What is the consensus on mixing SA and African cichlids?

spiff44

Bronze Tier VIP
MFK Member
Dec 20, 2007
924
68
561
Midwest
Every once in a while i'll see something that says that you shouldn't mix these fish. Looking at their requirements I can never see why. So what is the story here? If you keep very generic parameters 7.5 PH and 75F , why doesn't this work for any cichlid?
 

Crazy mike

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Sep 22, 2012
3,570
55
66
Vacaville,California
Every once in a while i'll see something that says that you shouldn't mix these fish. Looking at their requirements I can never see why. So what is the story here? If you keep very generic parameters 7.5 PH and 75F , why doesn't this work for any cichlid?
Usually because of behavior incompatibility,some CA/SA cichlids can be mixed with Africans but for the most part the two groups don't mix well at least ime


Sent from my iPod touch using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
 

nasomi

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 14, 2011
113
0
0
United States
They have different water paramater requirements, however if properly aclimated they will generally be ok with enough room. In my experience SA is more aggressive., give CA a place to hide and get away.
 

spiff44

Bronze Tier VIP
MFK Member
Dec 20, 2007
924
68
561
Midwest
So it’s a behavioral thing. Then I’m cool I guess. I’m only ever planning on getting the most docile ones, like Cobalt blue’s and Electric Yellows and the 2 I have are herbivores just like those.
 

duanes

MFK Moderators
Staff member
Moderator
MFK Member
Jun 7, 2007
20,931
26,153
2,910
Isla Taboga Panama via Milwaukee
When you say Africans and South Americans, that is a bit general, or far reaching.
Some west Africans come from soft waters, or rift lake Africans come from hard water.
Some S Americans come from temperate climates and need a cool down, some from west of the Andes live in hard water, some of those from east of the Andes require soft acidic water.
You could mix African Pelivicachromis with S American Uaru fernandezyepizi because their water parameters are similar.
Or festae with rift lake species, or other white water riverine African species as far as water parameters go,
although aggression or territoriality may limit certain choices.
 

spiff44

Bronze Tier VIP
MFK Member
Dec 20, 2007
924
68
561
Midwest
gotcha.

Specifically I have 2 Pearsei cichlids and eventually i'm wanting to get something with more color, so those cobalt blue and electric yellow ones. From all the reading I have done on the Pearsei's, they are very tolerant of conditions. So I keep everything in the tank as neutral as possible to be conducive to whatever I might put in there.

Will those Cobalt and yellows be as tolerant of tank mates as the pearseis? Right now I have fish as small as neons in the tank and the 10in pearsei's just ignore them.

Regarding water hardness.. that the one parameter that I have never really concerned myself with. I know our water is on the hard side. I probably can't do too much about it anyway.

Are there any other colorful options to go with that match the tank better than those blue and yellow cichlids?
 

duanes

MFK Moderators
Staff member
Moderator
MFK Member
Jun 7, 2007
20,931
26,153
2,910
Isla Taboga Panama via Milwaukee
Ahhh yes pearsei, and rift lake cichlid water parameter chemistry would work well together, and because pearsei are vegetarian, any rift lake vegetarian would match any low protein food regime.
And the size differential would probably null out any territorial disputes.
Even when my pearsei hit 15"-16", they ignored much smaller fish, although in the end they easily outgrew my 150 gal tank, and had to be moved to a 300 gallon stock tank.
I wouldn't call pearsei South Ameican though, they could almost be considered N American being from Mexico, or technically speaking, Central American also living in Guatemala.
 

Rivers2k

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Dec 27, 2011
1,528
46
51
NY
I got into one of the best debates I have ever had about this topic nobody got heated and we had respect for eachother in the end but none the less people hold very tightly to their view point on this. The most common one I see is never mix new world and old world. I have also seen people get more specific never mix lakes, never mix SA and CA, right down to never mix collection points.

My view on it is don't say never or always. It is to general and to many variables. Just make sure the fish match temperate, size, and at least overlap in water perimeters but I believe the last is the least important unless wild caught because if you are buying in a LFS chances are they have never seen the water perimeters from there native environment.

My own expierence I keep a yellow lab with my Firemouth and Honduran red points and he just keeps to him self. I just added some Juvie Green Terrors to grow out that are the same size as him and he took after the GT's at first but he is fine with them now. It has been about 2 weeks since adding the GT but about 6 months with all the other fish together.
 

Warborg

Goliath Tigerfish
MFK Member
Sep 2, 2009
3,337
2,154
179
Austin, Texas
Well, people stick plecos/BN in African tanks all the time. A common BN only has a high PH of 7.2

Outside of fighting I don't see an issue as long as the PH is met in the middle.
 

KNH

Redtail Catfish
MFK Member
Jun 12, 2005
4,094
577
150
53
OH...IO
You need to understand that most cichlids in the hobby are captive bred in places like Florida. Therefore their water requirements in Africa and south/central America don't really apply.
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store