I have been batting around the idea of setting up a 40 gallon breeder tank with a pair of jewel cichlids. I know these little boogers can be very aggressive, and I'm wondering about possible tankmates. would a bristlenose pleco and maybe some otocinclus, and perhaps some zebra danios as dithers be able to survive if all fish were introduce to the tank at the same time?
jewel cichlid tankmates
- Thread starter Yohanon
- Start date
Some of the larger jewel species may try and eat the ottos eventually, but other than that you should be fine. I think the danios would be too fast for them to catch, as jewels are not super active swimmers. You might think about larger deep bodied characins like congos, or others as a substitute. Their larger frame will eliminate them from the jewel's menu.
Sounds possible. Jewels(depending on species and there are many) do vary in temperament but most should tolerate the tank mates mentioned. I have a spawning group in a 120g but they are very tolerant and allow other cichlids within 4-5in of their nest. Granted, no one enters their cave...
I have never done Jewels with Dithers, but I have done them w/ Rift Lake species and SA/CA species and they do MUCH better w/ SA/CA species than they do with Africans. Try just getting ONE Jewel instead of a pair and mixing it w/ other mildly or semi-aggressive SA/CAs - I have kept them frequently w/ Jack Dempseys, Green Terrors and Convicts, but I have also kept them w/ Flowerhorns, Red Devils, Firemouths, Jaguars, plus Polypterus, and Corydoras, Hoplo, Pleco, Raphael, Sun/Eclipse, Colombian Shark, Pimelodus, Asian Bumblebee, and Synodontis catfish, and also Chinese Algae Eaters
Ottocinctus will get destroyed, single or by a pair. Go armored catfish or at least semi-aggressive, but keep the size under 8-10" or make sure the adult catfish have small mouths
Ottocinctus will get destroyed, single or by a pair. Go armored catfish or at least semi-aggressive, but keep the size under 8-10" or make sure the adult catfish have small mouths
how many females does your male Jewel spawn with and do they tolerate/raise each others' fry?
The otos, I may pass on. They are somewhat delicate and wouldn't handle any agression from the jewels well
Frank Castle
I have 6 females and 2 males. They tend to eat their eggs but I remove the eggs once in a while. Between all the females they seem to spawn constantly.
