help with my cichlids ASAP

[rivendel]

i just got my 5 cichlids, im new to this coz i only got goldfish and have no idea how to take care of my cichlids.. my question is what kind of food should i feed to them? flakes? pellets? tropical flakes? and whats the right temperature.. their size is like one stick of marlboro and the smallest is like half of it.. i got them on my 10 gal tank is this too small for them? and can i put some of my goldfish with them? and by the way i know its a cichlids but i dont know what kind can you please take a look at the picture and tell me thanks to all of you...

[rivendel]

http://i400.photobucket.com/albums/pp89/rivendel/P1281002.jpg

http://i400.photobucket.com/albums/pp89/rivendel/P1281003.jpg

http://i400.photobucket.com/albums/pp89/rivendel/P1281004.jpg

[rivendel]

and do i need to put a aquarium salt and like the goldfish when changing water do i need to put water conditioner?

[Lupin]

and do i need to put a aquarium salt and like the goldfish when changing water do i need to put water conditioner?
Does your water conditioner bind chlorine and chloramine? No need to use aquarium salt. There is a big difference between mineral salts which is used in some cases for African setups and aquarium salt which is best used as treatment for ich only. Both are not necessary.

[bitteraspects]

and if you put the goldfish in there, they may end up being lunch

[tydus]

Those are Pundamilia Nyererei, but I'm unsure of the variant. Nice pickups. But, I'm afraid a 10 gallon is WAY too small. These fish are highly aggressive and will kill each other one by one if they don't have the room. I have a big colony of the same fish (atleast 10+ fish) in a 60 gallon and my male has killed 3 females so far. They will probably tear the goldfish up in that small of a tank. And I don't recommend you having goldfish as tank mates, because nyererei are way too aggressive for the peaceful goldfish and you don't want to see the goldfish get owned. You should get them a bigger tank, atleast 30 gallons recommended for a small group of nyererei. Ideal temperature should be around 78-82°F and you may feed them anything from flakes to pellets. It's your fish and your choice to feed them whatever you like, just stay away from food that are too high in protein.

[Muske]

Goldfish should be in there own tank. The produce huge amounts of Ammonia. That 10 gal. is to small as stated. It may work for a few weeks, but as the fish settle in and set a pecking order, things will get messy. Like Tydus said, look to at least 30 gals. heavily filtered and do reg. WCs.

[navygirl76]

please tell me you are getting a bigger tank.

i would feed them a good quality pellet (I use NLS) and you may want to research the species-i dont keep victorians so i am unsure if they are omnivores, piscovores, etc. like everyone else said, get rid of the goldfish-as his days are numbered anyways lol

[rivendel]

wow i need a 30 gal tank? thats a big problem coz someone just sell it to me for 40$ including 10 gal tank with light and canopy, two cave coral, gravel, filter and two heater ummm thermometer plastic plants.. plus 5 cichilds... by the way this is a good deal right? stupid question but i just started this hobby last december...

[rivendel]

Does your water conditioner bind chlorine and chloramine? No need to use aquarium salt. There is a big difference between mineral salts which is used in some cases for African setups and aquarium salt which is best used as treatment for ich only. Both are not necessary.

Does your water conditioner bind chlorine and chloramine?===> yes but i just bought it on walmart is this ok?

[rivendel]

anyone knows how much this 5 cichlids will cost? like on petcetera or petland etc...

[junglej]

ok, 10g is WAY too small for those fish. Yes,they are nice fish, probably retail of 50 for the 5 but you NEED to do some research on them A.S.A.P. or they will soon end up going down a drain, and a dead fish isn't worth too much usually. A 30g is a minimum to start with. A 40g breeder or a 55g would be much better. Check your local newspaper or evengo online to find used equipment. You can post WANTED ads in the classifieds on this site and i'm sure there are some MFK'rsnear you.

[rivendel]

if i cant joinmy godlfish with them, what kind of fish should i bring? incase i bought a 30 gal...

[navygirl76]

no other fish. get rid of the goldfish and get a 30 gallon. dont add anymore fish. and start by researching the species you have. this will give you more info than we can.

[sp33dstix]

Agreed, those fish are going to rip themselves to shreds in no time. You need a much larger tank. A 30 gallon tank is not very expensive and you can usually find lots of stuff on the http://toronto.kijiji.ca/ website.

[junglej]

NO OTHER FISH!!!!!!! You have more than enough to fill a 30g.

[rivendel]

5 cichilds on 30 gallon?

[navygirl76]

yes

[mike dunagan]

when they say thirty they mean 30 long, a 29 will not have enough room for them to escape when they chase each other.

[Yellowlab]

Basically you got a good deal, but you must invest in a larger tank. The 10 Gallon will make a great Hospital tank, or perhaps a grow out tank if you are fortunate enough to have a mating couple. Unfortunetly, that will produce another emergency (needing to purchase another tank as they start growning). a 30 gallon will give you some breathing room, but you will be happier when you upgrade to a 55 gallon and decorate it with a lot of rocks and caves. the Advantage with the 30 gallon is it gives you the option of using the filter and heater you already have. Just like fish, your hobby will keep growing. You must stay ahead of this growth. Bigger is always better.

[rivendel]

i bought a 50 gallon oh man i trust you guys hehehe... so here's my question does this kind of fish grow? i mean how much will it grow?

[Natural_Born_Killer]

Let me just say I understand how you feel, I started the hobby not too long ago.

But as I watch my fish grow I do see why people say to get a certain size tank for certain types of fish.

If I were you, listen to what people are saying, get the right sized tank or get rid of your cichlids and get smaller fish.

Hope that helps.

