Who has had success keeping CA/SA with Rift Lake Cichlids?
- Thread starter HybridGS
- Start date
I have done it you just have to be very selective with what you chose and the other fun part is trying to find a compromise when it somes to the ph of the water. dont be suprized if the africans dominate for some reason all three of my attempts turned out that way so i just decided to segregate.
best of luck.
best of luck.
I am uncertain of rift lake with CA/ SA mainly due to the PH water parameters required. Also "rift lake" is extremely broad. Another poster made mention of "rift lake" water ph is around 8. That is TOTALLY false and NOT AT ALL a good idea.
While I can accept that a PH kept steady in the 7-8 range MAY work for CA/ SA and Victorian Rift lake or possibly even Malawi rift lake cichlids, but the rift lake "Tanganyka" IS NOT EVEN within the 7-8 PH range.
The fact that (A FISHKEEPER) <== Not pointing fingers at you, is able to keep rift cichlids alive in a tank of fish totally alien to its natural habitants and in a set of water parameters severley detrimental to it's husbandry only guarantees that SOME, if not ALL of your fish are LESS than 100% comfortable in these setup(s).
As long as the fishkeeper is unconcerned with supplying their aquatic pets with the best possible living conditions, then the different PH requirement is a total non-issue.
You asked, you got the answer. PH!!!!!
Please DO NOT mis-interpret Otherone's comment on the steady 7-8 PH range is "ideal" for both types of cichlids, only that it can produce an environment where both can survive. Otherone, I am sorry if it is ME mis-interpreting your statment, and if you are indeed infering that it is an IDEAL than you are flat out wrong.
A fish that requires 7.0 - 7.2 PH as "ideal" is to some degree suffering from a PH of 7.5 just the same as a fish that requires ideal PH between 7.8 - 8.0 is suffering. This compromise is really nthing more that "misery loves company".
Why stop at not caring about PH in the water parameters this be the case? Why not stick brackish fish in your marine tanks with slightly lower salt content. The low end Marine POSSIBLY could survive in a high end brackish.
Hell, wouldn't Scats, Archers and Dragon Gobies be awesome in the same tank as Severums, Datnoids and Bichirs?
While I can accept that a PH kept steady in the 7-8 range MAY work for CA/ SA and Victorian Rift lake or possibly even Malawi rift lake cichlids, but the rift lake "Tanganyka" IS NOT EVEN within the 7-8 PH range.
The fact that (A FISHKEEPER) <== Not pointing fingers at you, is able to keep rift cichlids alive in a tank of fish totally alien to its natural habitants and in a set of water parameters severley detrimental to it's husbandry only guarantees that SOME, if not ALL of your fish are LESS than 100% comfortable in these setup(s).
As long as the fishkeeper is unconcerned with supplying their aquatic pets with the best possible living conditions, then the different PH requirement is a total non-issue.
You asked, you got the answer. PH!!!!!
Please DO NOT mis-interpret Otherone's comment on the steady 7-8 PH range is "ideal" for both types of cichlids, only that it can produce an environment where both can survive. Otherone, I am sorry if it is ME mis-interpreting your statment, and if you are indeed infering that it is an IDEAL than you are flat out wrong.
A fish that requires 7.0 - 7.2 PH as "ideal" is to some degree suffering from a PH of 7.5 just the same as a fish that requires ideal PH between 7.8 - 8.0 is suffering. This compromise is really nthing more that "misery loves company".
Why stop at not caring about PH in the water parameters this be the case? Why not stick brackish fish in your marine tanks with slightly lower salt content. The low end Marine POSSIBLY could survive in a high end brackish.
Hell, wouldn't Scats, Archers and Dragon Gobies be awesome in the same tank as Severums, Datnoids and Bichirs?
screaminleeman;4802127; said:
Thats a lot of shouting and extreme comparisons (ie talking Marine etc)
The centrals i am keeping in my Malawi tank originate from hard water areas, the Severums don't but they are just growing out in there because they would get killed with the bigger fish in my 180g
HybridGS;4802114; said:
I have had some experience (good and bad) with keeping non-rift africans with CA/ SA. I have had success keeping adult oscars (Tiger & Red) with Nile Tilapia without issue.
I currently have one seriously aggressive tank where I have a Dovi, a Buttikoferi Tilapia, a Jaguar cichlid, a Johan Pike cichlid and three extremely large Nile cichlids. What a battle royal, where the Jaguar is "king kong"!
HybridGS;4802129; said:
As long as you keep it to Malawi, or Victorian "rift lake" with CA/ SA, at least you have a decent chance! I have NEVER kept a Tanganyka cichlid, but that "rift lake" is SOOOOO much higher on the average in PH than Malawi or Victoria that it is EVERY BIT AS BAD to mix Malawi/ Victoria "rift lake" cichlids with Tanganyka "rift lake" cichlids, as it is to mix Malawi/ Victoria with CA/ SA.
You see this combination ALL THE TIME so although I still think that your malawi/ CA-SA combination is far from ideal, it is not nearly as bad as the well established extreme common practice of "lumping" all "rift lake" cichlids into a continentally correct "AFRICAN" tank setup.
I am not knocking your practice. I do probably 10X worse with some of my combos.
I keep EBJD with Dats, Convict, Polleni Tilapia, Bichirs and Yellow bullheads in one of my setups. You would be hard pressed to mix it up worse that I do at times.
As you esentially stated: The tank setup(s) are for your viewing pleasure. As long as you are happy, that is by far the MOST important thing. I think that it is important to understand that IF YOU HAD UNLIMITED RESOURCES (Way big if) that some of the combinations DO NOT provide the ABSOLUTE best possible conditions for you pets.
It is also important to say that NONE of us can provide the "perfect" real world setup, and if it were a "requirement" that there would be no hobby.
Just understand the difference between acceptable and ideal is the point.
No matter what the arguments may be on either side, it is your tank and you will do whatever you want with it. I agree with the majority on the issue. I don't like mixing African and American Cichlids. I have kept both and while they may be kept together at some happy medium of PH, I still think they do far better in their specialized PH. The two also seem to thrive in different tank setups pertaining to substrate, rock formations, and plants. I don't really care for African Cichlids so I guess I am also a bit biased. And like VRWC said, If I did ever mix the two continents it would have to be a mix of CA/SA and a Butti. Best of luck with whatever you do.
Gruff Master;4802172; said:
Wow Gruff, I usually agree with you on most of your posts, but I question this. I am still a bit of a newbie, but I do love tilapia. I have seven (2 Polleni, 3 Nile and two Butti's). None of the three species of Tilapia are "peaceful, easy going" even for cichlids. The Butti's from my personal experience are by far the worst in both specific and cospecific aggression of the three though.
I have had to keep my two Pollenis in seperate tanks with CA/ SA's because the bigger one utterly shredded the smaller one NON-STOP in a very clear effort to KILL it. Exactly the same with the two Butti's. While both obviously were hell bent on KILLING the other within the species, neither seem to attempt to "kill" the CA/ SA cichlids or "other" tilapia species.
I was able to nurse the smaller Polleni and smaller Butti from extreme near death conditions. Don't get me wrong. The larger Polleni rules it's tank with an iron fist with the CA/SA EBJD & Convict. The Smaller Butti rules it's tank with the other Polleni and a Sax. Pike. The larger brutal Butti is third on the food chain in it's tank behind the "King" Jaguar and number two Dovi! The three Niles that are also in this tank do not bother anything. IMO Buttis are the WORST of the Tilapia to attempt to "mix".
