FishForums.net Pet of the Month
🐶 POTM Poll is Open! 🦎 Click here to Vote! 🐰

Fiji

New Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2012
Messages
48
Reaction score
0
Location
Texas
Hey everyone. So long story short the rest of my rainbowfish have recently passed from a unidentifiable disease which has not affected the other fish in my tank to my knowledge. The current stock at the moment is: 2 juv. clown loaches, 1 bn pleco, 1 synodontis, 1 Siamese algae eater (NOT Chinese), and 1 juv. blood parrot.
I'd like some advice on my new stock additions:

1) 4-5 Peacock cichlids- I know these are less aggressive than mbunas but can get kinda big after awhile

2) X number of mbuna cichlids- I am aware these are considered aggressive fish, my only concern would be for the blood parrot and SAE.

3) X Victorian Cichlids- I know literally nothing about these except that they are less aggressive than mbunas and are fairly similar to peacocks temperament-wise.

3) A large school of tiger barbs- Semi-aggressive, I have limited experience with barbs
 
What are your water parameters (KH, GH)? The stock you start with has many problems already. Better to fix those first. I might elaborate on those, when we know the water parameters. I would definitely say no to any of the cichlids you mentioned. They are no community fish.
 
What are your water parameters (KH, GH)? The stock you start with has many problems already. Better to fix those first. I might elaborate on those, when we know the water parameters. I would definitely say no to any of the cichlids you mentioned. They are no community fish.
Ammonia- 0.25
Nitrates- <20
Nitrites- 0
pH- 7.8

Don't know the specific KH/GH at the moment but I know for a fact that my tap water is very hard.
I am well aware African cichlids are not community fish. A friend of mine has kept mbunas with clown loaches, Synodontis, and plecos together for many years without any conflict. I plan on selling the clowns when they get too big for my tank.
From what I've read, peacocks are considered aggressive but not as much as mbunas. The only conflict stocking wise I am concerned about is compatibility between the blood parrot and SAE with cichlids. I do know that blood parrots are technically SA cichlids but again, I've personally seen them kept together with Malawis without any problems.

Thank you.
 
There are definitely problems keeping these fish in the same tank, whether you recognize them or not, they are still there and the fish are suffering for it. I'll explain.

First, water parameters for rift lake cichlids and soft water fish like the loaches and SAE are vastly different. The physiology of every species of fish has evolved over thousands of years to function best in fairly specific water parameters. This is not going to change just because an aquarist wants it to, and the fish will be under stress which weakens them. There is no "middle ground" either; one or both groups of fish will lose out.

Second, numbers. Loaches are highly social fish that live in groups and they must have a group. At least five. Given their eventual size (at least eight inches but if they are healthy they should easily attain a foot) this means a very large tank, at least 6 feet in length but preferably larger. SAE are also shoaling fish, so a group of five, and they will get to six inches. Keeping booth these groups together is not advisable.

Fish living under such completely inappropriate environments will not be healthy. Their internal homeostasis will be affected. Outwardly they may appear "fine" to the inexperienced, but I can assure you they are anything but; please have more concern for the welfare of fish before acquiring them. All it takes is some research, and being open to providing what is best for the fish, not what any of us wants to see. The fish deserve as much.

The above doesn't even take into account the nature of some of the cichlids, which is another issue.

Byron.
 
There are definitely problems keeping these fish in the same tank, whether you recognize them or not, they are still there and the fish are suffering for it. I'll explain.

First, water parameters for rift lake cichlids and soft water fish like the loaches and SAE are vastly different. The physiology of every species of fish has evolved over thousands of years to function best in fairly specific water parameters. This is not going to change just because an aquarist wants it to, and the fish will be under stress which weakens them. There is no "middle ground" either; one or both groups of fish will lose out.

Second, numbers. Loaches are highly social fish that live in groups and they must have a group. At least five. Given their eventual size (at least eight inches but if they are healthy they should easily attain a foot) this means a very large tank, at least 6 feet in length but preferably larger. SAE are also shoaling fish, so a group of five, and they will get to six inches. Keeping booth these groups together is not advisable.

Fish living under such completely inappropriate environments will not be healthy. Their internal homeostasis will be affected. Outwardly they may appear "fine" to the inexperienced, but I can assure you they are anything but; please have more concern for the welfare of fish before acquiring them. All it takes is some research, and being open to providing what is best for the fish, not what any of us wants to see. The fish deserve as much.

The above doesn't even take into account the nature of some of the cichlids, which is another issue.

Byron.
If the fish have lived for so long, display normal behavior, and are free of disease, how can you come to a conclusion that they are unhealthy? I apologize if I sound ignorant, I am simply just trying to understand.

IF (rhetorical question) water parameters such as water hardness/pH were factored out, would it be possible for these fish to coexist with any of the selections I listed in my first post?

Thanks.
 
If the fish have lived for so long, display normal behavior, and are free of disease, how can you come to a conclusion that they are unhealthy? I apologize if I sound ignorant, I am simply just trying to understand.

IF (rhetorical question) water parameters such as water hardness/pH were factored out, would it be possible for these fish to coexist with any of the selections I listed in my first post?

Thanks.

To answer your first paragraph question, I would need to write a biology textbook. In short, the external appearance of a fish is not usually indicative of its state of health, mental and physical. Read the two citations in my signature block; we must first understand what a species requires, then provide it, if we want success.

To answer your second paragraph question...no. The species mentioned have such diverse requirements with respect to numbers and the space (aquarium size and volume), their environment (the "decor" and set-up), and then their inherent behaviours. And, each of these is a governing factor in how a fish "lives," meaning how its homeostasis functions. I can guarantew that there is no way that these species can bee "healthy" unless they are given what they are programmed by nature to "expect."

Byron.
 

Most reactions

trending

Staff online

Back
Top