african cichlids and live plants...

[ballsmcgee1234]

I keep reading on how african cichlids don't do well with live plants, old myth? cuz we have live plants in ours and no problems...anyone else have problems?

[Mourinho18]

I don't use live plants with mine. The ones i had in before died on me, but they pretty much seemed to leave them alone. So no, I didn't have a problem

[blacktip]

There are three reasons why you may have problems with live plants and african cichlids:

1. Some African cichlids, the mbuna in particular, do a lot of digging and may dig up the plants
2. Some African cichlids will eat plants
3. Some plants do not do well in the hard, alkaline water that Africans prefer

That being said, it is very possible to raise African cichlids with plants and it has been done on many occasions. I once used vals to seperate two rock piles in a 60 gallon aquarium. It worked out really well as two pods of brichardis took up posts on either rock pile and rarely crossed over to fight with each other.

[mkpeters6]

i used to keep my mbunda cichlid tank fully planted, you just have to use hardy-leaf plants like anubias, oninon plants, jungle vals,etc.
i never had a problem with the fish eating the leaves -- the anubia clusters i had were a great refuge for fry that were born in the tank - they basically lived in there and grew to adulthood and evetually i had a few offspring breed in the tank as well

[ramman]

Just get some Rams,they are very peaceful and will not touch your plants !!

[Robertshadow]

My cichlids start chewing on plants while I'm still holding them lol. They even try to take chunks out of the fake ones. :)

[HiImSean]

what kind of substrate at you using with vals and africans? i had vals in sand and can keep them alive.

[TheFanatic]

It can be done.

Here is my stock list (a bit overcrowded but a buddy of mine is converting to an African Tank so I'm holding some cichlids for him till he gets into his new house and gets up and running)

110 gallon tank 5'X24"X18"

Critters
2 large male yellow labs
1 small female Kenyii
2 Tretacephalus
1 Strawberry or Crystal Red Peacock
1 OB Peacock
2 Julidichromis Transcriptus – Maited Pair
6 J. Transcriptus Fry
2 Julidichromis Marleri – Small
1 Red Empress
1 Red Topped Zebra
3 Small Red Topped Zebras
2 Zebra Obliquidens
2 Zebra Obliquidens (smaller)
1 Ngara Flametail
1 Venustus
1 Sunshine Peacock
2 Taiwan Reef Cichlids
1 German Red
1 Small Ahli
1 Large Ahli
1 Syno Multipunctatis
3 Small Syno Multipunctatis
1 Syno Decorus
1 Syno Ocelifer
1 Bristlenose
1 Tiger Pleco - Panaque Maccus
3 Clown Loaches
1 L200 - Green Phantom
1 L236


Plants
3 Java Fern
1 Some dark Crypt
1 Anubias Nana
4 Crypt Wendtii
2 Jungle Val
6 Amazon Sword

And here is the tank

[mike dunagan]

it is a looker

[BlackTopKing]

It can be done, Or atleast I am trying- right now I got java moss, java fern, couple little cryps and a pond lillie. The managroves dont really count they in the OF not the tank- but So far only every now and then do the move them. I just plant away from there caves...LOL why the center in planted...LOL


http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s132/blacktop_kings/DSCN3012.jpg
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s132/blacktop_kings/DSCN3007.jpg

[Muske]

Blacktop what kind of light are you running?

[soccerdude7200]

my africans pick at my plants sometimes, but you can have plants with most

[cwill78295]

It can be done, Or atleast I am trying- right now I got java moss, java fern, couple little cryps and a pond lillie. The managroves dont really count they in the OF not the tank- but So far only every now and then do the move them. I just plant away from there caves...LOL why the center in planted...LOL


http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s132/blacktop_kings/DSCN3012.jpg
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s132/blacktop_kings/DSCN3007.jpg


Are those peacocks in there with the mbuna? Do the mbuna stress them out? how are they together?

[stickman]

i keep crypts,java fern, giant val,and giant hair grass with my tangs and havent had too much trouble.