South American Community?

[guppymonkey]

I have one young firemouth and can't figure out what other cichlids I could keep with it. Are there any other south american cichlids that I could put in the same tank?

 

[CFC]

Firemouths are central American cichlids not south American.

Any other relatively peaceful medium sized cichlid would work, oscars, severums and geophagus species would all work.

 

[cometcattle]

Are you referring to your 55g?

 

[Warrior]

Blue acaras and jewls can go good with, but as CFC said any smaller cichlid goes well. Dont know about oscras though.

 

[cometcattle]

Blue acaras and jewls can go good with, but as CFC said any smaller cichlid goes well. Dont know about oscras though.

Blue acaras and Jewels are African, but they might work.

 

[CFC]

Blue acara's are south American

Jewels are a incredibly aggressive small cichlid that should really only be kept in a species tank, they would take firemouths apart for fun

 

[Vip]

All depends really, Box Forrest Jewl are known to be the more agressive one of the family. I say it will work, i have 2 acaras with my jewl, they get along well.
But as always all cichlids have differnt additudes so it is a risk with jewls.

 

[Dwarfs]

Jewels are a incredibly aggressive small cichlid that should really only be kept in a species tank, they would take firemouths apart for fun

My pair did Rainbow cichlids are great too. They also breed easily and take good care of their young Without haveing to kill other fish

 

[cometcattle]

Blue acara's are south American

Oops. Sorry. )

 

[guppymonkey]

Firemouths are central American cichlids not south American.

Oops sorry! I forgot that they were central american.

I thought oscars would be too big to be in the same tank as medium sized cichlids?

 

[CFC]

As long as the fish are over 4" so the oscar cant eat them they are fine, oscars are not overly aggressive cichlids in reality, they just get a bad press because they are often the first "aggressive" fish most people come across. In real trems of aggressiveness oscars are no more aggressive than severums and firemouths.

 

[guppymonkey]

My firemouth is aggressive enough! I bought him at Petsmart but had to stop at another pet store on the way home. He had bitten holes in his bag! Water was spurting out of at least a dozen tiny holes. I had to rush into another pet store and explain that I needed a bag because the fish I had bought at their competitor had bitten holes in the the bag! At least they were nice about it, I will probably get my next fish from them because of the help they gave.

I have read that a lot of cichlids, like firemouths and oscars, are prone to digging in the substrate. Is there any way to stop them from knocking over the decorations in their tanks? Or will I have to keep fixing everything once they get big enough to move ornaments?

By the way CFC, the picture of the oscar tank in your signature is amazing looking. I have seen some oscars kept in bare bottomed tanks and your picture looks so much better than that!

 

[juanveldez]

no there isn't a way to get them to stop from digging most cichlids are diggers by nature I can't even keep plastic plants in one peice with my JD as he is always moving them to suit his needs

 

[mc jms]

one good way that i have found is to give them alot of gravel. That way they can dig until their hearts content. You can bury the plants really deep. The second thing to do is to put in a plastic plant pot that you cut a hole in and place upside down, like a little cave. My convicts dug up the gravel so much they buried the pot, except for the entrance hole! They're gonna dig no matter what you do, so give em some gravel and let em have some fun! Good luck

 

[Ron]

I have a firemouth with a Blue Ram, Pink Convict, and Blood Parrots. It works out great. Yes, the firemouth always is picking up gravle andspittingit out, but it doesn't seem to bother my plants.