Basically All Cichlids Are Aggressive Right?

[milkmanv1]

I have a ten gallon tank which is probably too small for cichlids anyway but I was just wondering most Cichlids are aggressive towards anything else right? Because I really liked some Tiger Oscars I saw earlier today but remembered there only good in communitys of there own. Sooo anyway topic is my question.

 

[invader]

Well, no, not all cichlids are aggressive, but the majority are territorial. Tiger Oscars are not very aggressive, but in a smaller tank, it would not tolerate others in it's territory. They should be kept in tanks 55gls+ (75gl+ are much better, IMO) and any tank mates should be able to defend themselves. Other larger cichlids, though, can be highly aggressive, but they obviously cannot fit in your small tank.

There are dwarf cichlids that might fit in a 10gl (I'm no expert on them, I like the larger ones) and they are typically peaceful and enjoy having a mate and only get aggressive towards tank mates when spawning.

 

[Musho3210]

ive kept bolivian rams before and i see no agressive behavior besides kissing (a fight that looks like kissing, doesnt pose a threat)

 

[ArauraDiscus]

And tiger oscars need an absolute minimum of a 55 gallon tank. They get 2 feet long and will smash themselves into the side of the ten gallon tank during feeding time, breaking the glass.

 

[RoscoMcFish]

really depends, if you keep a fish in isolation with its own tank then add a new tank mate its going to kick off as they are inherently territorial. But ive often found if fish are with other species from an early age they accept their presence and feeding your fish a lot can help take away much of their aggression, i have Oscars, jack Dempsey's and jaguars living quite happily with my convicts and jelly beans[parrot/convict cross, very agressive] even though any of my larger fish could easily gulp them down in one mouthfull. And ive seen very beautiful Malawi tanks with dozens of different species all living peacefully with each other.

Space also helps, if your cichlids have at least an area they can lay claim to and call their own, they are happy enough to tolerate other species. Males to female ratios can also cause problems, just depends really. If you have a smallish tank and want to study the agression of cichlids id recommend jewel cichlids, their right little bastards.

 

[Jake Jackson]

If you're limited to a 10 gallon, go African with Tanginikyan Shell Dwellers, They colonize and live in shells.

 

[ox5477]

If the ten is the limit, then yes, jake's idea of going with the shell dwellers is a great idea make sure you do some research on the african cichlid forum first though to make sure you have the tank and water parms set up correctly.

If you wanna stay new worlds and have a community setting, really the best choice is getting one ram, bolivian or german, and you could have it with a school of small community fish, ie. danios, tetras, rasboras, guppies, etc.

But if I may make a suggestion, especially if this is your first tank, get a bigger tank. Most first time fish keepers think smaller is better (as it costs less and would seem to be easier to take care of) but in actuallity, it is very hard to keep a tank below 20G clean and healthy. One little spark of illness or a mini cycle can send the tank quickly spiraling out of control with all of your fish dead within days or even hours. A 30G is a good starter for any beginner. It isn't huge and is still very reasonable when taking dollars and cents. Also, your stocking options widen quite a bit just by making the tank slightly bigger Just food for thought....

 

[Jake Jackson]

But if I may make a suggestion, especially if this is your first tank, get a bigger tank. Most first time fish keepers think smaller is better (as it costs less and would seem to be easier to take care of) but in actuallity, it is very hard to keep a tank below 20G clean and healthy. One little spark of illness or a mini cycle can send the tank quickly spiraling out of control with all of your fish dead within days or even hours. A 30G is a good starter for any beginner. It isn't huge and is still very reasonable when taking dollars and cents. Also, your stocking options widen quite a bit just by making the tank slightly bigger Just food for thought....

Agreed, don't be like me abd have a heap of tens and trying to pawn em off on fmaily members so you can get bigger... Just start bigger!

 

[jollysue]

Standard advice for new fish hobbyists: Start with the largest tank you can manage. Although it is always good to have a back up ten gal.