Cichlids - Puffers? More Added Suggestions For Puffers.

[didz04]

Hi
Has anyone had any success with african cichlids with puffers? What type have you kept successfully? I am looking for another species for my African cichlid setup (40g - 4ft).
Any other suggestions for another species in my tank?
Could any of these work well with them:
Barbs
Sharks - preferably red-tailed shark
Goby's - Purple spotted goby or others?
Rams - bolivian, german gold ram? Maybe a pair?
Catfish - Pictus?
Loach

I have a single tiger loach at the moment with them doing completely fine and is also chasing the smaller cichlids around. I think hanging around with the cichlids has made him slightly aggressive but I think he just wants to play as he is lonely since he's the only one from his species. He was the last one in the lfs and they weren't getting any more in. First time I've ever seen this loach in a shop.
Would it be a good idea to get more of the same species in there or if I can't find any more then would he get along fine with a group of yoyo loach or other botia loaches? He is really active in the tank.
Any other suitable suggestions would be great
I just want to know what other fish people have kept with african cichlids. Actually I have let out one of my baby cichlid into the big tank and is doing fine, let him out last night and is loving it in there, looks really cute compared to the other bigger cichlids and might let the rest out in there, just hope my African congo tinanti cichlid doesn't gulp him in one with his big mouth.

 

[didz04]

any suggestions?

 

[england]

never kept african cichlids, but people as a rule keep these as a cichlis only tank, some people keep plecs in with them because they can handle abit of aggresstion, i beleive clown loaches are quite good and Synodontis i have seen in african set ups...puffers i would not reccomend it..

 

[didz04]

never kept african cichlids, but people as a rule keep these as a cichlis only tank, some people keep plecs in with them because they can handle abit of aggresstion, i beleive clown loaches are quite good and Synodontis i have seen in african set ups...puffers i would not reccomend it..

Thanks for the response, I had 2 pictus catfish with the same cichlids I have got now when they were small kept them in a 2ft, I had to give them away as researched that they needed atleast a 4ft. They were fine with the cichlids at the time and they were smaller than the cichlids.

I have just added the rest of the 5 babies into the tank and they are doing fine, have been keeping an eye on them. Would they grow quicker when they're in a bigger tank? I feed them twice a day with frozen bloodworm and brine shrimp. What other foods would you recommend? I also have frozen dafnia.

Would the Tanganyikan shell dweller cichlids do well with them, how about this species Altolamprologus?

 

[england]

sorry mate,couldnt tell you, dont know anything about these cichlids, except they can be aggressive when mature, thats why there kept in busy tanks to spread the aggrestion, i once saw in a lfs they had a 6inch red oscar with there african cichlid display tank, poor oscar was beaten to a pulp,i asked them if i could buy the oscar,girl went and asked manager,sorry hes not for sale,its the managers bady,i laughed and siad in that case id remove it quick if i were you..

 

[didz04]

Hmm, these do seem mature I mean at 3" to 3.5" and one pair has had babies so I definitely know they are mature. They all seem mature enough as my yellow lab is even getting black patches on his face area which is a sign of maturity i've read, lol we say hes got his beard bak, looks like one. Mainly he gets it after water changes I think its one way to trigger them to spawn. The community fish we have with them are; Dora catfish, tiger loach and a sucking loach. The Dora Catfish and the sucking loach mind their own business so they don't get bothered at all, but the loach is always hanging around with the african and jewel cichlids even touching his mouth around the cichlids and they dont even glitch. Funny thing though is that the tiger loach gets nipped by the baby kenyi cichlids as they have their fin up and feel threatened since they are new to the tank, they are only over 1cm big. Hoping that they will grow big quicker they have been in a breeder tank since I caught them a month ago, as it wasn't really planned to have babies.

If anyone has any suggestions then please feel free to say so any information would be useful for me, and nelly thanks for your help so far.

 

[TheHolding]

How big is you tank?

My Dad had a huge tank with Cichlids and a Mbu Puffer - all get on fine although the Mbu is still a baby (about 4 inches) they do grow huge however so make sure you have a big enough tank - think you will be looking at £100 for this type of puffer too.

