and should do fine in a 50.
Can I put clown loach in a 75 gallon fish tank with cichlids because I spotted one or two in the tank behind you?
4 or 5 years ago I added 3 and they've done great. Put them in in groups of 3 or more. They do better with more in the tank.
Hi Ben. Love your channel. Starting a 75 gallon peacock tank and want to get your thoughts on how I plan to stock it. My thought is that I want 4 species and end up with 24 fish. I was thinking that I would get groups of 8 unsexed juveniles, introduced in 30 day increments (after quarantine). Once I can determine sex, I would leave a dominant male, a subdominant male and 4 females per species. I was thinking red caps, ruby reds, yellow bengas and bi-color 500’s. Your advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
you may have just converted me to cichlids. LOL
Hi Ben your fish look wonderful. You have obviously left your SA cichlids far behind! I would have put a few of them on my list.
How many of each?
First!!!!
Are they Jaguars in there?
There should be, but that is not a fish for everybody, as you know.
@@BenOchart yeah I was looking at them today because they caught my eye but was told that their not for community tanks
Beautiful fish Ben! I've currently ordered some of these fish for our new tank the Ruby, z rock and lemon jake. Ive also ordered some OB cichlids, but my concern is potential aggression from the OB's. Is this combination a potential problem particularly from the OB's? I plan on adding the fish over a period of time, but my concern is ill be singing the circle of life to my son now. Im super new to the hobby so should i reconsider the OB's?
My concern is the Lemon Jake. They are usually (in my experience) very gentle and a little timid/meek. The Z Rock and Ruby will hold their own. It also depends on the OB. They come with different temperaments. Hope you get a mellow one, but keep an eye on them and watch for fin damage or one of the fish hiding all the time. This will be a sign that they are under a lot of stress.
Andrew Dix I’ve been lucky with OBs. Dragon Bloods and albinos have been a problem. To be safe let the tank get established then add OBs that are slightly smaller
Once again Ben very beautiful fish all very nice colors pristine looking tanks. If I breed two different mbunas yellow lab and pseudotropheus saulosi do I get to name the species
What do people normally do with unwanted fry? I have about a dozen baby Peacocks.
I haven’t sold any yet still growing them out. I’m planning to sell them to my local fish store. Still new to this myself only on 2nd batch of fry. Still figuring out if it’s worth it
I have no idea on that one. I believe it would be a “hybrid” like an OB
I have heard that the yellow lab is a dominant jean so they all should stay yellow but haven’t found anything supporting that time will only tell
Are peacocks generally pretty good for a cichlid beginner? Tips and/or tricks or videos you would suggest? Thanks.
Surprisingly peacocks can be very hard on each other. Avoid "jake" like lemon jake, otter point and eureka red jake. That family can be very aggressive. So can protomelas like fire hap, Taiwan reef and tangerine tigers. If you stayed with peacocks like Ruby Reds, Bi-color 500, Flavescent, Benga sunshines you should be okay.
where does one buy such a beautiful fish tank like that?
Thank you. You really can't buy it. It's put together over time. You select decor, substrate, fish selection. It comes with time.
hey ben my first real fish besides a betta was two oscars ive had them for about 1 1/2 years now but i would not reccomend them for a begginer.
Do you have a lot of books or do you study on the web, great job beautiful fish 🐠
What about green taxes chichlead
Thanks for the great video. Can I keep a pair of each (10) fish totaling to 20 fish in a 100 gallon tank?
Really depends what kind of fish that you're talking about. Smaller ones, certainly.
Ben Ochart thanks for the reply. I’m going by the fish in your video “ top 10 cichlids for beginners”
Yellow lab all the way. I know they are mbuna but hear me out. They are the least aggressive mbuna and in fact fairly peaceful except for a dominant male. They stay rather on the smaller side. They are very hardy. They are very easy to find at pet stores. And they breed very easy which is awesome. You can also house them with other tropical aquarium fish. I know everybody has their opinions but I have mbuna tank and in my experience all this is true. Also a yellow tail acei but they get a little larger.
I am a total beginner with a Yellow Lab species only tank. I am raising a batch of fry they have already produced now. While I have had a tank 20 years ago I was the Dr Kevorkian of fish keeping and could not keep fish alive for anything. The Yellow Labs have been so easy to care for, and would recommend them to anyone getting into cichlids.
lemonjake are hard to come by in the philippines
Good video👍🎅🎁⛄🎄. Ben how do you feel about the 60g I have a 65g tall I don't like it. I wish I had just got a 75g Is yours a 60 long I see some on Ebay for around £85 but if it's anything like the 65 tall I don't want it.?
JustMyFish 60 or 75 long is a good size for you small to medium Cichlids. If you want some of the bigger varieties you’re going to need a 125 or larger.
@@BenOchart Well my 65g tall was a big mistake years ago now but I still have it even after trying to seel it I even stuck it in fee to collect but no takers lol. I use it as a grow out. I use to keep angle fish in it back in the day. 👍
need recomendations curently have 4 african chiclids 2 bichirs,bala shark,2 angels,clown knife, tiger shovel nose,2 plecos,ropefish,2 gouramis only plan to get a fire eel but open to sugestions
That's quite a combination of fish. All in the same tank?
@@BenOchart yes 90 gallons
No Eureka Red peacock or Haplchromis Mloto (Ivory Head) ?
Both of those are beautiful fish!