Red flag cichlid

[chaibill]

anyone have experience with red flag cichlids i have read they are good for community tank

[Nolapete]

I'm guessing you're referring to L. curviceps? If so, great fish and is generally peaceful and easy to breed.

[Nolapete]

BTW, thanks for reminding me of them. I'll be looking for some to put in the 110 once it's up.

[Jayhawk]

Actually, red breasted flag cichlids are L. dorsigera, plain old flag cichlids are L. curviceps.

I've had both, and have 4 dorsigera in a 30 gallon long (36" long) tank with two angels.

They're nice fish. Truly dwarf acara-ish in build (chunky, thick fish), but not as aggressive. They are assertive - mine chase the angels around at meal time despite the largest angel being twice as big as the male dorsigera (although they probably weigh the same).

I like both species.

Anything specific you want to know?

Eric

[Nolapete]

The curviceps only get to be about half the size of the dorsigera right?

[Jayhawk]

Nope - both get to the same size. L. thayeri and one other Laetacara species I can't recall now both get to about 4 - 4.5", but curviceps and dorsigera max out at 3".

Eric

[chaibill]

i was referring to L. dorsigera AKA Aequidens dorsiger but L. curviceps is nice too
so they can go in a community tank and thing they can't not go with besides other more aggressive cichlids the book i have says not to mix corys and cichlids does any one know why?

[Nolapete]

Most likely because the cichlids could possibly eat the cory and the cory's barbs would kill the cichlid if it tried to pass it. Which reminds me of a true story.

Many years ago when I was a teen, I emptied my 29 gallon with gouramis, angels, a cory cat, and various other fish into a kitchen garbage can so I could clean it out. (This was way before I knew about water changes and still was using UGFs). Anyways, I had an african water frog in the tank as well. Not one of the tiny ones...this guy was ginormous. I naively put him in the garbage can as well and proceeded to clean and reset up the tank. By the time I was done, the frog had eaten every single fish that he had lived with for MONTHS including the cory cat. I don't know how, but he finally passed it and to our amazement it was alive! Cories are tough little buggers.

[Jayhawk]

Dorsigera will be fine with corys if the tank is big enough - I have 3 C. paleatus in with my dorsigera and they have no problems coexisting whatsover. Now, corys are pretty adept egg thieves, so they may hamper spawning...which I may never know about anyway since none of my 4 have paired up yet after 4-5 months.

Anyway, in a community tank you're obviously not concerned about having all the fry survive for sale...which is exactly my set up - a nice community tank and if any fry (if they ever spawn) survive, well, more power to them!

BTW - they're pretty adaptable fish - pH 6.2 to 7.8 will be fine, temps from low 70s to 80 are good (they're from areas that are subtropical).

Eric

[chaibill]

by "cory's barbs" do you mean the fins?
even the small cichlids will try to eat corys?