I've seen a few places online where West African cichlids like kribensis and jewels have been mixed with New World cichlids. Has anyone done this? Are the water parameters similar with any of these?
Mixing New World cichlids with West African cichlids?
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The temperature can be a problem. Most of the west African cichlids do not like too warm water.
Most Rubricatochromis (except exsul) and Pelvicachromis prefer soft water. (pH 7 or lower, an d low mneral content)
Some of the lake Barumbi umbo cichlids are malleable (above 7), and can handle small to medium size new worlds but I.d hestate to keep them with bruisers.
I was able to keeep Barumbi mbu cichlids in 7.8 pH, but I usually gave them there own tank.
Some of the lake Barumbi umbo cichlids are malleable (above 7), and can handle small to medium size new worlds but I.d hestate to keep them with bruisers.
I was able to keeep Barumbi mbu cichlids in 7.8 pH, but I usually gave them there own tank.
Which American cichlids do you mix them with?
I mix Kribs with my American cichlids with no issues - the Kribs are too small to be on the larger cichlids’s radar.
Most of the commonly available SA’s line up with most West Africans well enough for your typical hobbiest.
If your tap water is soft, with a pH of neutral to low (7 or lower), keeping soft water S Americans (keyholes, small Crenicichla, small acaras) with Pelvicacvhromis, and some jewel cichlids, will probably coexist.
If your tap water is hard, with pH at 7.5 and above, over time, health issues may arise with either the S Americans or west Africans.
Being anally conscious of not having incorrect or illegitimate biotopes, I would not mix continents even if water parameters were similar.
If I wanted both, I´d get separatte tanks.
If your tap water is hard, with pH at 7.5 and above, over time, health issues may arise with either the S Americans or west Africans.
Being anally conscious of not having incorrect or illegitimate biotopes, I would not mix continents even if water parameters were similar.
If I wanted both, I´d get separatte tanks.
Jack Dempsey, convict, rainbow cichlid, and “turquoise” severum. Also a banded leporinus (not a cichlid).
Tbh if I could do it again I wouldn’t do this mix - it took a lot of work to get them to get along (mainly the leporinus being a leporinus). They are the result of a lot of early purchases without much thinking. My pH sits around 7.4.
Yes, it's something I did years ago, before I became more geographically knowledgeable and focused. Kribs for me got along with just about anything that wasn't overly aggressive. For me jewel fish were another story, unpredictable. Some were fine with relatively docile SA species and some quite opposite. About 30 years ago I had a 3" jewel tear up a 9 inch green severum within minutes, he recovered but that was it for me. It's not that I dislike them or would never keep them again, but it would be a completely different type of tank.
...Despite leaning much more geographically purist now, I don't take issue with every tank that mixes compatible fish from different continents. But there are a few combinations that really bug me, like someone trying to shoehorn clown loaches into every conceivable combination, from Geophagus to Cyphotilapia.
...Despite leaning much more geographically purist now, I don't take issue with every tank that mixes compatible fish from different continents. But there are a few combinations that really bug me, like someone trying to shoehorn clown loaches into every conceivable combination, from Geophagus to Cyphotilapia.
Clown loaches are neat but not one I'd probably care to own.Yes, it's something I did years ago, before I became more geographically knowledgeable and focused. Kribs for me got along with just about anything that wasn't overly aggressive. For me jewel fish were another story, unpredictable. Some were fine with relatively docile SA species and some quite opposite. About 30 years ago I had a 3" jewel tear up a 9 inch green severum within minutes, he recovered but that was it for me. It's not that I dislike them or would never keep them again, but it would be a completely different type of tank.
...Despite leaning much more geographically purist now, I don't take issue with every tank that mixes compatible fish from different continents. But there are a few combinations that really bug me, like someone trying to shoehorn clown loaches into every conceivable combination, from Geophagus to Cyphotilapia.