[Ash]

Well looks like you got some pretty good advice so far. I am glad to see you got a bigger tank as they will need it. New Life Spectrum sinking pellets is the way to go, brings out the color and is good for the fish. You can vary the diet with frozen foods (like brine shrimp/blood worms, etc) but be carefull as some types of frozen foods can't be fed to certian types of fish. I have never had the type of African you own - but they are beautiful fish and a great pick up for a first African tank. Unless you keep shell dwellers (a type of small african cichlid) then your best bet for any African is a minimum tank size of 55 gallons in general. Just try to do research on the type of fish you want to buy before you buy it to see what type of fish they get along with, how there agression is and how big of a tank they will need as well as there diet. Some Africans have a different type of diet then others do. Some will require a 30 gal tank while another might require a 125gal tank. Its always good to read about the fish first. Welcome to the wonderfull world of Cichlids =]

Cichlids are amore agressive then a goldfish, so if you were to keep them together the cichlid has the potential to kill the goldfish. It is better that you get rid of the goldfish and keep just your African cichlids.

Dont feel bad I had a 10gal tank with a big catfish and realized I would have to upgrade so he went to a 125gal and I got my first 30gal tank and had Africans instead. I then upgraded to a 55gal and now I have a 150gal Kigoma Frontosa Breeding Project. You have to start from somewhere.

[rivendel]

Well looks like you got some pretty good advice so far. I am glad to see you got a bigger tank as they will need it. New Life Spectrum sinking pellets is the way to go, brings out the color and is good for the fish. You can vary the diet with frozen foods (like brine shrimp/blood worms, etc) but be carefull as some types of frozen foods can't be fed to certian types of fish. I have never had the type of African you own - but they are beautiful fish and a great pick up for a first African tank. Unless you keep shell dwellers (a type of small african cichlid) then your best bet for any African is a minimum tank size of 55 gallons in general. Just try to do research on the type of fish you want to buy before you buy it to see what type of fish they get along with, how there agression is and how big of a tank they will need as well as there diet. Some Africans have a different type of diet then others do. Some will require a 30 gal tank while another might require a 125gal tank. Its always good to read about the fish first. Welcome to the wonderfull world of Cichlids =]

Cichlids are amore agressive then a goldfish, so if you were to keep them together the cichlid has the potential to kill the goldfish. It is better that you get rid of the goldfish and keep just your African cichlids.

Dont feel bad I had a 10gal tank with a big catfish and realized I would have to upgrade so he went to a 125gal and I got my first 30gal tank and had Africans instead. I then upgraded to a 55gal and now I have a 150gal Kigoma Frontosa Breeding Project. You have to start from somewhere.


wow nice set up you got there.. i have 10 gal with goldfish on it and 50 gal again goldfish again my wife loves goldfish, so i purchase my own 50 gal and it hurts my pocket hehe but its ok i enoy watching fish it gives me a relaxation sorry for lost words.... and my question is this guy is offering me 125$ for this==>45 green terrors, 10 Electric Yellow, 12 Macaw Chiclid (Hypsophrys nicaraguensis), 12 Geophaus, 5
Neolamprologus brichardi, 3 Red Shoulder Severums, All fish are from 1 to 3" in size!<== is this a good deal? and can i put this all on my 50 gal?

[Ash]

wow nice set up you got there.. i have 10 gal with goldfish on it and 50 gal again goldfish again my wife loves goldfish, so i purchase my own 50 gal and it hurts my pocket hehe but its ok i enoy watching fish it gives me a relaxation sorry for lost words.... and my question is this guy is offering me 125$ for this==>45 green terrors, 10 Electric Yellow, 12 Macaw Chiclid (Hypsophrys nicaraguensis), 12 Geophaus, 5
Neolamprologus brichardi, 3 Red Shoulder Severums, All fish are from 1 to 3" in size!<== is this a good deal? and can i put this all on my 50 gal?

Yeah its better if you both like fish to have your own tanks and keep your fish seprate so that one does not kill another and then you get mad at one another for it lol. My bf and I have sperate tanks because we like different fish.

All of those fish are from different areas and I would not mix them. severums, green terrors (GTs), Geos, Macaws are all central or south American Cichlids while the electric yellow s and brichardi are African Cichlids. There is a huge difference between the 2 as they are from different parts of the world. I would not mix them as the water parameters are different. South/Central American need certian water parameters and pH levels then Africans. Africans do better in harder water and Central/South do better in softer or more neutral water. I would stick to Africans only. That is also way to many fish to a 55gal. I had 6 show peacock cichlids (alunocara) full grown at 6 inches in a 55gallon tank and I would say it was stocked well. Some people overstock some understock, so I am sure others will chime in with stocking advice and numbers, but 45 fish alone is wayyyy to much. Also GT's will out grow that tank. While the fish are small now you have to remember that they will grow to a decent or large size.

[rivendel]

wow wow you really are a fish geek, im still a long way to go by the way pls take a look at my cichlids i bought 5 of them for 5 $, its like 1$ each its good for a rookie like me, im not sure what type but someone say its nyererie or something like that hehehe...

http://i400.photobucket.com/albums/pp89/rivendel/P1281003.jpg
http://i400.photobucket.com/albums/pp89/rivendel/P1281004.jpg

[rivendel]

Let me just say I understand how you feel, I started the hobby not too long ago.

But as I watch my fish grow I do see why people say to get a certain size tank for certain types of fish.

If I were you, listen to what people are saying, get the right sized tank or get rid of your cichlids and get smaller fish.

Hope that helps.

i just started mine last december hehehe...

[rivendel]

does cichlids really needs a cave?

[Ash]

wow wow you really are a fish geek, im still a long way to go by the way pls take a look at my cichlids i bought 5 of them for 5 $, its like 1$ each its good for a rookie like me, im not sure what type but someone say its nyererie or something like that hehehe...

http://i400.photobucket.com/albums/pp89/rivendel/P1281003.jpg
http://i400.photobucket.com/albums/pp89/rivendel/P1281004.jpg

The person that already ID your fish, did ID them correctly but there are many variants depending on what part of the lake they are from. These fish are from Lake Victoria. Tydus is the one who ID'd them for you and him along with some other members here keep Victorian Cichlids and have experience with them. Lake Victoria is currently in a bad situation and the lake is being used up by the villages and people that live off the lake. Many of the species in that lake have gone extinct and many are becoming endangered. I would personally keep them, they are beautiful fish.

