Help with ciclids

  • Get the NEW AquariaCentral iOS app --> http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1227181058 // Android version will be out soon!

richbrad08

AC Members
Dec 10, 2009
36
0
0
34
in my 55 gallon tank i have
Auratus
Johanni
Kenyi
red jewl crested \
3 convicts
a yellow convict with a red eye
and another fish i cant determine yet. the convicts are getting along well with the other ciclds not much aggression shown. they usually keep with them selves.


Nitrite down to .5!!
 

richbrad08

AC Members
Dec 10, 2009
36
0
0
34
what would you guys recommend. the convicts might go in my old tank that i had when i was a kid. I thought the convicts will cause lots of problems
 

richbrad08

AC Members
Dec 10, 2009
36
0
0
34
i also heard that if they grow up together they wont have that big of a problem. my buddy has a red belly pacu in a tank with 40 neons and some barbs and the pacu dont bother his tankmates not one bit.
 

blue2fyre

Blue Fish
Oct 7, 2008
4,440
3
0
41
Wisconsin
Real Name
Ashley
i also heard that if they grow up together they wont have that big of a problem. my buddy has a red belly pacu in a tank with 40 neons and some barbs and the pacu dont bother his tankmates not one bit.

That's not really the case with cichlids, especially aggressive ones. Things will be fine for a while then suddenly it will be an all out war with a lot of deaths.
 

hollyfish2000

AC Members
Nov 10, 2009
115
0
0
OHG. When I said you weren't getting good stocking advice -- well, that was an understatement!!!

First, you have mixed Old World (mbuna) with New World (convicts), which is a poor idea. They have different water needs and just in general a different "language." If you want an African tank, then, yes, remove the convicts. (I'm assuming you have the right water parameters for Africans or are willing to buffer the water to achieve it.)

You then have three of the most aggressive cichlids there are: the kenyi, the auratus and the johanni. I don't personally do aggressive mbuna tanks, so I'm going to give more general advice here. You need to do significantly more research on your African species and then decide which (if any) of these you want to keep. You also need to stock either an all male tank (not generally easy to do with mbuna, but a great idea with peacocks/haps) or you need to stock multiple females per male with only a few species in one tank (due to aggressionand interbreeding).

So this gets back to what are you trying to achieve with your tank? It's large enough to do a great all male peacock/hap show tank. Or you could easily do some sort of breeding set-up, or even a less aggressive mbuna tank centered around yellow labs, p. acei and ideotropheus sprengere (rusties).

Glad to see the nitrites are going down!
 

richbrad08

AC Members
Dec 10, 2009
36
0
0
34
Well i am getting attache to my convicts because every time i go to the glass there the first ones there. but what will i do with my other fish just give them to a pet store? What can i mix with convicts? the only reason i got my Africans because they are colorful but i guess i can wait for another tank for that.
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store