what is the hardest cichlid to keep in your experience?
- Thread starter fishbee
- Start date
nice savebitteraspects;3436467; said:hell no. P-Bass are a whole new monster
i dont mess with cichlids much but i can never keep rams alive for long either.
Wow, I'm amazed that so many people have had trouble with rams! I've kept and bred rams for years with no problems. The only issue I have with rams is that they are so short-lived. Most adults only live a maximum of two years or so.
The trick is probably getting good quality rams. I think that goes for most fish, though.
For me it's Uaru. They eat well, grow well, and look awesome, but seem to develop HITH. I've talked about this in a couple other Uaru threads. It's basically put me off keeping them. I don't know what the deal is. They are the only SA cichlid I've ever had this problem with. I'll just stick with my severums.
The trick is probably getting good quality rams. I think that goes for most fish, though.
For me it's Uaru. They eat well, grow well, and look awesome, but seem to develop HITH. I've talked about this in a couple other Uaru threads. It's basically put me off keeping them. I don't know what the deal is. They are the only SA cichlid I've ever had this problem with. I'll just stick with my severums.
Uaru need veggies in their diet and really clean, warm water to prevent HITH. That's not a guarantee, though.
I'm a fan of using little or no gravel and polyfilter with fish like Uaru.
Matt
I'm a fan of using little or no gravel and polyfilter with fish like Uaru.
Matt
ryansmith83;3440303; said:
dogofwar;3440636; said:
They get lots of veggies, including fresh stuff from the grocery store as well as veggie flakes and frozen cubes.
Mine are in bare bottom grow-out tanks with 90% daily water changes and 85F water, just like my discus. I keep most of my S.A. cichlids this way and they have all flourished and spawned for me. The Uaru act healthy but the dots on the forehead drive me crazy.
Anyway, I am swearing them off now. The only thing I haven't tried is softening the water or lowering the pH, but I don't have the time or money to go through all that.
Sounds like you're doing everything right 
What's your local water like? Do you have problems with wild discus?
Maybe just some driftwood in their tank....or some peat in the filter?
What's your local water like? Do you have problems with wild discus?Maybe just some driftwood in their tank....or some peat in the filter?
dogofwar;3443202; said:Sounds like you're doing everything right
Maybe just some driftwood in their tank....or some peat in the filter?
They will be with plenty of dw, pH is around 6
dogofwar;3443202; said:Sounds like you're doing everything right
Maybe just some driftwood in their tank....or some peat in the filter?
Five of the seven Uaru are going to Peter and Sean today. The only thing I haven't tried is soft water with a low pH. As it stands my water has a pH of around 7.5 to 7.6 now. I am keeping wild severums, festivums, and Laetacara in this water with no problems. The severums have colored up and the Laetacara & festivums have been spawning for about three months, parent-raising fry in my community tanks.
All my discus are tank-raised but they're doing great.
Oh well, one day when I have time to really fool around with softening water and lowering pH, I'll try Uaru again.
^ My water is pretty similar to yours and I never had HITH issues with my uaru. It's really odd.
For me it's always been jurupari. Though my current attempt seems to be succeeding (knock on wood), I've had them since early March, they were around 2" or so, currently all around 4" with no casualties.
For me it's always been jurupari. Though my current attempt seems to be succeeding (knock on wood), I've had them since early March, they were around 2" or so, currently all around 4" with no casualties.