[Ash]

As for caves, yes they need territories and places to hide caves/rocks and things like that make great areas for territory and hiding. That is also another reason a 10gal is to small esp for there size. If they dont have enough territory then they will fight over it and will either shred eachother or get killed off.

[rivendel]

wow thanks for the info.

[Ash]

no problem, if you need anything else feel free to post up and ask us.

[NewETown]

wow nice set up you got there.. i have 10 gal with goldfish on it and 50 gal again goldfish again my wife loves goldfish, so i purchase my own 50 gal and it hurts my pocket hehe but its ok i enoy watching fish it gives me a relaxation sorry for lost words.... and my question is this guy is offering me 125$ for this==>45 green terrors, 10 Electric Yellow, 12 Macaw Chiclid (Hypsophrys nicaraguensis), 12 Geophaus, 5
Neolamprologus brichardi, 3 Red Shoulder Severums, All fish are from 1 to 3" in size!<== is this a good deal? and can i put this all on my 50 gal?

I don't mean to be a jerk but many people have already told you that you CAN'T (this isn't exactly true but for now we'll pretend it is) put anything else with the cichlids you currently have. Please either listen to people who are trying to help you or stop asking the same thing over and over.

Here are some links to some of those fish you just listed:
http://www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?h=greenterrorcichlid Green terror information (fyi, you couldn't keep 45 adult green terrors in the same aquarium unless it was MASSIVE)
http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/profiles/312.htm Macaw Cichlids (pretty big, 9 inches meaning that for those 10 fish alone you'd need about a 125g tank)
http://www.oceanlight.com/lightbox.php?sp=geophagus_altifrons Geophagus, again very large cichlids. You'd probably want a 90 minimum for these, they're not very aggressive from what I've heard.

The 5 Neo. brichardi could arguably be fine in a 30g, but I'd go bigger because they will breed and get very territorial.

The severums are also fairly good size fish, but three could be in a 55 without an issue.

So all toll'd, with that group of fish you just mentioned, you're looking at over 1000 gallons of aquarium space to make everyone happy.

My advice to you is to stop worrying about what's a good deal, find what you like and accommodate that/those fish. The cichlids you have now are incredibly rare and very cool. Put JUST THOSE in your 55 gallon tank and watch how they mature and color up. You will be surprised.

[rivendel]

I don't mean to be a jerk but many people have already told you that you CAN'T (this isn't exactly true but for now we'll pretend it is) put anything else with the cichlids you currently have. Please either listen to people who are trying to help you or stop asking the same thing over and over.

Here are some links to some of those fish you just listed:
http://www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?h=greenterrorcichlid Green terror information (fyi, you couldn't keep 45 adult green terrors in the same aquarium unless it was MASSIVE)
http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/profiles/312.htm Macaw Cichlids (pretty big, 9 inches meaning that for those 10 fish alone you'd need about a 125g tank)
http://www.oceanlight.com/lightbox.php?sp=geophagus_altifrons Geophagus, again very large cichlids. You'd probably want a 90 minimum for these, they're not very aggressive from what I've heard.

The 5 Neo. brichardi could arguably be fine in a 30g, but I'd go bigger because they will breed and get very territorial.

The severums are also fairly good size fish, but three could be in a 55 without an issue.

So all toll'd, with that group of fish you just mentioned, you're looking at over 1000 gallons of aquarium space to make everyone happy.

My advice to you is to stop worrying about what's a good deal, find what you like and accommodate that/those fish. The cichlids you have now are incredibly rare and very cool. Put JUST THOSE in your 55 gallon tank and watch how they mature and color up. You will be surprised.

===>Please either listen to people who are trying to help you or stop asking the same thing over and over.<====

im a rookie and will make big mistakes and ask questions a lot thats why im here coz i trust all the member here there;s nothing wrong if i ask again and again, if some people here are sick and tired of my stupid questions then dont read this thread at all....

[MoFish78]

I see that the MFK members have been very helpful to you. Also check this site http://www.cichlid-forum.com/ might find more stuff in there too.

[rivendel]

I see that the MFK members have been very helpful to you. Also check this site http://www.cichlid-forum.com/ might find more stuff in there too.


yeah most of them helped me and thanks for that, you a filipino?

[MoFish78]

yes i am :) 100%

[rivendel]

yes i am :) 100%

same here, 3 stars and the sun...

[NewETown]

Like I said man I didn't mean to sound like a jerk, that's the drawback of text. I was trying to show you how large the fish you mentioned get and give you an idea of the amount of space you'd need to accommodate everything you've been talking about. Again, the thing everyone has been saying to you is that you need a larger tank (which I think you got?).

Everyone has also said you should do some research, and I agree. You can quickly/easily become far more experienced just reading. If you're a book person, there's many different books specifically on the cichlids of Tang and Malawi, but if you're like most people now and prefer the internet I really would recommend going to the species profiles at cichlid-forum.com and just reading through them.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/category.php?cat=1

That's the link to the specific group of fish yours fall in to. Just click through, read and enjoy! Research is a major part of the hobby. Most of my free time I have that I'm not hanging out with my friends I just re-read my fish books and look up new species and tanks! When you finish your new tank make sure to post it and keep us updated on your haps.

[tydus]

Like I said man I didn't mean to sound like a jerk, that's the drawback of text. I was trying to show you how large the fish you mentioned get and give you an idea of the amount of space you'd need to accommodate everything you've been talking about. Again, the thing everyone has been saying to you is that you need a larger tank (which I think you got?).

