Cichlid Tank Setup

This post is about ideal cichlid tank setup- size, substrate, plants, pH, temperature and a little on filtration recommendations. I only own South American cichlids, so I speak from experience with those species (as opposed to African cichlids).

Size- With my 2 Jack Dempseys and 1 Oscar cichlid, I use 30 gallons for the Oscar, and 50 gallons for the 2 Dempseys. This might seem slightly small to other fish keepers, but this setup is currently working really well for me. Others may recommend 55-75 gallon tanks. I guess bigger is always better unless you don't have quite enough space. However if you have barely any space for a larger aquarium, cichlids probably aren't the best choice. If you have multiple cichlids in one tank, a longer tank, as opposed to taller, is better. This is so each tank occupant has their own space (cichlids can be very territorial).

Substrate- A finer substrate is recommended for cichlids due to the fact that they dig out areas to make nests. The finer the substrate the easier it is to make nests. I use Quikrete play sand as my substrate for both tanks. That type of sand is cheap ($3 for a 50 lb bag), and is available at Home Depot or Lowe's.
Fine gravel is also a good choice, but smoother edged gravel is good so the fish don't hurt themselves.
1'' to 1.5'' of gravel or sand on the bottom is ideal.

Plants- Plants that are actually rooted into the ground are not so good for cichilds, because they will just rip them out in their nest making process. Floating plants are much better because you still get the benefit of having live plants, but get it without disturbing the cichlids. In my tanks, I use a type of floating plant called pennywort. I like pennywort because it actually looks good, while a lot of other floating plants look like weeds (which is really what they are).

Pennywort in an aquarium (also notice the fine gravel/sand)

pH & Temperature- The pH for most South American cichlids is about 7. The ideal temperature is about 71-77 F.

Filtration- I recommend the the brand Aqueon, which is a cartridge filter. It's rather inexpensive, and the only downside is having to buy more filter cartridges, but they work really well and you don't have to change them that often. I use them in all but one of my tanks, and they keep the water nice and clean.