mixing non-cichlids with mbuna

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syddakyd

syddakyd

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Nov 10, 2008
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now i realize that most people who keep african cichlids tend to be purist or at least they think they are.....

but i also see people have had success with other fish such as....

tinfoil barbs
tiger barbs
redtail/rainbow shark
syno catfish
clown loaches
leoporinus

anyone have personal experience with any of these or others?
 
syddakyd;2858007; said:
now i realize that most people who keep african cichlids tend to be purist or at least they think they are.....

but i also see people have had success with other fish such as....

tinfoil barbs
tiger barbs
redtail/rainbow shark
syno catfish
clown loaches
leoporinus

anyone have personal experience with any of these or others?
Click to expand...

Synos are fine, especially go for varieties that are native to those lakes. I'm not quite sure about clown loaches, they not only get large, but require different water params and shoal.
 
Adding in giant danios, I have read are good dither fish, meaning lower aggression, I believe, So I think it is worth a try as long as you watch carefully and see if it will suit your tank. I have seen many tanks with clown loaches and africans they look really cool together for some reason... especially really big loaches and africans!
 
i keep mine with synos from lake mal and lake tang and outside of they lakes and all fine.

also keep a royal plec and a bn plec in there fine.

i have some lake tang fish in there too and some weird fish that are new world cichlid which are fine.

just try it with fairly cheap fish and see what happens
 
I have a Rainbow Shark 2 plecos and 2 bichars no issues however in the begining days of Africans for me I lost 3 Oscar juvi's and a red devil juvi trying to mix.
 
I have a plethera of different species of cichlids mixed right now mbuna, aratus, peacock, yellow lab, and green terrors. I'm pritty sure I have those species Cant be certian though.
 
Tinfoil barbs were chased and picked to death.

Tiger barbs disappear one at a time until all was gone.

Redtail shark is currently doing fine in the tank but has missing scales from getting picked on. He is about 4 inches and bigger than the africans.

Syno Petro catfish are left alone never had issues with any kind of Syno kept with my africans.

Clown loaches/ Kuhli Loach kept them to keep the snails down and never had any issues.

Leoporinus they are fine since they are pretty agressive in nature.

Flowerhorn, Red Terror, Green Terror and Severums (they were about 2 to 3 inches and aficans were 3 to 4 inches) was beat up pretty bad.

Firemouth and Convicts were killed.

Cubans are doing fine except for some tear fins but they know how and back off. I think that is why the other cichlids did not make it they just want to keep fighting.

I hope this answers your questions.
 
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