Your favourite Cichlid

[Malibu]

Hey everyone, I've got my new 60 gal long up and running. In about a month, it will be ready for some new babies!

What I would love is for everyone to tell me about your favourite Cichlid, right down to the last detail.

The reason is, I know I want cichlids in my new tank, but I don't know what type. I'm hoping with your help, I'll be able to decide. I do know that I do not want Parrots...

(Pics would really help, too)

[OldMan]

The only ones that I own, besides angels, are rainbow cichlids, Herotilapia multispinosa. They live in my tanks in hard water with a pH of 7.8 at about 75F. Once they reach adult size, they are easy to breed but I have had to siphon out the newborn fry when I wanted to keep some. The parental care was OK for a few days but then the fry would disappear. I feed my newborns on microworms and Walter worms. Once they get big enough they start to get finely crushed flake food and a variety of small frozen foods. These fish are avid plant eaters and now that some of the fry have grown to almost an inch long they are enjoying more greens in their diet all the time.

My adults
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll251/Oldman1947/Rainbows/6Rainbows800b.jpg

and an adult in breeding colors with fry
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll251/Oldman1947/Rainbows/MomAndChild2_800.jpg

[GaryofMontreal]

My favourite cichlid, after 15 years of keeping them, is one that's hard to find :Pelvicachromis taeniatus. It's a close relative of the krib (Pelvicachromis pulcher). It's a little smaller, a little more colourful and slightly easier going. They hug the bottom, breed fairly easily and practice amazing broodcare.
The best ones are from Cameroon.
You can build a non-cichlid community around them, but unlike kribs, they get bullied by other cichlids. Kribs are way tougher.

Temp: 24-26, pH 6.6 to 7.5, low to medium hardness.


http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj193/montrealguy_2008/mommataeniatus.jpg