Fish Thread

[CrazyCochin]

They’re all so gorgeous. are the different continent ones supposed to fight normally?

Thank you. Some aquarium enthusiasts will tell you that the South Americans and the Africans can be aggressive towards each other, but it’s mostly just about temperaments and emphasis on water parameters.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Thank you. Some aquarium enthusiasts will tell you that the South Americans and the Africans can be aggressive towards each other, but it’s mostly just about temperaments and emphasis on water parameters.

Huh, interesting! Thanks! It makes sense they would though being from different areas but then again maybe ones from the same areas attack too?

 

[KingD]

@KingB, here are our babies from this year.
And our Cobalt Zebra Malawi (Mbuna), Big blue. She has been trying to get one of our multiple males to fertilize her eggs, but they all swim away from her and hide.
View attachment 2934169View attachment 2934170

Wow. I love them!

 

[ColtHandorf]

containing Africans, and South Americans breeds

Some aquarium enthusiasts will tell you that the South Americans and the Africans can be aggressive towards each other, but it’s mostly just about temperaments and emphasis on water parameters.

I was literally about to say this. It is ill-advised to keep African and South American cichlids in the same aquarium. While most fish now are captive-bred, some are still wild-caught. In the cases where wild-caught specimens are housed in aquariums, it is crucial that the water parameters be as close to the waters they were removed from. Especially for breeding. The biotypes of the two areas are vastly different as well.

South American (lower pH, driftwood, live plants [with some species], sometimes tannin-rich water, higher temperatures):

African (higher pH, hardscape generally sand/rock/and even shell bottom, rocky outcroppings, hardy plants like Val. sp.):

Diets of the two species are alos different. Mbuna and the other smaller, African cichlids graze on algae in the wild. In captivity theiy require vegetable supplmentation in order to remain healthy and not succumb to a condition known as Malawi bloat, caused by protien-rich diets. South American cichlids generally do better on a higher protein diet with occasional greens to keep their tummys happy and healthy.

The two groups of cichlids behavior is also different and they do not always understand posturing and body language of different species. When breeding, altercations may be more severe.

In general, responsible and serious hobbyists do not reccommend keeping fish from different continents together. Most won't even keep the various mbuna together to avoid hybridization between the species if breeding is encouraged.

Also keep in mind that some cichlids are completely unsuited to being in a mixed aquarium because of aggression or size. And others conversely may not be able to hold their own, or are too small or delicate. Discus and the dwarf cichlids come to mind.

 

[CrazyCochin]

I was literally about to say this. It is ill-advised to keep African and South American cichlids in the same aquarium. While most fish now are captive-bred, some are still wild-caught. In the cases where wild-caught specimens are housed in aquariums, it is crucial that the water parameters be as close to the waters they were removed from. Especially for breeding. The biotypes of the two areas are vastly different as well.

South American (lower pH, driftwood, live plants [with some species], sometimes tannin-rich water, higher temperatures):

View attachment 2934511View attachment 2934512View attachment 2934513View attachment 2934517View attachment 2934514
African (higher pH, hardscape generally sand/rock/and even shell bottom, rocky outcroppings, hardy plants like Val. sp.):
View attachment 2934515View attachment 2934519View attachment 2934516View attachment 2934520View attachment 2934521
Diets of the two species are alos different. Mbuna and the other smaller, African cichlids graze on algae in the wild. In captivity theiy require vegetable supplmentation in order to remain healthy and not succumb to a condition known as Malawi bloat, caused by protien-rich diets. South American cichlids generally do better on a higher protein diet with occasional greens to keep their tummys happy and healthy.

The two groups of cichlids behavior is also different and they do not always understand posturing and body language of different species. When breeding, altercations may be more severe.

In general, responsible and serious hobbyists do not reccommend keeping fish from different continents together. Most won't even keep the various mbuna together to avoid hybridization between the species if breeding is encouraged.

Also keep in mind that some cichlids are completely unsuited to being in a mixed aquarium because of aggression or size. And others conversely may not be able to hold their own, or are too small or delicate. Discus and the dwarf cichlids come to mind.

Thank you for all this wonderful information Colt, we will take this information in as we go forward in the fish hobby. But we have had multiple Cichlid types together for at least two years, and we have not had any severe aggression problems. They have all set up their own territories in the tank, and they get along just fine.

 

[ColtHandorf]

Thank you for all this wonderful information Colt, we will take this information in as we go forward in the fish hobby. But we have had multiple Cichlid types together for at least two years, and we have not had any severe aggression problems. They have all set up their own territories in the tank, and they get along just fine.

It can work, but more often than not, it doesn't. However, that being said, I only noticed the Firemouth and that abominable Blood Parrot (the franken-hybrid) representing team South America. Firemouths are one of the better behaved, smaller S. Am. cichlids. And the hybrids are a mixed bag. It's probably one of the sweet derpy ones that doesn't cause a lot of issues. I wouldn't recommend chunking any new ones in there, or adding species like Jack Dempsey, Green Terror, Oscars, Convicts, etc.

 

[CrazyCochin]

It can work, but more often than not, it doesn't. However, that being said, I only noticed the Firemouth and that abominable Blood Parrot (the franken-hybrid) representing team South America. Firemouths are one of the better behaved, smaller S. Am. cichlids. And the hybrids are a mixed bag. It's probably one of the sweet derpy ones that doesn't cause a lot of issues. I wouldn't recommend chunking any new ones in there, or adding species like Jack Dempsey, Green Terror, Oscars, Convicts, etc.

Thank you. I will keep this in mind. (The Fire mouth is my personal favorite, no harm shall come to him. )

We had an Electric blue Jack Dempsey. We were able to keep two in the mixed tank (both have passed a while back), and the oldest one (Kept alive for over a year) was more of a scaredy-cat than a fighter, but he made pretty eye candy.
(We don’t have convicts, Green terrors, (as suggested by the name), and have never had Oscars.)

We love our Cichlids, especially when they make sand and gravel mountains, and we wouldn’t want to do them any harm.

 

[CrazyCochin]

For anyone interested.

 

[cluckingheck]

Is it me or does this betta look older than 9 weeks? The listing for it was added the 21st

 

[KingD]

@TheOddOneOut , are you on https://www.fishforums.net/ ?