Everyone has also said you should do some research, and I agree. You can quickly/easily become far more experienced just reading. If you're a book person, there's many different books specifically on the cichlids of Tang and Malawi, but if you're like most people now and prefer the internet I really would recommend going to the species profiles at cichlid-forum.com and just reading through them.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/category.php?cat=1

That's the link to the specific group of fish yours fall in to. Just click through, read and enjoy! Research is a major part of the hobby. Most of my free time I have that I'm not hanging out with my friends I just re-read my fish books and look up new species and tanks! When you finish your new tank make sure to post it and keep us updated on your haps.

The link you provided leads to the Malawi Haplochromines. This is not even close to the pundamilia nyererei. For they are victorian cichlids.
This would be the correct link. ;)
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/p_nyererei_python.php

[NewETown]

Yeah my bad Tydus I've been getting about 4 hours of sleep per night the last week because of school :(. I think my train of thought was that he was liking those kind of fish so I linked him the list to the haps haha. Anyways, my point is still the same, reading is an important part of the hobby and I feel that anyone who's really serious about it should spend a large portion of time just reading through tons of species profiles and advice from the pros.

[rivendel]

Yeah my bad Tydus I've been getting about 4 hours of sleep per night the last week because of school :(. I think my train of thought was that he was liking those kind of fish so I linked him the list to the haps haha. Anyways, my point is still the same, reading is an important part of the hobby and I feel that anyone who's really serious about it should spend a large portion of time just reading through tons of species profiles and advice from the pros.


I feel that anyone who's really serious about it should spend a large portion of time just reading through tons of species profiles and advice from the pros. => what do you think? im not? if your just gonna lesson me, i dont need it.. pls if you want to lesson everybody make your own thread.. i think i have enough helped from nice person

[rivendel]

The link you provided leads to the Malawi Haplochromines. This is not even close to the pundamilia nyererei. For they are victorian cichlids.
This would be the correct link. ;)
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/p_nyererei_python.php


thanks..

[tydus]

thanks..

No problem. ;)

[tydus]

Yeah my bad Tydus I've been getting about 4 hours of sleep per night the last week because of school :(. I think my train of thought was that he was liking those kind of fish so I linked him the list to the haps haha. Anyways, my point is still the same, reading is an important part of the hobby and I feel that anyone who's really serious about it should spend a large portion of time just reading through tons of species profiles and advice from the pros.

This is also very true. Good advice.

[Bre]

That is a really good pickup, I am glad you listened and got them a bigger tank. They are beautiful fish but can be nasty to each other. Trust the advice you get here, these people are great!!!

[MoFish78]

Chillax fellas LOL ...man, i'd be affraid to put both of you in the same tank LOL

Sometimes I have a tendency to ask a lot of questions too even if I've read the info from magazines/websites because it's just so much better to hear it from actual people who have experienced it first hand (like MFK members). There are times also when I would ask the same question over and over again because perhaps I'm hoping I would hear the answer I like. e.g. "can i put this type of fish with that type of fish"...I've always wanted to put a frontosa in my mbuna tank 55g and I remember I kept asking different sites or LFS if I could...until someone tells me "yes, I've done it and there's no problems at all" etc...no luck so far LOL...I went and got a fish that I thought was a frontosa and ended up being a tetr-----somethin. almost identical. so i guess that's a sign that i really shouldn't put a frontosa in my mbuna tank. :)

But anyway, let's continue to enjoy the site and continue to learn from each other and be patient with one another especially with members new to the hobby. I know it's an African Cichlids section but let's all relax and be like neon tetras LOL and work together as a peaceful community :D Otherwise, y'all are gonna need some stress coat soon. Peace Love and Peacocks LOL I dunno. I'm at work and I'm bored fellas.

HEP HEP!!! HOOORAAYYY!!! LOL


P-NOY Pride.

[rivendel]

[quote=MoFish78;2727717;]Chillax fellas LOL ...man, i'd be affraid to put both of you in the same tank LOL

Sometimes I have a tendency to ask a lot of questions too even if I've read the info from magazines/websites because it's just so much better to hear it from actual people who have experienced it first hand (like MFK members). There are times also when I would ask the same question over and over again because perhaps I'm hoping I would hear the answer I like. e.g. "can i put this type of fish with that type of fish"...I've always wanted to put a frontosa in my mbuna tank 55g and I remember I kept asking different sites or LFS if I could...until someone tells me "yes, I've done it and there's no problems at all" etc...no luck so far LOL...I went and got a fish that I thought was a frontosa and ended up being a tetr-----somethin. almost identical. so i guess that's a sign that i really shouldn't put a frontosa in my mbuna tank. :)

But anyway, let's continue to enjoy the site and continue to learn from each other and be patient with one another especially with members new to the hobby. I know it's an African Cichlids section but let's all relax and be like neon tetras LOL and work together as a peaceful community :D Otherwise, y'all are gonna need some stress coat soon. Peace Love and Peacocks LOL I dunno. I'm at work and I'm bored fellas.


you said it all... ive done a lot of reading but i still cant resist to ask the person who had already tried or experienced it... so for me read then ask the well experience aquarist then ask ask ask ask hehehe...

[MoFish78]

alot of our questions also most likely have already been asked and asnswered by fellow members. feel free to use the "search" option on top as well to find helpful answers.

[navygirl76]

beautiful fish you have there-like everyone has said, now that you know what species you have do lots of reading up on them so you can give them a great life! best of luck to you and your new fish..

[rivendel]

beautiful fish you have there-like everyone has said, now that you know what species you have do lots of reading up on them so you can give them a great life! best of luck to you and your new fish..


thanks...
question do all cichlids can be join together or are there some that are friendly enough? if so what kind?

[rivendel]

alot of our questions also most likely have already been asked and asnswered by fellow members. feel free to use the "search" option on top as well to find helpful answers.


thank you..

[professa19]

not a huge fan of africans...more of a sa/ca guy...

but they look nice.

