Hey guys I would really love to keep a Frontosa with a pair of firemouth cichlids and 2 male Convicts...what do you think? Can they coexist in a 60 gal (48 1/2 X 15X 18)????
Frontosa with CA's?????
- Thread starter gregkarr09
- Start date
Yep....it'll work. I have a con in a African tank. And i have two Fronts in a mixed tank.[yt]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bRu6P0WJajU&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bRu6P0WJajU&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/yt]
Fronts (or CA cichlids) aren't Riverine or Madagascar, pls move this thread...
...and if you aren't a purist you can keep (or attempt) to keep just about any fish with any other if you don't mind fudging their 'natural' water parameters (PH, water hardness, temp etc) . Fronts ph7.8-8+, temp 75-85, Firemouths ph 7-7.4, temp 75-85 are just two examples of what the water is like where these two fish are found (wild caught ones that is).
...and if you aren't a purist you can keep (or attempt) to keep just about any fish with any other if you don't mind fudging their 'natural' water parameters (PH, water hardness, temp etc) . Fronts ph7.8-8+, temp 75-85, Firemouths ph 7-7.4, temp 75-85 are just two examples of what the water is like where these two fish are found (wild caught ones that is).
Tank is to small to house for life. Also Front eat fish. They hunt early morning or at dusk. They wait for sleeping fish and then eat them. Smaller fish can become a snack after lights out.
I dont have alot to say about PH. Most fish are bred now in hatcheries /ponds with ph around 7 to 7.5 anyway. I dont mess with my ph , i use the same water for all my tanks and just dont buy fish that cant take the ph my home has. That said my ph is on the high side and perfect for african species . I have very hard well water with a high ph of around 8.5 maybe a bit higher even. Because of that i dont actively search out new world cichlids but will take in new world rescues occationally if death if their only alternative. I have had some suprisingly good results with species from new world that can take ph around 7.5 but bad results with species that require soft acidic water such as discus and rams etc.. So research the species carefully and try to get ones that can take hard water and higher ph's.
Here are my experiences with frontosa and firemouth : I have some rescued firemouths and have 3 or 4 in with my front colony in a six foot tank. The firemouths like to flare their gilllplates often at the fronts, who pretty much flare right back and it ends up being a draw, neither fish actually attacks the other. I know someone who has kept firemouths in with frontosa and was successful for many years. The convict might be another story. If the convict is young it will be very very small and will end up lunch.
Here is my experience with frontosa and New world cichlids in general. I had my colony in a 7 foot long 265 gallon tank and moved them, one front refused to let me net it and so is still in there. THe tank now houses the following fish: 2 giant oscars, 4 Acara, 5 Firemouth, 4 female Jack Dempsey, a green terror, a snake skin gourami, a pair of protomelas and 30 of their offspring, a single yellow lab. 6 tinfoil barbs and 1 bala shark. The little burundi (its about 3 to 4 inches) was low man on the totem pole when in with the fronts, was shy and not dominant at all. After removing the other frontosa it has totally changed its behavior. It claimed all three caves and moves freely between them, eats what ever and where ever it wants (actually chasing down smaller fish and stealing the food right out of their mouths LOL) It is not harrassed or chased or nipped ever. It avoids the larger Oscars and stands up to all fish similar in size when it has to but prefers to ignore them and have them ignore it. This fish does not appear to mind being in with the new world cichilds at all and has had no problems for the 4 months or so its been by itself but keep in mind my tank is huge and all the fish are young except the Oscars who are old and lazy now. That very well could change when these fish such as dempsey and green terror become mature and sexually active. I noticed the true nature in cichlids shows up around the time that the fish gets interested in spawning. What was once a quiet peaceful fish that minds its own bussiness will often become a huge pain in the rear and rip or shred its tankmates becoming much more aggressive.
All that said i think you could do it but you would want to do it in at least a six foot tank. A smaller tank will not work since the key seems to be space ...
Here are my experiences with frontosa and firemouth : I have some rescued firemouths and have 3 or 4 in with my front colony in a six foot tank. The firemouths like to flare their gilllplates often at the fronts, who pretty much flare right back and it ends up being a draw, neither fish actually attacks the other. I know someone who has kept firemouths in with frontosa and was successful for many years. The convict might be another story. If the convict is young it will be very very small and will end up lunch.
Here is my experience with frontosa and New world cichlids in general. I had my colony in a 7 foot long 265 gallon tank and moved them, one front refused to let me net it and so is still in there. THe tank now houses the following fish: 2 giant oscars, 4 Acara, 5 Firemouth, 4 female Jack Dempsey, a green terror, a snake skin gourami, a pair of protomelas and 30 of their offspring, a single yellow lab. 6 tinfoil barbs and 1 bala shark. The little burundi (its about 3 to 4 inches) was low man on the totem pole when in with the fronts, was shy and not dominant at all. After removing the other frontosa it has totally changed its behavior. It claimed all three caves and moves freely between them, eats what ever and where ever it wants (actually chasing down smaller fish and stealing the food right out of their mouths LOL) It is not harrassed or chased or nipped ever. It avoids the larger Oscars and stands up to all fish similar in size when it has to but prefers to ignore them and have them ignore it. This fish does not appear to mind being in with the new world cichilds at all and has had no problems for the 4 months or so its been by itself but keep in mind my tank is huge and all the fish are young except the Oscars who are old and lazy now. That very well could change when these fish such as dempsey and green terror become mature and sexually active. I noticed the true nature in cichlids shows up around the time that the fish gets interested in spawning. What was once a quiet peaceful fish that minds its own bussiness will often become a huge pain in the rear and rip or shred its tankmates becoming much more aggressive.
All that said i think you could do it but you would want to do it in at least a six foot tank. A smaller tank will not work since the key seems to be space ...