What kinds of bottom feeders do you generally include with Central American cichlids?
- Thread starter SCM_2123
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I've had mixed success w/ CA cichlids and plecos depending on the CA cichlid species.. I have medium sized SA plecos in all my tanks except my 240G Vieja melanura tank and my 210 Vieja maculicauda tank.. Also tried previously w/ Vieja breidohri (210G) and V. bifasciata (210G) w/ no luck. I'm sure others have had success, but not me, despite multiple attempts w/ the melanura.. But then, my Viejas don't seem to like anything in their space... except food...
I've also had zero success mixing plecos w/ Amphilophus istalnum, Herichthys carpintis “Escondido”, Nandopsis tetracanthus.. There may be other CA cichlids I ke[pt that doidn't work w/ plecos, but these are the ones I recall that did not tolerate plecos in their tanks..
I currently have plecos in w/ C. bocourti, O. heterospila, T. aureus, T. maculipinnis, T. helleri w/ no issues.. Note, the C. bocourti are still young and will mess w/ my L014 pleco occasionally, but no nipped fins or any damage...
I tend to keep plecos that max from 8 - 12".. multiple different species...
They’re a pairing cichlid. Like any cichlid it’s good to get a group and let a pair form. I have a bachelor group in one tank (they seemingly killed all the females) and it’s constant war with each other.
I wouldn’t buy them to put with ca cichlids though. Many are big enough to eat them. I only did it since I had excess from breeding.
There are 2 kinds of cichlids where the moniker Kribensis is used .
Pelamochromis pulcher, (Kribensis) a soft water, low pH cichlid from West Africa (Benin, Cameroon, and Nigeria)
If you are not concerned with a correct biotope, this species would work with soft water S American species such as Corys, and tetras.
I have found if you have hard water, with pH above 7.5, this species tend to bloat, and does not to well.
And the Rock Kribensis, Paralibidichromis savaugiei, is a cichlid from the higher pH waters of Lake Victoria (pH 7.5 and above)
This species may possibly work with smaller Central America cichlids, again, if a correct biotope is not a concern.
By the way, there are No Corys native to the hard, high pH waters of Central America.
There are some Corys from southern S America, places such as southern Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina where the water is more neutral, and alkaline.
I have been able to keep these in the alkaline, higher pH waters when in Wisconsin,
I would not keep corys with more predatory cichlids though.
Most cichlids, being substrate dwelling species really have no need for other bottom dwellers in the same tank.
I just keep them together in keeping with the species from the same and correct riverine biotope.
Pelamochromis pulcher, (Kribensis) a soft water, low pH cichlid from West Africa (Benin, Cameroon, and Nigeria)
If you are not concerned with a correct biotope, this species would work with soft water S American species such as Corys, and tetras.
I have found if you have hard water, with pH above 7.5, this species tend to bloat, and does not to well.
And the Rock Kribensis, Paralibidichromis savaugiei, is a cichlid from the higher pH waters of Lake Victoria (pH 7.5 and above)
This species may possibly work with smaller Central America cichlids, again, if a correct biotope is not a concern.
By the way, there are No Corys native to the hard, high pH waters of Central America.
There are some Corys from southern S America, places such as southern Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina where the water is more neutral, and alkaline.
I have been able to keep these in the alkaline, higher pH waters when in Wisconsin,
I would not keep corys with more predatory cichlids though.
Most cichlids, being substrate dwelling species really have no need for other bottom dwellers in the same tank.
I just keep them together in keeping with the species from the same and correct riverine biotope.