[NewETown]

thanks...
question do all cichlids can be join together or are there some that are friendly enough? if so what kind?

Some can, yes. What kind of cichlids though? The category of fish "Cichlid" is, I think, either the largest or second largest group of fish in the world. You have them from literally everywhere and they all have different water/compatibility requirements.

What kind of cichlids are you talking about? If you wanted to do a South American Cichlid tank you could keep Discus and Apistogrammas together, or you could do a tank full of Mbunas from Malawi or a massive group of Cyprichromis from Tanganyika, but you couldn't keep any of those different "groups" of cichlids together.

The problem with cichlids is that there are so many species-specific "rules" as far as captivity goes, that we simply can't answer your question unless it relates to a specific group of them.

As far as Africans go, you can mix lakes successfully, but I personally like to build my tanks to suite a specific kind of fish from each lake. For instance, I have a 65 gallon "reef" tank that holds some of the Africans that require a lot of rocky hiding spots to be happy. My 75 gallon tank is an "open water" tank for Tanganyikan cichlids. This tank has featherfins (aulonocranus dewidnti), cyprichromis leptosoma, some Xenotilapia bathyphilus and a few other species that enjoy an open, spacious tank.

If you want more specific information on South American cichlids I'd definitely check out the S.A. thread. South American cichlids get way larger than Africans (in general) so if you get into them you'll need a much larger tank than 55 gallons.

Some people do mix South American and African cichlids and sometimes it does work. It's not recommended though, SA cichlids usually like PH around 6.5 (or lower) while Africans like it up above 8. There are typically huge size differences between the two groups, and SAs prefer planted tanks while Africans go for the rocky/sandy aquarium.

Hope this helps
-Everett

[rivendel]

Some can, yes. What kind of cichlids though? The category of fish "Cichlid" is, I think, either the largest or second largest group of fish in the world. You have them from literally everywhere and they all have different water/compatibility requirements.

What kind of cichlids are you talking about? If you wanted to do a South American Cichlid tank you could keep Discus and Apistogrammas together, or you could do a tank full of Mbunas from Malawi or a massive group of Cyprichromis from Tanganyika, but you couldn't keep any of those different "groups" of cichlids together.

The problem with cichlids is that there are so many species-specific "rules" as far as captivity goes, that we simply can't answer your question unless it relates to a specific group of them.

As far as Africans go, you can mix lakes successfully, but I personally like to build my tanks to suite a specific kind of fish from each lake. For instance, I have a 65 gallon "reef" tank that holds some of the Africans that require a lot of rocky hiding spots to be happy. My 75 gallon tank is an "open water" tank for Tanganyikan cichlids. This tank has featherfins (aulonocranus dewidnti), cyprichromis leptosoma, some Xenotilapia bathyphilus and a few other species that enjoy an open, spacious tank.

If you want more specific information on South American cichlids I'd definitely check out the S.A. thread. South American cichlids get way larger than Africans (in general) so if you get into them you'll need a much larger tank than 55 gallons.

Some people do mix South American and African cichlids and sometimes it does work. It's not recommended though, SA cichlids usually like PH around 6.5 (or lower) while Africans like it up above 8. There are typically huge size differences between the two groups, and SAs prefer planted tanks while Africans go for the rocky/sandy aquarium.

Hope this helps
-Everett

wow what a huge collection of tank,thanks for the info but i need to read it many times coz its complicated for me (rookie here hehe) i rather ask you again and just listen to your answers one at a time, ive seen a yellow ciclid with a black line on top of it i mean on its fin, ummm argghhh i cant explain it, im sure you know what im talkin about anyway can i mix it?

[rivendel]

oh by the way do i need to turn of the lights of my tank everynight?

[Matt724]

wow, thats a huge transition from goldfish to cichlids! I'm still working my way up and its been about 6 month since I had my goldfish. From my research, Cichlids have a lot more responsibility than goldfish so prepare yourself.

[rivendel]

wow, thats a huge transition from goldfish to cichlids! I'm still working my way up and its been about 6 month since I had my goldfish. From my research, Cichlids have a lot more responsibility than goldfish so prepare yourself.

yeah hehe, but i still love my goldfish and its the only aquarium that is on my room, Cichlids have a lot more responsibility than goldfish so prepare yourself.===> thats why i ask a lot of question although im reading some stuff but im more comfortable asking people who are pro in cichlids...

[NewETown]

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=713

That's the fish you're talking about. I wouldn't mix it with your current cichlids, but they're a very cool fish. They're in the "Mbuna" category, are very aggressive and will rip up the fins on your current guys. Oh, just call them Yellow Labs, they're easy to find and don't get too big. If you have a 30 long you could keep a few.

By the way, after working at a pet store for a year and a half I feel very confident saying that goldfish are for more annoying and difficult to care for than my cichlids.

[vdawgs22]

i thought yellow labs were calm and peaceful.... at least thats the experience i've always had with them...

[NewETown]

I've seen them be calm, but I've also seen them beat the crap out of a huge aulonocara... It's risky so for someone who's new to the hobby I wouldn't recommend it. If he were to get an overly aggressive male or something it could destroy any potential breeding he could have with his current fish.

