cichlid myths

[CooyaFNQ]

I live in North QLD Australia, and from experience, the shops I have bought my Cichlids from really dont have much info to give. I usually check out what they've got on the net first. Try to find out all I can PH, diet etc so to try to keep my fish happy and compatable. Had a few disasters at the beginning by listening to what the shop keepers told me. I bought a fairly large Electric blue "female". The shop guy assured me it was a female, he'd had it for ages and it wasn't going to turn blue. 4 days later at the correct hardness & Ph and it was brighter than the existing one I had!!! In the beginning I was also sold Saulosi & Lombardi together being asured they would be fine. They are complete opposite colourings and very similar. They have all turned out to be male so at least I dont have any harrassed females. I've even been told its Ok to put american with africans despite the PH diference
Now I dont buy anything without checking first and would advise any one out there thats new at it to do the same. Unfortunately to some shop keepers a sale is a sale.

 

[DJORDAN]

I have 1 convict and 7 electric blue cichlids in a 55 gal. tank. When I turn the lights off at night the all go to the bottom of the tank behind their favorite rock. Not much fighting or feeding goes on at night.

 

[Ornatapinnis]

I thought of another one;

The dreaded and fearsom Malawi eye biter. THis is bogus.

The Dimidiochromis (formerly haplochromis) Compressiceps is ofter called the "malawi eye biter" or just "eye biter" because supposedly they bite the eyes out of other fish. THis is not true, they do not. THis is one of my favorite fish, I have had many of them over the years and spawned the heck out of them. I don't know anyone who has ever had this happen.