cichlid confusion

[skye4jc]

NOTE: i have also posted this in the "New World Cichlids" section.

I have always been told that cichlids, whether african or other, should not be kept with any other fish... in other words, cichlid tanks are for cichlids only, and any other tropical fish should live elsewhere. is this true, or are thier instances where cichlids can live with other types of fish? if so, how do you determine these rare instances? (whats the secret?)

and one more thing... you cant mix african cichlids with south american ones can you? if so, why exactly is that??

thanks for clarifying...

Skye

 

[glolite]

It mostly comes down to aggression with cichlids. They are very territorial so should be kept in a spacious tank ie:55g or more with plenty of rocks to make their own territory behind. It is better to keep the same species because they will interbreed which messes uo the oedigree if you see what I mean. However, saying that, I have 2 Africans and 2 New world cichlids ( got with 2nd hand tank so not my choice). They sort of get on but there are lots of 'spats' and my male frontosa has attacked one of the New worlds when she nipped his fin.

I'm now faced with rehoming most of mine before they get too aggressive and big and start killing each other. I would strongly advise against mixing them and stick with one species, say 1 male to 3 or 4 females then you'll hopefully end up with a breeding pair.

Hope this helps.

 

[Snowie]

Angelfish and Kribs are often kept in communities. Several of the dwaf cichlids form south america can be kept with small peacefull fish in community tanks.

Another reason not to mix African and (south) american cichlids are the water requirements. African ones prefer hard water while south american cichlids usually want soft.

 

[semper fi]

another reason not to mix africans with south americans is the difference in diet requirements. besides aggression and water requirements you should also consider the diet of the fish in question.

africans are mostly herbivores. meaning that high protein diets can cause malawi bloat. fish do not have a stomach, rather a very long intestinal tract where the food is broken down. fat and protein are not stored in herbivores so there is no where for it to go. the fat and protein goes through the intestinal tract unable to be broken down which in turn irritates the tract. this causes malawi bloat.

south americans are omnivores. they need a diet of high protein content along with some vegetable. they are able to break down protein. high fat foods are not favorable as the fat is not able to be used. carnivores will be able to break down and store fat.

 

[fufanu360]

i acually dont find my cichlids to be territorial, they are just downrite aggresive, i wouldnt reccomend puttin anything un cichlid, unless its like a catfish or plec or somthing, but with dwarfs and angel, they make good communities, i guess discus do too

 

[freddyk]

Cichlids cover such a vast group of fish, it is IMPOSSIBLE to make any general statement like 'cichlids can't be kept with non-cichlids'.

The fact is, in the right tank, under the right conditions, and carefuly selected, most cichlids can be kept with non-cichlids. Mbuna are certainly a big exception, and not the only one. For beginners it's often safest to say this because it's easy to mess up if you don't know what you're doing.

africans are mostly herbivores

Quite the opposite, most are omnivores, and many are insectivores or preditors or micropreditors. Mbuna, and certain Tanganyikans like Tropheus, must be fed non-veggie products carefully, but certain meat protiens are usually still an important part of their diet.

As far as mixing Africans and New Worlds, it can be done, but is not recommended by any means. Water perameters are actually not much of an issue, but diet is, and most importantly the behavioral differences are an issue. African rift lake cichlids are endemic to their biotopes and have evolved unique behaviors because of it - for this reason they're best kept with other cichlids of their own temperment and behavior type, or those of which are sure to be compatable.

 

[skye4jc]

cool, thanks you guys. that helps a wee bit. im sure theres a lot of info on these guys, and im no cichlid expert... but this gives me some good answers to give to my customers when they ask the same questions.

any and all advice is always appreciated. rock on!

 

[Ferris]

With africans, especially Mbuna from lake Malawi, very few fish can live in the same tank with them due to the agression. There are exceptions though, I had 2 Bala sharks in my Mbuna tank for a couple of years and they were fine. Also I know people have has success with clown loaches, Plec's and Synodontis catfish are usually OK. Southe Americans and most Africans are definately a no no due to the different water and diet requirements.