Which Malagasy cichlids do you have and keep together?

[LS2012]

I have (1) 4" bleekeri and (3) 2.5-3" maculatus in a 100g. It's working so far, but I have a close eye. Im still learning as well. My first attempt at Africans.

OP: interesting to to see how yours turn out. Keep us posted and post pics! ;-)


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Thanks, I will. I'm quite enamored with my cichlids from Madagascar and way overdue for some update pics

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[LS2012]

It's not so much competition but a different feeding style. I think the difference in eating habits for the dambas is what resulted in them not getting enough food. My dambas (keineri, menarambo, dambabe, maculatus, nourissati) all seem to be predominantly grazers ... preferring to search out the pellets on the bottom over a length of time. They have smallish mouths and just can't take in any amount of food in one gulp. It's like a pellet at a time. Sort of like Discus in that regard.The Ptychochromis and especially the Paratilapia literally gorge themselves, taking in as much as they can hold right away (like Oscars) The food barely hits the water before their gaping mouths suck in the food and the water "boils" with the activity. They eat fast and lots. Because of this difference in feeding strategies, I no longer tend to mix dambas in with them.

The numbers above are what I have presently. I used to have four large menarambo (2 pairs) but the male-female relationships were "rocky". I lost the females when the males unexpectedly killed them after they had spawned several times. I still have about 30 - 3" menarambo growing out. And they have gotten along really well together up until now. I also recently lost one of my lamena. There was some electrical current leakage into the tank from a faulty powerhead. All the fish changed behaviorally and I knew something was wrong. I checked the water parameters and did a water change but it made no difference. When I put my hand in the water , I got a "tingle", tracing it to a powerhead. When I replaced it with a new one, the fish resumed their normal behavior. But a lamena was laying on the bottom and despite me moving it to another tank, it didn't make it. The lamena so far pay little attention to one another. But they look like they're reaching sexual maturity so I've been told to expect all h**l to break loose by others who have kept them. That's what their reputation seems to be ... they fight and kill one another until there is one left. I'm hoping to prove otherwise.

Thanks for the info Jim. Its always so helpful to have details from fellow members.

I'm sorry to hear about your Menarambo and Lamena losses.

I hope you do prove otherwise re: Lamena! Best of luck with the rest of your Menarambo juvies. Their videos are one of my favorites to watch.



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[CrimsonFog]

It's interesting TeeJay that you think of them as Africans, is it because of the close proximity of Madagascar to Africa?

Yes, based on geographic proximity. When I first got the maculatus, I had them growing out with some CA bruisers and they were left alone. It was until I found a bleekeri that I decided to give them their own tank.

Here is a quick video of them. I'd still debating on getting either more maculatus or some menarambo from Rapps.

[video=youtube_share;CkRMHXDsWRc]http://youtu.be/CkRMHXDsWRc[/video]

 

[LS2012]

[video=youtube_share;CkRMHXDsWRc]http://youtu.be/CkRMHXDsWRc[/video]

Very nice video and tank setup.

I see your (?female?) Bleekeri has a 'cave' and bet she spends a lot of time in there. My female Bleekeri is from Jeff, I've had her for about a year. She was 1.5 in upon arrival and is about 5in tl now. Is yours from him as well?

She's really shy and always guards her cave. Also a very picky and slow eater. She will only eat when food hits the water and won't touch anything once its on the floor of the tank. That's why I have syno multis in the tank. Theyre an amusing and helpful clean up crew.

She constantly redecorates the tank, moving sand out of her way. It keeps her quite occupied.

Regarding your debate, IMHO, I'd get more Maculatus and Menarambo, space permitting of course. It appears Damba seem to fare better in larger groups. Given their lack of availability, C.A.R.E.S. status and potential for future conspecific aggression, I prefer to obtain as many as I know I can keep long term.

One of the reasons for starting this thread was the pending arrival of Menarambo and wanting input from other members who keep Malagasies. I'm still debating the number of Menarambo because of their eventual size.

What are your observations of your Bleekeri and interaction with your Maculatus? How are they at feeding time and how does your Bleekeri interact with tankmates?



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[CrimsonFog]

Very nice video and tank setup.

I see your (?female?) Bleekeri has a 'cave' and bet she spends a lot of time in there. My female Bleekeri is from Jeff, I've had her for about a year. She was 1.5 in upon arrival and is about 5in tl now. Is yours from him as well?

She's really shy and always guards her cave. Also a very picky and slow eater. She will only eat when food hits the water and won't touch anything once its on the floor of the tank. That's why I have syno multis in the tank. Theyre an amusing and helpful clean up crew.

She constantly redecorates the tank, moving sand out of her way. It keeps her quite occupied.

Regarding your debate, IMHO, I'd get more Maculatus and Menarambo, space permitting of course. It appears Damba seem to fare better in larger groups. Given their lack of availability, C.A.R.E.S. status and potential for future conspecific aggression, I prefer to obtain as many as I know I can keep long term.

One of the reasons for starting this thread was the pending arrival of Menarambo and wanting input from other members who keep Malagasies. I'm still debating the number of Menarambo because of their eventual size.

