cichlids:mixed up and lovin it!

[valjeangotback]

I am a newcomer to keeping cichlids, and after some cycling difficulties and some specimen losses, my tank is doing fine. I recently bought two fish at a local pet store, and because the store was not "aqauarium specific", i was sold an African and a South American cichlid and was told that they could live together. Several experts told me that it would never work, but i have persisted, keeping the ph at about 7.8, a good moderate range, i think, as Africans need high ph and South Americans need lower ph. I am thrilled to say, that they are doing fine now, and trhiving. The Afican loves to dig in the gravel bed, is there anything I can add to the tank to provide further stimuli and fun?
Also, any thoughts and advice would be greatly apprecitated!

[fdiaz78]

Sounds great, hopefully everything turns out great. How about some pics when you get a chance?

[peifc]

The reason experts said it will not work not because of water chemistry. They are talking about their fish language.

[valerie]

What sort of SA cichlid and african cichlids are we talking about?

- Also how big are these fish? Sometimes things work when they are juvies but once they hit maturity watch out.

[rich]

yeah you might have an angry SA that could decide to go to war with his brother from across the sea. hope its not a jag and a shellie, that would be bad news. haha fish tank humor, **** thats geeky.

[Dragon_Lord_Tia]

if it was a jag id say it would be gone now lol same with a RD

[resk]

to rock dwelling africans, there is nothing more fun than rocks

create lots of caves and crevaces for your africans and they will amaze you on a regular basis

they are very industrious fish

[valerie]

Originally posted by resk
to rock dwelling africans, there is nothing more fun than rocks

create lots of caves and crevaces for your africans and they will amaze you on a regular basis

Not all africans need rocks there are planty of sand and deep water fish that never use rocks. It depends on what type she have.

[ryan]

thrive is a long term word. they may be okay for now but i doubt it will stay that way. Both types are aggressive but in different ways. SA are face to face bruisers, whereas africans are darting hit and run aggressors. This is of course assuming you have a lake cichlid. Good luck, but I fear that in time the two fish will begin to mistake each others body language and you will only have one left. Either way it would be a good idea to do a little research and find out exactly WHAT you have, maybe you have a jewel and all will be well; maybe both fish will get too big for your tank; without knowing what you have it will take nothing short of dumb luck for them to end up "thriving"..

ryan

[valjeangotback]

Thank you all for you speedy and helpful responses!
I am pretty sure that the South American is a pink convict, and I'm not quite sure what the African is- he's a solid, soft yellow color with yellow fins, body shape not long, but not like that of a discus. They were both purchased at a local general pet store, so i'm sure thay are common species, i've just not been able to find a picture to match my African. They are smaller in size, both young; I only hope that they won't become aggressive toward each other in the future! Thanks again, everyone

p.s. Check out my "wanted" thread in the classifieds!

[valerie]

Going to try and guess waht your african is.

I know this guy isnt' an african but you said yellow fish that is not a discus and this guy pop into my mind since africans shapes look nothing even close to discus shaped. http://www.fishaholics.org/gallery/heros_severus2.shtml

Or since you said yellow african it could be a yellow lab http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/l_caeruleus.php but you said it had yellow fins not black.There is a version called a solid yellow lab that looks like a yellow lab but has no black(its actually a hybrid).

There are a few species that have yellowish females. Check out the gallery at www.cichlid-forum.com

Or is it possible to get a pic or a better description?

[SayersWeb]

Could the African be an Orange Chromide? I think they are from India though....

[peifc]

IMHO, mixing African and American cichlids isn't good idea. That's why experts have South Amercan cichlid tank, Central American cichlid tank, Malawi cichlid tank, or so on. Not many of them ever try to mix them together because of their body language, water chemistry, and other requirements to keep them healthy.

In the long run, trying to keep the water chemistry to certain point just to keep these fishes healthy will be more work than you need to handle.

[valjeangotback]

THANKS, VALERIE!!!

My African HAS to be a yellow lab, the solid hybrid! I just never knew there was a solid variety. Thanks for the id links.
And thank you to everyone else who has offered their services to the identification of my babies!
P.S. Check out my "wanted" thread!

[valerie]

Originally posted by valjeangotback
THANKS, VALERIE!!!

My African HAS to be a yellow lab, the solid hybrid! I just never knew there was a solid variety.

It is thought that the solid yellow lab is either line bred or a hybrid between a red zebra and a lab. Most think it is a hybrid due to to them having a slightly different head shape then plain labs.

[purpleangel]

u had me crackin up, you're funny.

[Coler]

hoo boy thread 2004 off topic post 2008 and I wouldn't know where to start with some of this stuff that's actually in the thread...mercy closure.