Alright So I really want some African Cichlids (Mainly Electric Yellow Lab and something blue) and here are my choices put them in a twenty which is not a very good idea or put them in my 180 gallon with my other fish which also may not be a good idea but that is why I am here. In my 180 I have 2 oscars (one is 9 inch, the other is about 5 and yes I know someday I will have to get rid of them), 4 convicts (2 breeding pairs), a jack dempsey, 4 bala sharks, 3 clown loaches, 1 red tailed shark, 1 pleco, 2 columbian sharks (which will be on their way out) and one of the leporonis fish. Now I would like to add to that ideally 2 yellow labs, 1 blue, and 1 other "assorted african cichlid" i know water will not be a problem because of the farm raised, and i know diet won't be a problem because I give flakes and supplement with brine shrimp, and I am not worried about my other cichlids, so I just want to know if they will hurt my other semi-aggressive fish. Here is kind of the setup of my tank. There is the left area that is the convict place they have a few caves they breed in and kind of keep the caves to themselves. Then there is a another cave where the dempsey hangs out and keeps people away. Then there is a massive expansive of rocks that doesn't really have an owner and finally there is a last outcrop where the balas, cown loaches, columbian sharks, and red tailed sharks kind retreat to and I believe they do this because there is alot of open water above the rocks but they are not tied to that area like the convicts and dempsey is. So I have a large area of rocks, and I would like to add a bunch more caves and so basically if I do that can I add the 4 or 5 african cichlids or will they cause to much problem? I have never had them before so I don't know how aggressive they are compared to the oscars, convicts, and jack dempsey but everyone seems to be fine right now. So I apologize for the long winded question but please let me know what you think. Thanks
African Cichlids With My Other Fish
- Thread starter chasers
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Mixing Africans with Central and South American Cichlids is never a good idea...also may i ask why you belive you'll eventually need to get rid of your oscars?
+1...I wouldn't add the african cichlids. And I am also curious why you would think you need to get rid of the two oscars? 180 should be big enough for the two of them for life.
Because I was told that as they got older if they were not a breeding pair they wouldn't get along because of the size difference. I meant to say I would get rid of the smaller one. So my next question is no african cichlids because of the other cichlids or because of the other semi-aggressive fish?
Most likely the yellow labs will be food for your oscars...it is not that oscars are so aggressive, it is just that they will eat anything that can fit in their mouths. Even at larger sizes, they are suprisingly agile when it comes to hunting. Others have mixed african and CA/SA cichlids before and I am not saying it can't work. You would definately need to add alot of hides if you were going to do it.
You were told wrong...your Oscars should be fine as they grow older....I wouldn't do the mix with your CA\SA cichlids and the africans..there just not a good mix together. You should look into getting some pictus catfish's.
o wow ok well thats good news... So I decided to set up my 20 gallon tank for african cichlids, knowing that in November-December I will be able to get a 46 gallon for them, so I am going to buy the real small ones and they will be fine till November. So because I would like my fish to grow up together how many african cichlids can I put in a 46? Also is there any type of bottom feeder/algae eater that would do good with african cichlids in a 46?
Thanks
Thanks