[navygirl76]

newEtown gave you great advice and info.

not all cichlids can be kept together. you see, fish have different diets and different water parameters (some need low ph levels and soft water and others like my african cichlids need high ph levels and hard water).

i keep africans and i also keep some SA/CA cichlids. they are in two different tanks because i cannot put my oscar, severums and firemouth with my africans. the africans need low protein foods and eat lots of veggies-my oscar and its tankmates eat krill, brine shrimp, blood worms and some meatier stuff.

read up on what you have-check out what ppl feed them, and whether they need high ph levels and hard water. i dont keep Victorians like you have so i dont know. im guessing they would eat spirulina, krill, brine shrimp, possibly veggies.

also , most ppl that keep african Victorians just keep them in a tank by themselves or other victorian species. i would not mix them with other fish. I had one flameback Victorian and he did not do well-i put him in my 180 gallon tank with my african Malawis and he couldnt handle all the activity and aggression-they were too mean for him, it stressed him out and he died.

just google or yahoo the species name-and read up on it.. check out a few sites.

if you have any questions please just ask us-we will help you find the information you need.. Mel

[navygirl76]

from what i have read, your ph level should be above 7. also, they are omnivores-that means they eat plant and veggie material along with some proteins like krill and brine shrimp. i would get a good quality pellet (i use NLS brand food.. fish love it). i also read they WILL do well with other african cichlids like Malawians-they are very aggressive and can handle the malawi's lol. do not mix them with any other fish.

from what ive read, these fish are very aggressive. you will want that bigger tank and lots of rockwork for the females to hide in-the males are aggressive towards the females and they need places to hide. if you have a male, he may kill off a few females too-they are just aggressive fish lol

they get up to 4 1/2 inches long. the males are very colorful, but the females stay more of a washed out-drab color. once you find out how many males you have, if you have too many you may need to remove all but one and make sure he has a harem of females -you will want 3 or more ladies for him, that way he will not just beat up one girl, but will spread his aggression out..


btw, these fish are becoming rare to get-and close to becoming endangered! if you can get a good male, and a group of ladies for him try to breed them!

look at these links i found:

http://www.african-cichlid.com/Nyereri.htm

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/p_nyererei_python.php

http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_nyererei.php

http://www.cichlidae.com/section.php?n=ff&id=121

http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/profiles/259.htm

[rivendel]

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=713

That's the fish you're talking about. I wouldn't mix it with your current cichlids, but they're a very cool fish. They're in the "Mbuna" category, are very aggressive and will rip up the fins on your current guys. Oh, just call them Yellow Labs, they're easy to find and don't get too big. If you have a 30 long you could keep a few.

By the way, after working at a pet store for a year and a half I feel very confident saying that goldfish are for more annoying and difficult to care for than my cichlids.


annoying? i agree with you, so sensitive and they destroy my live plants.. so now hey only got a few gravel thats it... hehehe

[rivendel]

from what i have read, your ph level should be above 7. also, they are omnivores-that means they eat plant and veggie material along with some proteins like krill and brine shrimp. i would get a good quality pellet (i use NLS brand food.. fish love it). i also read they WILL do well with other african cichlids like Malawians-they are very aggressive and can handle the malawi's lol. do not mix them with any other fish.

from what ive read, these fish are very aggressive. you will want that bigger tank and lots of rockwork for the females to hide in-the males are aggressive towards the females and they need places to hide. if you have a male, he may kill off a few females too-they are just aggressive fish lol

they get up to 4 1/2 inches long. the males are very colorful, but the females stay more of a washed out-drab color. once you find out how many males you have, if you have too many you may need to remove all but one and make sure he has a harem of females -you will want 3 or more ladies for him, that way he will not just beat up one girl, but will spread his aggression out..


btw, these fish are becoming rare to get-and close to becoming endangered! if you can get a good male, and a group of ladies for him try to breed them!

look at these links i found:

http://www.african-cichlid.com/Nyereri.htm

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/p_nyererei_python.php

http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_nyererei.php

http://www.cichlidae.com/section.php?n=ff&id=121

http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/profiles/259.htm


thanks..

[rivendel]

newEtown gave you great advice and info.

not all cichlids can be kept together. you see, fish have different diets and different water parameters (some need low ph levels and soft water and others like my african cichlids need high ph levels and hard water).

i keep africans and i also keep some SA/CA cichlids. they are in two different tanks because i cannot put my oscar, severums and firemouth with my africans. the africans need low protein foods and eat lots of veggies-my oscar and its tankmates eat krill, brine shrimp, blood worms and some meatier stuff.

read up on what you have-check out what ppl feed them, and whether they need high ph levels and hard water. i dont keep Victorians like you have so i dont know. im guessing they would eat spirulina, krill, brine shrimp, possibly veggies.

also , most ppl that keep african Victorians just keep them in a tank by themselves or other victorian species. i would not mix them with other fish. I had one flameback Victorian and he did not do well-i put him in my 180 gallon tank with my african Malawis and he couldnt handle all the activity and aggression-they were too mean for him, it stressed him out and he died.

just google or yahoo the species name-and read up on it.. check out a few sites.

if you have any questions please just ask us-we will help you find the information you need.. Mel


thanks again by the way can i mix this fish===> Jack Dempsey cichlids, 1 Honduran butterfly cichlid, 4 tiger barbs, 1 gourami<===or can they be on one tank? just this group?

[flamer]

NEVER mix them with tropical community fish unless you want to see a killing spree. And I don't know if it's true, but I heard flakes will put air in their stomaches and they would be swimming upside down.

You do need special fool for them snything that says cichlid on it, but I prefer pellets.

[rivendel]

Jack Dempsey cichlids, 1 Honduran butterfly cichlid, 4 tiger barbs, 1 gourami, actually a lady is selling me a 50 gal including this fish for free, so im getting it tomorrow and i dont know if i can mix this with my other fish, like african cichlids..

[NewETown]

Jack Dempsey cichlids, 1 Honduran butterfly cichlid, 4 tiger barbs, 1 gourami, actually a lady is selling me a 50 gal including this fish for free, so im getting it tomorrow and i dont know if i can mix this with my other fish, like african cichlids..

None of these fish will get along with Africans. The Jack Dempsey is a very aggressive fish from South America (Central?) and the rest are community fish. I'm not 100% sure on the Honduran Butterfly, but seeing that it's got "Honduran" in it's name I'm assuming it's from Honduras which will tell me that it prefers the more acidic water of other Central/South American cichlids. If you get this tank for free I suggest taking all of those fish in to your local fish store (not a big chain, locally owned one) and donating them to the store.

