African Tankmates???

F

FHBrumb

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Sep 13, 2005
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Menasha, WI USA
I have a 125 gallon tank, I'm intending to stay as an African tank. Right now, there are about 12 (1 to 2 inch) African Cichlids in there. What I was told, while buying, is most of them will top out in the 6 to 8 inch long range. I found a small synadonis cat to go in there too. I was told he would be about the same size when grown. As clean up help, I have three Cory cats, that I intend on attempting to eventually remove. There are also a couple of snails, I'll just leave there, telling myself they are from Africa. :huh:

So, what tankmates (with clean up crew in mind) are good for such a tank? I'd like something that scavenges like a Cory (small too), but is from the African lakes. Is there such a thing?

Are there African crayfish? I have a blue (Austrailian, I think) in my other tank, and wouldn't mind something like that in the big one.

Thanks,
 
identifying your "african cichlids" will be the first task. If you bought fish from an "assorted african" or "mixed african" tank they are likely mbuna in which the size assumptions are a little high. they generally get 5-6" long, some smaller, some larger. I'm not aware of synodontis catfish getting that large either. I suggest going to www.planetcatfish.com to identify what you have but I believe most of the commonly found synodontis get around 4-6" but I may be wrong there. Cories are definitely something you want to remove, not only due to aggression but the water parameters are completely different between the fish. African cichlids range from under 2" to over 12", some from soft, acidic waters, others from hard, alkaline lakes. some are totally nasty, others are very peaceful. that will play a big factor in what you are planning. I suggest you research the cichlids from malawi called mbuna, there is a lot of info at www.cichlid-forum.com on the mbuna's so you can tell there. Diet can also play a factor with african cichlids, some cannot eat high protein foods or they'll die, some don't like vegetarian foods. Some live in rocks, some live in shells, some like plants, some will tear up plants. Repost after you have identified the fish and you'll get a better answer. good luck, Kyle
 
the synodotis, at least the one i have, acts just like a cory, except a lot bigger and its nocturnal, it also digs more, so i think it cleans better and helps airate the gravel. i once put a algie tablet under one of my plants in an attempt to furtilize it (before i got flourite) i put it down several inches and the next day i saw that my synodontis had dug a large hole and had eaten the thing! i think that if u can find a subspecies that is ok with other synodontis, or if u get one that grows large (like the one i have) ud be fine.
 
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The fish I have were purchased as "Mixed Africans", so identifying would take quite some time. Many are obviuos, like one is definately a Yellow Electric, but most are not so easy. Also, they are all quite small (1 to 2 inches), and identifying them at this age will be difficult, as some fish look quite a bit alike, when so young, and differ a bit, when older.

The cat I have was sold as a Synodonis Lace Cat. My guess is that is actually from South America, but it was sold as a good companion to Africans, and it shared their display tank at the store. The spec card on the tank said an approximate size of 6 inches. Many cards seemed to spec out on the small side, on fish I was familiar with, so I guesses this one did too. For example, the Oscar card said max size of 10 to 12 inches. I know I've seen them around 16... Maybe not the case on this cat, however. Even 4 to 6 inches would be a good size.

Some of the names I've seen associated with fish like I have are:
"Snow White" (have 1)
"Electric Yellow"(have 1)
"Cobalt Blue"(have 1)
"Peacock"(have 1, but two other unknowns are quite similar)
"Red Zebra"(have 1)
"Electric Blue"(have 1)

There are a total of about 12 Cichlids as of now.

If the cat is a good night time clean up/scavenger, I'll add another, and probably call it a good fit. Two 4 to 6 inch cats in 125 seems about right.

As for water, I'm in the 7.8 ph range. I could nail that number down, if you need it, and I run a temp of about 76F. I might increase that to more like 78, but I'm not sure it is necessary. The fish are active, and colorful at 76.

Mostly, I feed Formula 2 flake food. Everything in the tank, except the cat comes to the surface for it. I also put shrimp pellets in every night, before bed. The Cichilds eat that too, but I actually put it in, for the cat. I also have a few other dry foods I use, but rarely. Let's see, Color Flakes, Cichlid Sticks (too big for these now), Cichlid Granuals, and a few others I have...

There are many rocks, and a couple of synthetic plants. Some hide in or under the rock work. Some sit or hang in the foliage of the plants. Many are digging in the substrate, at the edge of rocks. To each his own, I guess.
 
that's what I suspected. All the cichlids you listed are in fact from lake Malawi in Africa and most are from the "mbuna" family. They should all end up in the 5-6" or so range as far as I know although some could be a bit larger. Keep in mind I have never kept these fish personally but have researched them quite a bit when I was planning a tank that took a different route at the last minute.

