American Cichlids mixed with African ?

[Brewster]

1 - 6" red snook, 1 - 5" Dempsey, 1 - 5" Green Severum, 1 - 5" African Electric Blue, 1 - 3" Labidochromis caeruleus, 1 - 5" Borleyi, 2 small plecos, 1 - 8" Megalechis thoracata Hoplo.

I just introduced the Borleyi today and there is a little tension but they're starting to calm down.

 

[nuggets]

yes you can mix them but be careful

 

[Natural_Born_Killer]

Just match aggression levels. Water not a huge deal anymore with common varieties as they are probably been kept and bred in about the same conditions for several generations. Lots of people don't like it, but it has worked for many. I think it looks goofy, but my wife has her tank decorated like ancient Greece, so who am I to judge.

That sounds interesting!

I'm still looking around before making any decisions... Also still trying to decorate my tank So far got some nice rocks and stuff just need to figure out how the layout is going to look...

 

[Lupin]

My understanding is that bloat is usually related to levels of stress. Very questionable wether mbuna get bloat due to diet rather then primarily due to excessive aggression.

Maybe stress, maybe not stress. Mbunas are primarily herbivores. Herbivores have longer intestines and their digestive system is not designed to digest excessive proteins quickly. Proteins are not easy to digest even in predatory fish. It takes usually hours and even days before they can completely used up the proteins. Now, with the long intestines, it takes a long time for the fish to excrete the wastes so failing to digest the proteins while accumulating more as the fish feeds on excessive proteins, will simply cause the fish's abdomen to protrude abnormally and the organs eventually become blocked thus the fish is unable to expel its wastes. This is why bloat is often related to diet as much as stress and other factors are.

 

[Natural_Born_Killer]

So far I haven't noticed any problems with my current Malawian Cichlids in terms of bloating or anything.

I just wondered about mixing due to temperments, I have heard that if there are too many of one side that there will be a ganging up tendency...

 

[Binohendrix]

I had them for long time with my SA/CA...They are fin nippers. If have that veiltail or ebjd with long fins, the africans will nip it. They are herbivores but sometimes i doubt that because when i feed my other cichlids live shrimp, they go after them like there's no tomorrow...So, if the mbunas are herbivores, how come they KNOW how to hunt for shrimp and tiny fish?

 

[oscarcrazy]

I had them for long time with my SA/CA...They are fin nippers. If have that veiltail or ebjd with long fins, the africans will nip it. They are herbivores but sometimes i doubt that because when i feed my other cichlids live shrimp, they go after them like there's no tomorrow...So, if the mbunas are herbivores, how come they KNOW how to hunt for shrimp and tiny fish?

Mostly because they are in a tank and not in the wild. Though most all fish are opportunistic feeders.

 

[SusieQ]

Hi. While I don't advocate the mix, I had a female salvini that killed most other fish I tried in her 55 gallon tank. Even if the others were there first. She even killed a JD. and attacked the large school of tiger barbs.
Then I decided to try the yellow labs and acei and they all got along great in the tank. Now they were all about 4 inches so not really completely full grown but between the speed and the aggression levels all went well. A lot depends on the temparment of the SA/Ca and the type of African as has been mentioned. I fed a mixed diet and no one got bloat or anything. Mine also loved the ghost shrimp.. they lasted less than an hour in the tank which had lots of rocks as well as plants.LOL. I sold the tank so can't tell how it would have worked out long term like several years with them all adults but it is doable. As long as you have a plan B, a large enough tank and you choose carefully some strange mixes can work very well. Sue

 

[MN_Rebel]

I heard tilapia and jewel cichlids get along fine with other american cichlids. However I also have a Kenyi cichlid live with blood parrot and EBJD, but I only fed them green flakes and no pellets because of the kenyi's birth defects on his jaws resulted bull dog looking so Kenyi was unable to destory my american cichlids. So far kenyi and blood parrot have live together peacefully for 3 years.

 

[Cichlaholics Anonymous]

I heard tilapia and jewel cichlids get along fine with other american cichlids. However I also have a Kenyi cichlid live with blood parrot and EBJD, but I only fed them green flakes and no pellets because of the kenyi's birth defects on his jaws resulted bull dog looking so Kenyi was unable to destory my american cichlids. So far kenyi and blood parrot have live together peacefully for 3 years.

non-rift lake Africans do great with neotropicals IMO, as long as the aggression level is the same