I bought a 40 gallon Breeder tank & want to start keeping Cichlids. I've read allot of forums & most say minimum tank should be a 55g. Well, I don't have the space for a 55g & am wondering which of the Cichlids Family would flourish in a 40g Breeder tank? Please speak from experience not just guessing. This is important because I don't want to put any fish in Harms way by keeping Cichlids that don't get along together for one reason or another. Please list pro's & con's & names of Cichlid fish you are speaking about. I'm very new to this & the terminologies. Thanks for any help.

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Brian

You can look into dwarf cichlids. Fish like tanganikans are a good size for them. Then there is some apisto's. But they prefer soft water to thrive.

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A good starting dwarf cichlid I'd recommend is pelvicachromis pulcher (Kribensis). They are very hardy and can easily adapt to most aquarium environments. If you prefer SA dwarf cichlids then you can go with Apistogramma Cacatuoides (Cockatoo cichlid). They are one of the hardier species in the apistogramma genus. They can also tolerate higher pH.

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Thank you for the information. After researching you suggestions, I'll most likely be going with Apistogramma Cacatuoides provided I can locate them at my LFS. They seem like the easiest cichlid to try. Thanks

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Brian

I would also look into Rams. Blue German Rams are great fish.

Bolivian Rams or Any Other Color Morph Of The Ram - A peaceful fish that gets about three inches long. The good points of the Ram is that it is small in mature size [3"], colorful with various color morphs and are peaceful and social with tank mates. Something that is difficult to find in New World Cichlids. But the Ram does have the characteristic behaviors of the cichlid when they are getting into or are in breeding states and when they have babys.

Convicts - A negative about the Convict is that they are the rabbits of the fish world and not a lot of people are willing to take the numerous fry that will be produced. They are excellent and protective parents which makes the chances of a larger percentage of the fry surviving. The Convict is also extremely aggressive, apparently even when they are still young babies. So tank mates with convicts in a forty gallon tank would be limited. But they are extremely fun to watch.

Double Full Red Cockatoo Cichlid - A pair can be rather expensive but they are less aggressive than other Central / South American Cichlids. They like planted tanks with hiding spots. They get three and a half inches long. Do not put them with more aggressive fish. Rams would be a good tank mate or other various Apistogrammas which has the same requirements as the Double Full Red Cockatoo Cichlid and are not nearly as expensive.

Angelfish - They get about six inches in size. They are semi-aggressive which makes them a "peaceful" fish in the cichlid family. It needs to be housed with fish that will not go after its long fins.

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A baby Pink Marble Convict and an even younger standard baby Convict.

Here is a little information about Apistogramma Cacatuoides:

Apistogramma Cacatuoides - Cockatoo Apisto

A 40 breeder is low for angels, but ideal for any smaller cichlid. I used to breed buckets of cacatuoides, and it's a nice fish. However, one pair per tank, and that's a lot of tank for one small pair. You can have tetras with them, but.
The Kribensis is bigger, easier to get and still fairly peaceful (Pelvicachromis pulcher). They are easier to manage when they breed too - much more harmonious as pairs for raising the babies. A. cacatuoides do fight sometimes.

Pet stores are becoming more and more limited in their offerings, but if you can find Nanacara anomala, it's great to learn with too. The Bolivian ram, M altispinosa, is good, but I disagree on M ramirezi, the regular ram. It's really delicate.
The ideal is Apistogramma borellii, but it's hard to find now. They can be bred in a 40 with a bunch of pairs coexisting and behaving in really interesting ways.

You need to know your water chemistry though. If your water's hard, then the choices become different. Cichlids tend to be highly adapted in their water preferences. East African, Central American, North American and Asian cichlids have generally evolved with a need for hard water, and rainforest West African and South American species need soft water. The fish I mentioned above are South American, but they are in the middle.