Peacock's are fish from the family Aulonocara and are some of the most sought after cichlids from Lake Malawi. They get the name Peacock because they tend to keep their fins displayed and have awesome colors. There are many different aulonocara species as well as mixes on the market. The Zebra's are considered fairly aggressive usually so keep an eye on him tearing up the others. The electric yellows are considered the most docile of the mbuna, not sure where the others fall in there but likely somewhere inbetween. Many mbuna are full color by 2" or even less sometimes.

The Synodontis are actually African catfish, some hail from softwater and some from hardwater but most are generally kept with these cichlids as you are. They normally get between 4-6" depending on the species and "lace" has been used to name several species so it could be any of a few species. They are not meant to be solely scavengers but it sounds like you're doing the right thing with the shrimp pellets.

A varied diet is best for most fish and I think all the mbuna you have can have high protein foods but I'm not positive which mbuna really need vegetarian diets. What you might do is feed them a lot of veggie foods, even fresh squash and feed carnivore sinking pellets in the black of night for the catfish. Malawi cichlids are generally recommended to be kept in tanks around 8.3 PH but many can be kept in lower PH's, especially if they are captive bred. I think 7.8 would probably be fine. Use Limestone "holey rock" to raise the PH and it will also give them hiding places. You can also give them PVC built caves or terra cotta pots for caves. Go visit www.cichlid-forum.com there are many DIY caves and other information specifically on these fish. good luck, KYle
 
I'm not sure what your stocking intentions are, but with a 125gal you could easily double the number of cichlids in that tank (if adding mbuna) and not be overstocked. It'll be easier to add them now while they're still juveniles than later when the current occupants are matured with established territories.

There are some synodontis cats that easily surpass 6", depending on species.
 
Setup sounds fine so far, but you'll definately want to know what fish you actually have so you can predict aggression and know thier diets. Some of the mbuna you have WILL need a more vegetarian diet, such as the 'zebra' (Maylandia estherae) and 'cobalt blue' (Maylandia callainos). The peacocks will enjoy a little more protien in thier diet, but should still get some veggies to help prevent the common and deadly Malawi Bloat.

Here's a link to helping you identify fish you commonly find in those 'mixed malawi' tanks: http://www.malawimayhem.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3107

Your lace cat will probebly be fine, although snakeskinner is right its from a lower pH environment. You may want to get him a buddy or two (im not sure if they are as social as the Tangynikan synodontis) but thier personality really comes out if they have friends. They come out more during the day too. :)

That site, www.malawimayhem.com will be a wealth of information for you about these fish. ;)

HTH
-Diana
 
I'd like to up the fin count a bit, but most of the fish shops here just have more of the same. I'll snag a few more, as I visit shops further away. Are there any truly red or green fish that would fit well? It seems I have every color under the sun, except red and green.

I'll keep looking at various forums to see if there are any familiar fish there. The 'mixed malawi' thread had a couple of my fish in it.

As for food, isn't Formula 2 basically a green plant food? I know it has other ingredients, but I guess I felt like it was a "best bet" for the herbivores. With the mix of foods I have here, no doubt I'll have the food each needs.

Looking at the cats, maybe I'll go up to three then. I really think that's enough for this tank. I'll see if I can sneek up on the Corys and get them out pretty soon.

Thanks for the reference material and advice.

Frank
 
kay-bee said:
There are some synodontis cats that easily surpass 6", depending on species.
Click to expand...

yes ive seen a synodontis that was eaisly over a foot long... i don no what species it was and mine is now probably 4 to 5 in long... i hope that it is not the same, but they looked very similar
 
Well, I did some fish shopping, and I'm up to 20 fish now, including the 3 Corys. I'll get them out next time I clean the tank. I added a second Syn Lace Cat. If I see a good looking cichlid, I still might add one or two.

I once saw a tank with a giant Pacu in it(close to 4 feet long), and there were two monster (maybe 18 or 20 inches) cats that looked like Syns to me. I think I've read that some of them get huge. If mine get up around 5 or 6 inches long, that will be great. A foot or bigger, and they go back to the store.

Here is the list, as I have it. I've been looking at the http://www.malawimayhem.com/ site, and trying to recognize some of them. I had no idea there were so many from the same lake. How big is that lake???

Auloncara hybrid “Gold Peacock”
Peacock 2 (looks like a Auloncara baenschi)
Peacock 3 (looks like a Auloncara jacobfreibergi)
Peacock 4 (looks like a Auloncara
Maylandia/Metriaclima callainos aka 'Cobalt Zebra"
Maylandia/Metriaclima estherae aka 'Red Zebra'
Melanochromis auratus aka 'Golden Mbuna' (have 2)
Dark blue one with bands body shape like an aratus
Pale blue one with bands body shape like an aratus
Snowflake Albino
Other albino like above, but you can make out body bands
Yellowish-Orange with bands
Electric Yellow or Yellow lab

African Knife (obviously not a cichlid, but looks cool)

Cory Cat (have 3)
Lace Syndonis Cat (have 2
 
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