I'm not adding anything until I get an FX5 and my water is perfect/good parameters. My fish are super small, and the jag is under an inch right now, which is why I want to get all the somewhat aggressive fish now to grow together before I move them into the larger tank I am searching for. I agree the Frontosa would almost look out of place, but they are just so badass to me I want to include it in the new tank. There is a LFS by my house that has a lot of these fish together with a Frontosa and they get along fine and they are fully grown or close to it. Most likely I will try to pick one up after a while that someone doesn't want and see how it works out. If not, I can find a safe home for it anyway.
What are your thoughts on mixing cichlids?
- Thread starter ChiPerf
- Start date
Behaviors are another thing to consider when it comes to aggression. Central and south americans go through a different aggressive display than africans. I think CA/SA tend to have a more "showy" display while africans are quick to dish out. Pound (or ounce) for pound Africans take the cake as far as aggression goes.
Before I get too carried away.. or turn this into a discussion about what is more aggressive.. What I'm trying to say is mixed fish with different behaviors may not recognize what another fish is trying to "say" and may stick around while another fish is telling it to go.
Should that stop you? No, not really. In the end they figure it out or you have dead or hurt fish just like you would in a CA/SA tank with a bully or in mixed tanks with predators etc. from different continents. Personally I just don't like the way it looks.
Have I seen it done? yes and I've done it in the past as well.
In the end it's up to you.
Before I get too carried away.. or turn this into a discussion about what is more aggressive.. What I'm trying to say is mixed fish with different behaviors may not recognize what another fish is trying to "say" and may stick around while another fish is telling it to go.
Should that stop you? No, not really. In the end they figure it out or you have dead or hurt fish just like you would in a CA/SA tank with a bully or in mixed tanks with predators etc. from different continents. Personally I just don't like the way it looks.
Have I seen it done? yes and I've done it in the past as well.
In the end it's up to you.
The way I see it, it's like keeping a turkey, a penguin and an ostrich in the same cage....a large cage with clean air and good food...
It would be hard to keep them all happy...some may say whether they look good together is an "open" question..
It would be hard to keep them all happy...some may say whether they look good together is an "open" question..
In the grand scheme of aggro cichlids, Fronts are not exactly badass and there's a good chance that as all of your fish mature the Front will get punted around like a soccer ball by some of your other fish, which truly can be badass. Lots of LFS's set up mixed display tanks to show potential customers how well all the fishies get along, and how they too can have a tank just like theirs. I suspect that you'll figure this all out as time goes by. To me those tanks look like fish soup, but that's just me.
I can appreciate that point of view for sure. I still see them as all "fish" and not species yet, so I guess I don't have a problem mixing a few different ones in there. No, the Frontosa is not badass as in tough, I just think it looks unique and would like to have one. Still thinking about this and how I will set up the new tank, but opinions are great to have. Thanks guys.
Take the advice from the experts here. Slow down. Stop buying fish and get a game plan. Research the fish you have and are interested in.
....Bill
....Bill
Personally, I wouldnt do it for a variety of reasons. Aside from behavioral differences, water chemistry is something else to consider. Just because a fish CAN adapt to certain water parameters doesn't mean it should have to. A fish can live in a less than optimum environment for years, but IMO, the fish will never truly thrive in such an environment.
I currently run a 300 SA/CE setup with tons of driftwood and soft water with a lower ph. I too realized that I wanted to keep some Africans. My solution? My new 135 gets here in two weeks and I've already bought coral sand and 400 lbs of Florida fieldstone to buffer the tank.
If you really want to keep different cichlids, you and your fish will be happier in the long run if you setup different tanks.
I currently run a 300 SA/CE setup with tons of driftwood and soft water with a lower ph. I too realized that I wanted to keep some Africans. My solution? My new 135 gets here in two weeks and I've already bought coral sand and 400 lbs of Florida fieldstone to buffer the tank.
If you really want to keep different cichlids, you and your fish will be happier in the long run if you setup different tanks.
