Also on a controversial side note. The gentleman that owns aforementioned tank also only does monthly water changes.
Spreading the aggression of CA/SA cichlids...
- Thread starter Vukmir13
- Start date
Wow, I'm not here to be judge or jury, however I wouldn't be able to function with normal daily activities if I didn't do my routine 2x per week water changes. My water parameters are consistently impeccable, however my fish seem to enjoy the fresh new water and that's good enough reward for me.
A lot depends on the species. Some like geos and thorichthys like to be kept in groups. Some don't like dovii. Temperaments vary w/ SA/CA cichlds. You have a better chance of keeping a peaceful tank if you don't mix different temperaments.
Tank size really matters in aggression. African cichlds in the wild live in close quarters. CA cichlds are spread out w/ larger territories. The bigger the tank the less chances you'll have aggression and it's better to handle the bioload.
There are a lot of fish I want, but won't keep them until I get 200g+. It's not fair to cram big fish in smaller tanks. They never reach their full potential.
Tank size really matters in aggression. African cichlds in the wild live in close quarters. CA cichlds are spread out w/ larger territories. The bigger the tank the less chances you'll have aggression and it's better to handle the bioload.
There are a lot of fish I want, but won't keep them until I get 200g+. It's not fair to cram big fish in smaller tanks. They never reach their full potential.
Oh its definitely not just you. I had intended on posting the exact same thing
"How would their personality/behavior be altered by being in a community style setup?"
Lemme count the ways......
I keep Vieja, this is how they are. A tank full of Amph's would probably be different. A tank with Parachromis would be a waste of time, so I don't even consider it (I kid).
with just 2-3 fish in a big tank, they'll all cruise around more, faster, stretch out a little more. When they decide they don't like one of their neighbors, with just 2-3 fish in a tank, their fights seem much more likely to be long drawn out fights that end with one in the corner the next morning with no scales.
As you add more fish to the tank, they move around less and less because they don't want to bump into a neighbor. fights in a heavy stocked are less serious, though.
I've had Vieja in a 125 so heavily stocked that they just all faced the same direction and didn't move all day. when one did move, the rest would move too until they were all adjusted.
Africans don't do that. I've seen them in tanks in restaurants, and heavily stocked, they still stay very active. CA Cichlids get much less active when heavily stocked.
And this is full grown CA Cichlids. I've noticed that CA Cichlid fry can be very heavily stocked in a grow out tank until they're about 4-6 inches--then the killing starts.
Lemme count the ways......
I keep Vieja, this is how they are. A tank full of Amph's would probably be different. A tank with Parachromis would be a waste of time, so I don't even consider it (I kid).
with just 2-3 fish in a big tank, they'll all cruise around more, faster, stretch out a little more. When they decide they don't like one of their neighbors, with just 2-3 fish in a tank, their fights seem much more likely to be long drawn out fights that end with one in the corner the next morning with no scales.
As you add more fish to the tank, they move around less and less because they don't want to bump into a neighbor. fights in a heavy stocked are less serious, though.
I've had Vieja in a 125 so heavily stocked that they just all faced the same direction and didn't move all day. when one did move, the rest would move too until they were all adjusted.
Africans don't do that. I've seen them in tanks in restaurants, and heavily stocked, they still stay very active. CA Cichlids get much less active when heavily stocked.
And this is full grown CA Cichlids. I've noticed that CA Cichlid fry can be very heavily stocked in a grow out tank until they're about 4-6 inches--then the killing starts.
Agreed. Its just as wrong to overstock a 55 gallon with Africans to "spread the aggression" as it is to overstock a 180 with New World cichlids.
In such a heavily stocked tank, every fish is always on alert, there is always mild to moderate aggression everywhere. You never get to see a fish relax, dig a hole, do cichlid things... Basically, you're treating your fish more as ornaments than pets.
ragin_cajun
super excellent info, my wife and I applaud your writing. I think at this point, I'm going to leave my stock as is. I have a 125 gallon with 1 Oscar, 1 green terror, 1 jd, 1 Friedrichsthalii, 1 Kirin Parrot, 1 albino bushynose pleco, and 1 gold nugget pleco. They all range from 3"-6". So far, they have been coexisting peacefully, however I will be posting their progress to hopefully help someone else out if they ever decide to venture down this same path. Thanks again
