tanganyikan or south american in a 30g

[Jake Kissinger]

Okay so I have a 30 gallon with mostly Malawi's. 5 Acei, 5 yellows, 2 OB peacocks, and then 5 tanganyikan's which are baby neolamprologus brichardis. Also 2 barbs from before I got cichlids.
I just was given another 30 gallon, which I plan to put in my bedroom (current one in hallway by entrance). I'm trying to decide between making it either a south american, or a tanganyikan tank. I grew up with my father having a bunch of south americans. An oscar of course, a butterkoferi (african, I know. but acts like a SA), 2 huge plecos, and some others I can't quite remember. I love being able to feed an oscar right out of your hand and the aggressiveness they have. I'm interested in but not limited to terrors, oscars, convicts, Festae, rams, Geophagus tocantins (grow out fish), moori's, and Jack Dempseys. I do like tanganyikans though, they're fun to watch (malwai more so in my opinion). Out of tanganyikans I like Teleogramma brichardi's (and neos.), tropheus's, Frontosas, Leleupis, trets, and compressiceps among others.
Will the 30g get packed if I have too many south americans? Since they like to get big. Should I get a 50g for south americans?
Also, if I do end up going with tanganyikans should I move my neo brichardis from my other (malawi) tank to the new one? I'd really like to keep some in my current tank, really good looking fish. I hear they like to fight the Acei, but right now the brichardis are very young and small, the acei are young too but bigger. Shouldn't some be fine if they grow up together? Or will one get torn apart during breeding? Maybe I could just leave 1?
I know it sounds silly but from what I've seen south americans seem to interact with humans more.

Oscars are one of my favorite fish, but tanganykians have more variety. Which should I choose? Which tank will have the most activity? Like I said this will be in my room and I will be watching them alot (instead of TV ).



Thanks for your help,
Jake

[Chuck Vasquez]

i cant give an expert opinion because i haven't been keeping fish nearly as long as alot of people here, but i would say move your brichardis and let them grow up and start a colony in your new tank, when they get older i know they will kill all of the other fish that aren't there kind. my favorite fish to watch right now are Pseudotropheus. but that changes a lot. as for the grow out fish, i could sell you some of mine later, they get fairly big i guess so i would say get a 55 first. and i couldnt figure out why your name sounded so fimilur but i think i got it. ill talk to you later i think. -chuck.

[Chuck Pollet]

Hey Jake, I gave you my opinion at the school, but I'll put it here too. I think you should go with the cichlids that are going to end up living in that tank, and match the purpose of the tank. Right now you want to be able to watch the 30 gallon tanks like show tanks. Maybe when you get the 55 gallon tank, you can change them into grow out tanks for fry or whatever, but for now you plan to look at them and appriciate them like show tanks. So I would suggest getting a group of cichlids that can live awhile in that tank. So go with some of the smaller Tanganyikans maybe. You could keep a species tank where you encorage the cichlids to pair up and expect a few casualties, or you could mix all sorts of small species togeather and keep mostly lone cichlids, or plan for them to fight it out a bit if you have groups. If they are trying to pair off they will be super aggressive to others. Anyway, lots of rocks piled up all over the place will help with aggression. Like in Fleshman's room.

[Jake Kissinger]

I ended up going with tanganyikans, south americans can wait for a bigger tank. I got a Frontosa and 2 Malerai. I'll work up from there. Thanks for the suggestions.

[Chuck Pollet]

Hey Jake! Are you still out there bud? How are your fish?