Plecos and cichlids

[mostlycichlids]

very cool Plecos good luck with what ever you choose.

 

[legendaryfrog]

do you think ill need to upgrade my filtration?

im running a wet/dry with about 160 gallons of bioballs and 1500 GPH pump.

 

[Sploke]

Will plecos do alright in the hard, high pH water africans thrive in?

 

[legendaryfrog]

i would also like to know this^

 

[legendaryfrog]

plecos thrive between 6.5-7.5 PH. cichlids thrive in a ph of 7.8-8.5. this doesnt make sense.

 

[mostlycichlids]

plecos are pretty hearty fish and can tolerate higher ph. If you are concerned about the plecos than I would go for CA or SA cichlids, most of them require softer acidic water. I personally think you would be fine.

 

[BigRun]

I would go Central American Cichlids with the following:

Amphilophus trimaculatus
'Cichlasoma' grammodes
Herichthys bocourti
Nandopsis haitiensis
Parachromis motaguense 'red tiger'

And maybe some of those real nice wild convicts or Honduran red points

 

[wataugachicken]

i would only go with New World cichlids because of the similar water requirements (soft acidic water is ideal), but anything you put in should be on the peaceful side. the only part of themselves that plecos cannot defend is their eyes, and a mean territorial cichlid can pluck an eye very easily, even out of a big plec.
a community of keyholes would be nice, or a load of angels. even though they can be mean, their mouths stay too small to do any damage.

 

[legendaryfrog]

Thanks everyone. ill look into the CA/SA cichlids.

 

[Jason_S]

CA cichlids in general come from neutral to moderately hard and alkaline water. Some SA cichlids come from the same kinds of waters (festae for example) while most of the more inland SA species come from soft/acidic to neutral waters.