What are your observations of your Bleekeri and interaction with your Maculatus? How are they at feeding time and how does your Bleekeri interact with tankmates?

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The bleekeri is actually a male. He doesnt chase the maculatus much. He kind of treats them like annoying little kids, i.e., a short quick dart and thats about the extent of it. The bleekeri used to only eat from the top as you state, but recently has been eating from all levels. This tank is fun to watch. The maculatus are constantly sifting sand and wandering about, while the bleekeri lazily goes where ever he wants. He doesnt spend that much time in the cave as you would assume. He likes to be out and about. He does sleep in the cave though and he hides in there during WC's.

I might just get more maculatus since my LFS has 4 left and obviously no shipping. We'll see, gotta get some funds rounded up. $30 a pop!

 

[duanes]

Although only a theory, I believe cichlids were in a very early part of development as secondary freshwater fish when Gondwana broke off from Africa, to create Madagascar and India. And those ancestral cichlids predate most of the African cichlid forms we know of today, and have remained in that primitive state, because of their isolation.
This is why I see very little resemblance to most African cichlids, and I like to afford them a special, separate "Asian cichlid" status.

 

[ciclasoman]

Good thread with lots of information for any bid interested on Malagasy cichlids regardless of level of experience. I would like to add my own twist.
I try to avoid Paretroplus that are considered lacustrine species because I am concerned about hybridization so I keep dambabe, maculatus and menarambo in separate tanks. I have had kieneri combined with menarambo and dambabe and they tolerate each other. I mixed them once with nourissatti once and they were a little more belligerent thought both species occur naturally but in the confines of an aquarium, natural rules don't apply .
I am keeping damii and dambabe and also damii and Etroplus canarensis. The latter mix seems to work as long as the damii stay small and I hope they won't tear the canarensis to pieces once the damii are over 16 inches.
I have mixed oligoacanthus and grandidieri with any and all species and these substrate spawners do well too. The only concern is that grandidieri can get huge and will eat small fish from time to time. So I keep killifish of the genus Pachypanchax with canarensis and other Paretroplus as long as they are raised together.
I am keeping maculatus with exCichlasoma salvini, Paratheraps breidohri, and Pterochromis congicus with good results.
The only issues I have ran into is mixing Paratilapia with Paretroplus, Paratilapia tends to stress the other fish into not breeding, however, I have placed a Paratilapia into a tank of fully grown menarambo only to have the newby torn to pieces.
So best rules to follow is to raise the fish together, particularly important for extreme species like Paretroplus nourissatti.

 

[LS2012]

Good thread with lots of information for any bid interested on Malagasy cichlids regardless of level of experience. I would like to add my own twist.
I try to avoid Paretroplus that are considered lacustrine species because I am concerned about hybridization so I keep dambabe, maculatus and menarambo in separate tanks. I have had kieneri combined with menarambo and dambabe and they tolerate each other. I mixed them once with nourissatti once and they were a little more belligerent thought both species occur naturally but in the confines of an aquarium, natural rules don't apply .
I am keeping damii and dambabe and also damii and Etroplus canarensis. The latter mix seems to work as long as the damii stay small and I hope they won't tear the canarensis to pieces once the damii are over 16 inches.
I have mixed oligoacanthus and grandidieri with any and all species and these substrate spawners do well too. The only concern is that grandidieri can get huge and will eat small fish from time to time. So I keep killifish of the genus Pachypanchax with canarensis and other Paretroplus as long as they are raised together.
I am keeping maculatus with exCichlasoma salvini, Paratheraps breidohri, and Pterochromis congicus with good results.
The only issues I have ran into is mixing Paratilapia with Paretroplus, Paratilapia tends to stress the other fish into not breeding, however, I have placed a Paratilapia into a tank of fully grown menarambo only to have the newby torn to pieces.
So best rules to follow is to raise the fish together, particularly important for extreme species like Paretroplus nourissatti.

Thanks Jose,

Glad you've chimed in too. Your input is always most appreciated and a great source of information.

Hopefully our fellow member's young group of Lamena will be the exception and he will find a way to mitigate their extreme behavior.

Very interesting insight regarding Paratilapia and Paretroplus... Do you think its as stressful for Paretroplus with a single paratilapia as it would be with a breeding pair or group of paratilapia?

It appears Ptychos and Kieneri get along with everything. I'm also concerned about Menarambo/Maculatus hybridization and will definitely be very watchful. I'm guessing my ultimate intention of keeping Maculatus, Kieneri, Menarambo, Tarantsy and Paratilapia together will have issues down the road and am prepared for reorganizing when necessary. For now, the only adults are my Tarantsy pair. Everything else is still young, so I'm going to follow the rules of raising fish together with lots of room and places to hide.

Take care,
Laurie


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[duanes]

Interesting about the breidhori, I have also kept kieneri, Paratilapia and breidhori together with success.
I have also wanted to try Pachypanchax with young Paretroplus, just haven't bit the bullet yet. Not the easiest killis to acquire.
At the moment I have a young bellycrawler pike cichlid in with the Malagasy/India group.

I have found Paretroplines and Crenicichla tend to ignore one another most of the time, so while not geographically correct, it often works well for me.