None of those fish can go with goldfish either, putting anything warm water with cold water fish is a bad idea.

Do you have a tank just for your Victorians yet?

[junglej]

MoFish- Was that a tetracephalus? Do u still have it/wanna sell it? lol

[Ash]

In all honesty right now I think you should just stick with the African Cichlids you have now and no think about any other fish. See how you do with these africans first and do more research. When you feel comfortable with what you have then look into other Africans that you like and then post them on here and we can let you know if they are mixable or not. As for the fish coming with the tank, I agree you need to take them into a local fish shop they dont go together, the Jack Dempsy is going to get to big and they wont mix with the Africans either - if you keep those fish you will have problems.

As for food you need to feed Africans sinking food. No flakes or floating food. If they swallow air from trying to eat floating food your going to have a problem.

[NewETown]

I completely agree with Ash. Just stick with and enjoy the cichlids that you have now, and as you start to feel confident in your ability to care for them (i.e. no deaths, no ick, spawning behavior, etc) then branch out and start looking in to more fish. Stick with the African fish though! The South American fish get HUGE so you'll be looking at 6 foot long tanks minimum for most of them.

[rivendel]

None of these fish will get along with Africans. The Jack Dempsey is a very aggressive fish from South America (Central?) and the rest are community fish. I'm not 100% sure on the Honduran Butterfly, but seeing that it's got "Honduran" in it's name I'm assuming it's from Honduras which will tell me that it prefers the more acidic water of other Central/South American cichlids. If you get this tank for free I suggest taking all of those fish in to your local fish store (not a big chain, locally owned one) and donating them to the store.

None of those fish can go with goldfish either, putting anything warm water with cold water fish is a bad idea.

Do you have a tank just for your Victorians yet?


my africans are now in 33 gal from 10 gal, coz they are only five, i still have 50 gal and 20 gal empty, im looking for a yellow cichlid, what does it call again?

[navygirl76]

those other fish (the jack dempsey and others ) will not mix with your fish. i would give them to the lfs.

also, flakes do not kill fish. what it is, is flake food doesnt have that much nutrition for a full grown fish. i use flakes for baby fish and juveniles but mix it with small pellets and veggies.

dont ever just feed your fish flakes-over time they will starve to death or die from malnutrition-(and im talking about africans and SA/CA fish).

[rivendel]

oh thanks for your advice... well maybe my fish should thank you coz they are still alive because of you hehe...

[rivendel]

those other fish (the jack dempsey and others ) will not mix with your fish. i would give them to the lfs.

also, flakes do not kill fish. what it is, is flake food doesnt have that much nutrition for a full grown fish. i use flakes for baby fish and juveniles but mix it with small pellets and veggies.

dont ever just feed your fish flakes-over time they will starve to death or die from malnutrition-(and im talking about africans and SA/CA fish).


no flakes? shooooooooooooootttttttttt i feed them with wardley tropical flakes shoootttttttttttt.. i just bought it on wal-mart, hope its not too late..

[NewETown]

If I were you I'd spend some money and set up your 50 gallon very nicely! Get some really nice rock, good filters and lights and make a show tank. Then put your current Vics in the 50 gallon, and you can use the 33 gallon tank for some Yellow Labs (2-3 of them). The nice thing about using an old tank is that you don't have to cycle it again!

Just saw that you get food from wal-mart.... Don't get food from Wal-Mart. www.dainichi.com or talk to a guy on here named Mike (last name starts with a D, I don't want to butcher it) and he'll sell you a food called NLS (New Life Spectrum). I use both of the foods and both are amazing. You want to get the sinking pellets.

[rivendel]

If I were you I'd spend some money and set up your 50 gallon very nicely! Get some really nice rock, good filters and lights and make a show tank. Then put your current Vics in the 50 gallon, and you can use the 33 gallon tank for some Yellow Labs (2-3 of them). The nice thing about using an old tank is that you don't have to cycle it again!

Just saw that you get food from wal-mart.... Don't get food from Wal-Mart. www.dainichi.com (http://www.dainichi.com) or talk to a guy on here named Mike (last name starts with a D, I don't want to butcher it) and he'll sell you a food called NLS (New Life Spectrum). I use both of the foods and both are amazing. You want to get the sinking pellets.

check the website but im confuse, which one should i buy?

[tydus]

check the website but im confuse, which one should i buy?

Which ever one you prefer, since both are top quality foods. You can even try both if you would like to know which one gives you better results. I'm sure both will satisfy you though.

[NewETown]

I would get the smallest sinking pellet they offer and get the "Ultima" type, iit'll be the best for the Vics. It's also what I use.

[rivendel]

I would get the smallest sinking pellet they offer and get the "Ultima" type, iit'll be the best for the Vics. It's also what I use.


thanks again...

[rivendel]

what kind of live plants is good for my africans? the one that they wont eat though...

[professa19]

any pics of the 50 gallon set up?

[NewETown]

Get any of the Anubias species, they're low-light plants that are easy to grow. The other ones are very complicated (Apognetons, lace leafs) to care for. The other cool thing about the anubias is that they're slow growing and vine-like so you'll get a cool creeping look.

[Lupin]

what kind of live plants is good for my africans? the one that they wont eat though...
Java ferns, anubias and hornworts.

[rivendel]

any pics of the 50 gallon set up?


not yet still setting it up..

[rivendel]

Java ferns, anubias and hornworts.

is this a cheap plants?

[NewETown]

Anubias and java fern are cheap. Most plants range from $1 - $5 each, and you only need a couple. I would stay away from java fern because it goes nuts and spreads everywhere, the anubias is very slow growing and easy to control.

