New World vs African

[luxum]

Hehe, well i've never kept africans, and only my rams for a short time so i'm not gonna vote. They both have merits. I love discus although i don't have the space for them, but i think they are incredibly beautiful and i love watching them at the LFS. My rams are really cute and i am already growing attached to them. I've known several people who kept pet oscars in huge tanks and i can see why people like them.

I've also seen some really astounding african displays that were beautiful, i'd love to set up a tank for africans some day. I have to tell you guys about the hippo enclosure at Busch Gardens Tampa. They built this special viewing area for the hippos fairly recently where you can view them from above and then go into a dugout type area and view them underwater. Hippos are cool and all, but what is amazing is that they filled the tank with africans! There is a separation and they have a Malawi side and a Victoria side. It is a gorgeous sight. One day i'll renew my season pass and go take some pics of it to share, it's amazing. If you are in the area you have to check it out. I found a little article on it with some pics here.

 

[Vip]

You can never go past a nice Jaguar or Midas swimming past you in a tank, i dont like these little zippy things flying around, you want a fish with charector, a new world offers that, were as a african, the same yellow lab has the same personality as the one flying around next to it.

 

[leslie123]

New world for certain!!

I kept African cichlids for about a year before I traded them in because they didn't have the interesting behavior of the new world cichlids.

I particularly love the dwarfs - agazzi (spelled wrong) and cockatoo and rams, and (of course) the discus. Their colors aren't as dramatic as the Africans, but I often prefer the more subtle coloration. Their behavior is what I love best, though. I can spend days designing (or re-arranging) the aquarium to create the perfect hiding holes and caves. I like fish swimming in and out of caves. If you have plenty of hiding places so they feel secure, they don't spend much time hiding.

My 2-year-old nephew loves the caves: "Wheres' the fish? There it is!"

I also prefer heavily planted tanks, which rules out the Africans. There's nothing like a happy, well-adjusted dwarf against a gorgeous background of greenery.

Also -- the New World dwarfs I prefer are (usually) not aggressive to other species, and can often be combined with appropriate community fish.

Leslie

 

[cutechic]

Definitely African. I actually thought more people would be voting African

 

[Fishkiller]

I had a couple africans before and they were just a couple of whimpy fin nibblers. The Americans have more charecter.

 

[yhbae]

Definitely african. I did start with non-cichlids, then new worlds then onto malawis. I will soon go into lake tangs as well.

 

[Sorrell]

I have both and I can't decide. The Africans are far more active and just as happy to see me come to the tank. I think New World's have more distinct individual personalities. Although you are far more limited in stocking a tank.

I can't decide!! It's like asking which one of my kids I like better, I can't answer that! I love them all (kids and fish) in different ways, but the same.

You need a both option.

 

[fishdudein]

This is not a fair question! I currently keep some from both groups, all apeal to me. Take a look at my sig, you can see I don't really specialize in any one certain kind of fish, if they're interesting and/or eye-catching, I'll keep them. Whoever mentioned that it's like comparing apples and oranges was right on, as was Sorrell when she said she loves them all, just in different ways!

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Definitely African. I actually thought more people would be voting African

It was in the NW cichlid section for a while before it got moved here.

 

[Vip]

You caught me out

 

[vantgE]

Sorry dogg didn't mean it like that, just sorta thought it was common thought and wanted to sorta point it out as a misconception could have quoted bean but thought people wouldn't recognize his opinion as much

Is this old? was gonna was planning on discussin here but had to leave for the weekend

 

[wuvmybetta]

Hippos are cool and all, but what is amazing is that they filled the tank with africans! There is a separation and they have a Malawi side and a Victoria side. It is a gorgeous sight.

awesome,awesome,awesome!! We used to go to Busch Gardens all the time when we lived in Florida, this is reason enough to go back

I can't choose which is better, I keep both

 

[Rainbow_fish]

I prefer africans, and are we talking about killifish or cichlids? neway i prefer african fish,

john