life expectancies, new tank

[shirley]

Hi All! I was just wondering why the life span of the dwarf cichlids is only a couple of years? Many tropical fish live for much longer. Also, what is the smallest size tank I could use for a pair of Bolivian rams and a trio of checkerboards? I have several large tanks, but would love to set up a small tank with just these few fish. Would dithers be advisable? Shirley

[Neil]

shirley,
It is kind of difficult to suggest a minimum tank-size for 2 different species of Cichlids. There are so many variables involved, including the individual personalities of the specific fish that you have. From a general species perspective, it would be agood idea to give the pair of Microgeophagus a fair amount of space because they can get quite large. A trio of Dicrossus requires a fair amount of space also because they can be aggressive towards a conspecific. In other words, the third fish may be the target of some aggression and will need to be able to get away.
The heavy structuring of the tank and the addition of dithers would certainly help in closer quarters. But they are both going to be competing for groundspace and not the upper water column.
A 55g would be your best bet, but it is possible that you can work with a much smaller space. Just keep in mind that breeding can disrupt an otherwise mellow tank.
Neil

[Randall]

Dear Shirley,

Some species of dwarf cichlids only live for about two years, I expect, but others live much longer. My Keyhole cichlids, for example, are five years old and going strong. It can take about two years for some of the larger dwarf species to reach full maturity.

In captivity, longer life spans can be expected than in the wild, if the fish are well fed and well cared for, because less energy is spent foraging for food, escaping predation and warding off disease. Consequently, the fish generally grow larger than their wild counterparts as well.

Good luck!

Randall Kohn