[MoFish78]

MoFish- Was that a tetracephalus? Do u still have it/wanna sell it? lol

jungle, yes that's him lol...i'd give him to you if you were local lol ...nah but i like him now...i just pretend its a fron lol

Was just lookin at NLS today and noticed it goes for 17bux and the pellets are really tiny....is that what you guys have??? :confused: that stuff is exp lol

[NewETown]

Yes NLS is great stuff, but that seems a bit high. I get the smallest pellets at my LFS for about 9.99 a container...

[Gator_GPRC]

I purchased a 5.3oz container of cichlid formula for $13 on Monday. My opinions after using it a few times... The pellets are too small and sink too fast. Do they make a larger, floating pellet?

[rivendel]

Anubias and java fern are cheap. Most plants range from $1 - $5 each, and you only need a couple. I would stay away from java fern because it goes nuts and spreads everywhere, the anubias is very slow growing and easy to control.


oh ok, umm im interested on java fern coz i really dont have any plants so spreading for now is good for my tank hehe...

[rivendel]

do i need a special light for live plants? do i need to turn of the lights everynight?

[rivendel]

can i mix african and electric yellow cichlid?

[rivendel]

Pseudotropheus Flavus malawi cichlid this one can i mix?

[rivendel]

http://i400.photobucket.com/albums/pp89/rivendel/pellets.jpg

good for african cichlids, medium pellets.. i havent open it yet just incase i have to return it so just waiting for your replys.. thanks to all...

[NewETown]

You'll want to return the food you just bought, the pellets are way too big and they float. You need sinking very small pellets. Also, you should only have your lights on between 7 and 9 hours a day. Your fish need their normal day/night cycle just like you do.

Also, remember with the plants that Africans are rock-dwelling cichlids and prefer more rock than plants (which is why I recommend the anubias). If you want a heavily planted tank you'll want to look in to SA/CA cichlids.

[mike dunagan]

floating is horrible for african cichlids. Sinking is best. I would not recommend anything over 2mm for mbuna, and 3 for most others. Only higher than 3mm if you have gaints.

[rivendel]

ok thanks again guys i'll return it tomorrow, if not i'll just eat it hehehe

[Pittbull]

wow is all i can say at this point...

[Gator_GPRC]

floating is horrible for african cichlids.

May I ask why? Just curious, never heard that before.

The pellets I bought are 1mm, that is the only size they carried. Its cool though, I can feed it to my fry. It is funny, they search the gravel for about 15 minutes looking for the little pellets.


lol Pittbull!

[Ash]

SINKING!!

I wont say it anymore you MUST have SINKING foods, no floating pellets.

Buy New Life Spectrum sinking pellets. Its expensive but worth it. I bought 1mm for $8 and 3mm for $14 at the local fish shop. You can buy it online as well - just as others have said.

In simple terms: If your fish gulps air while it's eating the air gets stuck in the fish causing it to float and unless treated properly will kill the fish.

[Gator_GPRC]

SINKING!!

I wont say it anymore you MUST have SINKING foods, no floating pellets.

Buy New Life Spectrum sinking pellets. Its expensive but worth it. I bought 1mm for $8 and 3mm for $14 at the local fish shop. You can buy it online as well - just as others have said.

In simple terms: If your fish gulps air while it's eating the air gets stuck in the fish causing it to float and unless treated properly will kill the fish.


Your not saying it anymore?? Who are you talking to? If its me, I don't recall asking you... So your not telling me twice!

I bought NLS, I commented about it in post #91. I said it sinks too fast and the pellets are to small. As far as gulping air? If you say so, but my fish are at the top of the tank waiting for food to hit the water. Never seen them float before...

[podgethai]

maybe get rid of the cichlids and keep your gold fish.
or buy a bigger tank for the cichlids and it might be ok

[ash54876]

I have heard that regarding goldfish before but I don't know how much I believe it. I use a variety of food including flake, sinking pellets, floating and fresh veggies. My fish eat grab the floating quickly but then they seem to chew on it a bit so I don't think they're eating air.

[podgethai]

yeah you must be rich, lol
most cichlids nearly jump out the tank at feeding time

[ash54876]

Oh they are ready for food no problem. They remind me of little squirrels the way they cram so much food in their mouths at feeding time

[mike dunagan]

Why sinking, what Ash said is the reason. They can get float. NLS comes in different sizes, look at the link in my sig below

[rivendel]

maybe get rid of the cichlids and keep your gold fish.
or buy a bigger tank for the cichlids and it might be ok


What???!!!! you dont get it dont you? i have a goldfish at my room only 10 gal, and 1 50 gal, and 1 55 gal for cichlid but still working on it, right now my 5 african cichlid is on my 33 gal, coz im still setting up my new 55 gal... if i where you go back to 1st page, if you got nothing to say nice then just dont say it or maybe eat your fish...

[Ash]

Your not saying it anymore?? Who are you talking to? If its me, I don't recall asking you... So your not telling me twice!

I bought NLS, I commented about it in post #91. I said it sinks too fast and the pellets are to small. As far as gulping air? If you say so, but my fish are at the top of the tank waiting for food to hit the water. Never seen them float before...

lol noooo I wasn't talking to you about the food I was talking to rivendel cuse I posted the nls sinking before =]

I was just giving you a short simple description of float - they may be at the top waiting for food but if it sinks then they may not catch it right at the surface but right below the surface instead. If it was something right at the surface floating and they were to go up there and try to eat it and took in a gulp of air with the food then they can get float.

[NewETown]

Another interesting thing about fish is that they hit the top of the water very hard causing any of the sinking food that isn't sinking to sink (sink sink sink). Anyways, they hit the water too fast to really see, but I've been curious if they just hit the water to knock the food down because they know they can't ingest the air. It would be a cool thing to test/study because it would demonstrate a new level of intelligence on the fishes part. It could show that they know that actually swallowing large amount of air could kill them? Yay science :D

[rivendel]

how will i know if my africans are male or female?

[mike dunagan]

vent them.... research venting cichlids.