Cichlids...With Guppy?!?! What The?

[razer121]

ok before ANYONE says..... this was not ment to happen!! i swear, before setting up the final preps of the cichlids tank (t-bars) i put in a few guppy fry just to make sure it was safe, even though i tested the water i had a breading pair of cichlids...didnt want them to die i know its a little harsh on the guppys but other people feed guppys to there cichlids!anyway...i thought i took out all the baby guppys before i added the cichlids...anyhow yesterday i noticed something swim across the back but couldnt see it or what it was, i guessed i just imagend it but...today what do i find!! a guppy!!! which has grown and is LIVING with the 2 cichlids....now i exspected these guys to rip her apart but there not...they swim with her and even FEED with her, yet when i trialed there own young back into there tank (i wanted the baby cichlids to live with them for abit to even out the numbers in the small 90l tank) they ripped them up in seconds...yet this guppy lol i dont know what is going on, should i attempt to get her out? ive not caught them chase her once, no aggression AT ALL what is going on? are t-bar cichlids smart enough to "make friends" with other types of fish? surely this shouldnt be possible!! and...

for any who think i talking out my....heres some pictures

look omg there eating together!!!

how mad is that?

 

[MOW4T]

i had guppies in with my GT, they lasted months and months then got... munched

 

[Cichlid_Crazy]

Haha that guppy will probably be fine with T-Bars they are pretty gentle and not exactly predatory.

I have seen a ton of Guppys in a tank with 12" Severums and 14" uarus before...probably dumped in as feeders (in a LFS display tank) and the guy in there said they have been in tehre for atleast 2 years and breeding liek crazy...and that the Cichlids were not interested in them at all! ...they ate pellets and frozen food bigger than the guppys lol!

 

[Curiosity101]

Hmm, it could be that they recognise she isn't of their species and therefore isn't direct competition (unlike their offspring).
If they're a relatively peaceful species then it makes sense that they wouldn't attack a fish that they recognise as being a completely different species.

 

[razer121]

well what is really odd is....everywhere i read on the internet says there very territalral fish...and are aggresive...which does not really make any sense at all!! are t-bars calm then?? even my lfs seems to think they wouldnt do ok with others...apparantly i can only keep them with the same size fish....

 

[Cichlid_Crazy]

I think they are...i would say Firemouths were worse...and they are pretty placid.

T-Bars are about the same level of agression as the very closley related Honduran Red Points...but nowhere near as aggressive as Convicts.

 

[Curiosity101]

I'm not sure myself, I was going by what cichlid crazy said...

Right just been for a quick read, the message I am getting is that they aren't too aggressive/territorial unless they are breeding. And even then the aggression seems to be purely territorial as opposed to attacking to harm.

Sounds plausible...I'd never have tried a guppy myself just cause they're almost bite sized. But this little stowaway seems to be getting along fine...

 

[razer121]

i know its mad, i never thought id see it...well i think i will leave her in there for a while...if i notice any aggression out she comes....

 

[Knox213]

i know its mad, i never thought id see it...well i think i will leave her in there for a while...if i notice any aggression out she comes....

I Know some-one who ditched a baby goldfish in with 2 oscars... And they Eat ANYTHING.

Six months on the goldfish is around 3-4 inchs and has'nt been touched.


So nope I Would'nt realy bother moving the guppy until you see some aggresion or acts of aggresion

Also

such a pretty female!

 

[razer121]

cool! i thought i was only going to be able to keep the 2 cichlids in there!, the females mother unfortunatly died shortly after given birth to her, shame as i wont be able to get anymore of them as i do think she will turn into a lovly female as she gets older

 

[Knox213]

cool! i thought i was only going to be able to keep the 2 cichlids in there!, the females mother unfortunatly died shortly after given birth to her, shame as i wont be able to get anymore of them as i do think she will turn into a lovly female as she gets older

If she does breed her you'll end up with some buetiful fry