 

[Wills]

With puffers there are a few that can work sometimes but none of the small ones so I would just forget about puffers now. As for the rest one of the main issues alongside the aggression is the high Ph that is created by your rockwork and those are the ones that will create the issues. Barbs and Sharks need more a less neutral water not sure how they would do in the higher ph gobies and pictus again dont know I imagine some gobies will be okay but it will be research on your part. But one thing I cant stress enough is not to get any rams the high ph will kill them and they wont be able to handle the aggression levels of the africans.

wills

 

[SINISTER]

I have a Large Clown Loach in my Convict tank and they dont mess with im at ALL...like there scared of his magical powers or something lol...

also I have 2 very big Striped Raiphael Catfish with my Cichlids and they also dont seem to mess with them what so ever...two gooood fish to keep with your cichlids in MHO

 

[Wills]

I have a Large Clown Loach in my Convict tank and they dont mess with im at ALL...like there scared of his magical powers or something lol...

also I have 2 very big Striped Raiphael Catfish with my Cichlids and they also dont seem to mess with them what so ever...two gooood fish to keep with your cichlids in MHO

But this is for african cichlids, and clown loaches get too big for a 4 foot tank. But the Striped Raphael could be a good idea.

 

[didz04]

I have a Large Clown Loach in my Convict tank and they dont mess with im at ALL...like there scared of his magical powers or something lol...

also I have 2 very big Striped Raiphael Catfish with my Cichlids and they also dont seem to mess with them what so ever...two gooood fish to keep with your cichlids in MHO

But this is for african cichlids, and clown loaches get too big for a 4 foot tank. But the Striped Raphael could be a good idea.

Yeah the Striped Raphael I have one at the moment they are also called the Dora catfish, I was thinking of getting one more. I always wanted rams when I first caught my eye on them I guess there off my list in this setup. I always wanted a MBU puffer since I've upgraded my tank, what if I get one at small size at around 2-4" as someone selling one £15? I knew when I bought these rocks it will change my ph and hardness however I can just use rain water to lower the hardness.

Thanks for the replies guys

 

[Wills]

Dont get a Mbu, there are far too many people that get them when they are small then just try and move them on as they get older but there is often no one to take them on. I know how you feel puffers are awesome but just so specialist that unless you can give them proper care dont do it.

Also with the water, you want it to be hard for your cichlids any fish that get added to this tank need to be an addition to the cichlids not competing for water specifics. Also if you use soft water at the beggining of the week the ph will rise up and down each week because of the rock and you risk death of water from constant fluctuation of ph...

Wills

 

[didz04]

Hmm I see, I guess its just best to stick to cichlids I had a feeling these rocks might limit my fish species. Will the Striped Raphael be fine with these water conditions? I know these are definitely african cichlids but i'm not sure what other african cichlids there are. I have to go out now but will do research on other african cichlids but can someone give me a list or a website showing a listing of a variety of african cichlids please it will be much appreciated. Just wanted to know would any type of Julidochromis and acei cuchlids be fine with them, they have just stocked more in at my lfs.

 

[Wills]

I would probs move this over to the african section to ask more about how the community will mix. Post a few pics of your existing cichlids to work out what your stocking is and where to take it from there Ive never kept africans so can only say that I have seen doras kept with them in the past but dont know how proper it is to do so. An other catfish to consider would be some kind of synodontis like multipuncatus etc

Wills

 

[synodontismultipunctatus]

aaahhh It does depend on the african cichlids youre going for

personaly i dont even recommend mixing species from different lakes, due to differnt diet requirements

general speaking i would personaly add anything other than ancistrus or any synodontis with cichlids based mainly on the face that african cichlids are very aggressive bottom feeders like this are generaly not bother by them, the synodontis are native to the lakes of africa and will have no problem with the high alkalinity values and general hardiness the cichlids will require, the ancistrus plecs tho not native will be able to deal with the conditions

so why dont you keep it african .. i think all african tanks are beautiful and generaly speakin i dont keep much else

Mbuna will be sexualy mature at 3 inches long but mostly they will all exceed 4 inches long
Malawi open water, such as alunocara, will get much much bigger im afraid and you would need a very large tank for them
Tanganyikan cichlid vary , shell dweller only reachin an inch or so and frontosa getting extremely large ....

if you can identify all the cichlids you have i can tell you what would go with them

but i must stress i realy dont think putting in 'community' fish is a good idea... they are generaly weaker and will get bullied

so if u can say what you got in there?

oh yeah and ps MBU puffer fish get to 2 foot long and shouldnt be mixed with anything , srry dude