Firemouth aggressiveness?

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G

gomlin

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 23, 2010
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Ohio
Someone implied in an earlier post of mine that Firemouths might not get along well with SA cichlids. My previous experience with Firemouths, they seemed pretty laid back, even when breeding. What is the typical temperment? Would mixing Geos, Severums, and Angels with Firemouths not be a good idea? Thanks in Advance,

Jim
 
My EBJD lost a eye to a firemouth that I add to the tank. I was warned not to do it but I still did and my EBJD paid the price. Don't know if that help but thought I would tell you about it
 
My firemouth picks his battles. He' picks at my tinfoil bards and they are 3X his size and he picks at my red oscar which is about his size. But my 10 inch oscar he leaves alone.
 
Mine has two kills under his belt. He killed on of my tinfoil bards and my other female firemouth. I put him in his own tank for a few months which seemed to mellow him out some. He's still aggressive but not as bad as when he was first put in the big tank.
 
It's mainly just territorial display. Even when they go after another fish, it's typically just a quick nip and no real damage done. Breeding gets a bit worse, but again...mainly over territory.

I have mine in with a severum. He's about 7.5" and gets run off by the 4" male firemouth. I think they'd do well in most tanks as either additional cichlids, dithers for larger cichlids (similar to convicts), or tanks where the other cichlids aren't big enough to eat them.
 
Firemouth cichlids are not that aggressive compared to african cichlids but still are highly aggressive I have 4 firemouths in a 75 long (2 males & 2 females) I have fry now and the father of the fry goes knowhere away from the nest and fights to the death if another FM comes near there has been many times I have broke up a fight with a net
 
Ime firemouths aren't very tolerable of fish of a similar size.

Even slightly larger fish can become bullied.

If they sense weakness they will try to exploit it.

Firemouths may not have all that strong of jaws, but they can stress fish out with relentless cheep shots.

At least the ones I have kept.
 
the ones I've kept are, as noted above, "all bark and no bite" . . . I have owned several FMs, and have never seen one do anything more than flaring . . .

there are no guarantees with cichlids, and you really have no way of knowing if it will work until you try it . . .
 
I had a firemouth, he was trying to boss around my Green Terrors and Jack Dempseys, but always got beaten up. All fish were around 5 inch at the time.
So I'd say they are a little aggressive, just not very strong.
 
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