Every time I clean the glass on my tank, they try to attack the paper towel like no other. I have to clean the glass extra slow to make sure they don't splash water everywhere. Any sudden movement usually makes them go crazy. I can throw any object across the front of their tank and they chase it like there's no tomorrow.
why do you keep cichla?
- Thread starter ZOO YORK 207
- Start date
They are the coolest fish I've ever had. They stop on a dime. Just like everybody else said, they change colors. They eat like friggin machines. And they kill wth a ferocity that is almost unmatched.
I have never owned any of the channa species, but from the stories that I have heard, there are some subtle differences between channas and cichlas. The cichlas only eat prey that they can fit in their gaping mouths. Whereas channas, as I am to understand them, can be very vicious and will tear larger pieces of prey into smaller chunks. Both are awesome predators and I agree that cichla lack some of the "personality" that a lot of larger cichlids have and that channa species appear to have as well. Instead, cichlas tend to be more like anxious puppy dogs, always waiting to play catch or wagging their tails wildly. It is this energy that I love about my pbass. It pumps me up everytime I see them.
toxicfish;498660; said:
Have you seen a channa barca or aurantimaculata or pleurophthalma or even a nice bleheri?
I think channas are the better looking fish, hands down.
Cichla orinos and gold azuls are stunning, really beautiful, but the average mono, ocellaris, or temensis is no better looking than a micro imo. Personally I find my cobra snakehead better looking than most pbass.
blacktip;498846; said:
Yes I agree, it's a fair assessment. Despite lacking the personality of some other large cichlids I'd have to say cichla are my overall favourite cichlids, they are a very impressive aquarium fish without a doubt.
I guess the only thing I was disputing is that they are the best predators - that award goes to channas pound for pound. They are a great predator, but not the best. Put a shoal of pbass and a shoal of snakeheads of the same size in a huge pool with no food and we'd soon see who are the better predators, the channas would thrive until the pbass ran out
i like cichla but only by themselves. All the reasons why i like them (and also some reasons why i dont ) have been posted already.
The TRUST;499483; said:
The problem with Channa is there are a lot of people that have never owned one let alone several. Once all the macho look at my pit bull Bull s*&t stuff has worn out you have something for every one. From small to large from pretty to Menacing. And quite passive to very nasty.
And all of them have charm and are generally a funny entertaining fish, whether they are passive or nasty.
