I'm A Little Confused

[picothepleco]

I want some SA dwarf cichlids in my 30 gallon, I was thinking some Rams. However, when I went into my LFS to have my water tested (everything is fine except my PH is 6.8, I'm working on that) my usual fish person wasn't there. This person told me that I could only keep Cichlids with other Cichlids, but everywhere that I have been on the internet says that SAD cichlids can be in a community tank. So, which is it, can they be in a community with other species of fish or not? Currently my tank has 4 platys and one albino cory.  I don't mind getting rid of the platys (if I have to) but I really wanted to get some pygmy corys. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[Chad]

Some cichlids certainly can be kept in a community tank. For example I have kept kribensis and angelfish (both cichlids) with community fish. I know many people who keep rams in community tanks as well.

 

[ReddSamurai]

i have 2 german blue rams in my community tank, rams prefer lower pH too so its worth researching(generally between 6.6 and 7)

 

[picothepleco]

Some cichlids certainly can be kept in a community tank. For example I have kept kribensis and angelfish (both cichlids) with community fish. I know many people who keep rams in community tanks as well.

Thanks, I think I will go with what my research has proven and go ahead with a community tank. Do angels eat live plants? Do they have small ones? The only kind I have ever seen in stores have been quite big.

i have 2 german blue rams in my community tank, rams prefer lower pH too so its worth researching(generally between 6.6 and 7)

Aren't german blues' more delicate than thier bolivian cousins?

 

[Chad]

I would go for the rams if I were you over the angel. The angel is a more aggressive and much larger fish.

 

[Wills]

As said above most American cichlids can be kept with other fish and it often benefits them as most Cichlids often use other smaller fish as an indicator that the coast is clear of predators Also with a ph of 6.8 your in perfect conditions for South American dwarf Cichlids like Bolivian Rams
 
Wills

 

[Chad]

...it often benefits them as most Cichlids often use other smaller fish as an indicator that the coast is clear of predators...

That's a good bit of info.

 

[picothepleco]

As said above most American cichlids can be kept with other fish and it often benefits them as most Cichlids often use other smaller fish as an indicator that the coast is clear of predators

Also with a ph of 6.8 your in perfect conditions for South American dwarf Cichlids like Bolivian Rams

 
Wills

That makes way more sense then to keep them in a cichlid only tank. Out in nature they're surrounded by other types of fish since most of them reside in slow moving rivers and such, it wouldn't be possible for them to be so secluded from other species. Thank you

 

[Chad]

To be clear though, many cichlids to benefit from a specialized tank, especially African Lake cichlids. South American cichlids live in quite a different environment.

 

[Wills]

Dont get me wrong Africans are totally different and some large Central Americans just cant be kept in most tanks with anything else.
 
But yeah in the hobby the other fish are called dither fish or target fish - the dither fish do as I described up there and often help shy cichlids come out a lot more it makes a huge difference to fish like Keyhole Cichlids, Nannacara and Laetacara but I have had large Severums go shy if their tank has no smaller schooling fish to give them confidence.
 
Target fish are for larger fish and are generally quite shiney - eg Silver Dollars - they act as distractions to aggressive cichlids but this also applies to smaller cichlids as well if you had a tank of dwarfs for example a school of Neons will help break up line of site between bickering cichlids
 
Wills

 

[Chad]

I agree with you, I just wanted to make sure someone didn't come along and think we meant ALL cichlids...can you imagine an Oscar in a community tank?

 

[Wills]

Lol yeah I think we were posting at the same time.
 
Some Oscars and fish of that size also benefit from being part of a mix of fish though, rather than just alone - on the flip side some just have to be kept alone - obviously this kind of community would be a very different tank as all tank mates would need to be bigger
 
Wills