Can someone PLEASE!!, help me with my cichlid problem

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thoughtprocess

Small Fish
#1
Aug 18, 2003
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Hi,
Everything I've read say that cichlids are peaceful fish. I have a blue acara cichlid that rapidly took over one of my community tanks. It soon became aggresive against every fish in the tank. It practically killed the baby blue acara that was in the tank. I finally had to isolate it in a 10 gallon tank, ( it's only about 4/5 inches) after it nearly destoyed the male betta that was in the tank. Are all cichlids this aggresive?
The baby blue acara I rescued from one tank actually caused havoc in another community tank by it self. What's up with these fish? What are they compatible with? Any adive would be greatly helpfull,
Thanks
thoughtprocess
 

M

mota

New Fish
#2
Aug 9, 2003
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Aequidens pulcher is one of the more community fish when it comes to cichlids.

Not sure where you heard cichlids are peaceful. Most aren't.

There are some kribs, rams etc. and a few others that are but, imo, CA's and African cichlids are the most agrro fish there are.
 

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colesea

Superstar Fish
#4
Oct 22, 2002
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#4
Blue Acaras are one of the most aggressive of the cichlid family and quickly become tank terrors unless kept with other cichlid species such as convicts, green terrors, Jack depsys, etc. There are some "peaceful" cichlids out there, but no chiclids should ever really be mixed with those species commonly known as "community fish." Betta's and chiclids do not mix.

You can create a chiclid community, and it is not recommended to do so in anything less than a 55 gallon tank, the larger the tank the better because many of these fish grow quite big and need lots of territorial space.
~~Colesea
 

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Cichlid-Man

MFT Staff
#6
Jul 9, 2003
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#6
Acctually i'd like to disagree colesea. Blue Acaras are on the Simi-Aggressive side of the cichlids according to "experts". Cichlids have their own personallity, they do what they want. 2 acaras should not be put in 1 aquarium together. There have been MANY people that have kept a Blue Acara in a community tank, but the other fish cannot be to small. They can be peaceful or aggressive.....depends on their OWN personality.

Plz i'd like to know where you heard cichlids were peaceful.
 

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wayne

Elite Fish
#8
Oct 22, 2002
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Yes it is peaceful (or mine were) FOR A CICHLID. Most cichlids are more aggressive. However compared to guppies or platies, they're aggressive. Also anything that can go in the mouth will, sooner or later.
 

jd_energy

jd_energy

Large Fish
#9
Aug 1, 2003
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sorry to sway anyone but I have a question. I had 2 african cichlids in a 2 gallon hex tank and one killed the other, chased it around and bit its fins off. Now I just have the one. I was thinking about maybe trying it again but at a different scale. I want to put about 5-6 cichlids in a 10 gallon tank, would that work or would I just end up with more dead fish? Any opinions would be helpful, Thanks.
 

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Cichlid-Man

MFT Staff
#17
Jul 9, 2003
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#17
i would say 4....

with lots of plants and rocks as hiding places. If you get 4 then you could have 2 pairs which would make you more rams :D (breed them)

i would say no more than 4 though. for a 20-25gal you might get away with MAYBE 6.

Can someone give a 2nd opinion cause i am not a ram expert. Never kept them before.
 

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wayne

Elite Fish
#18
Oct 22, 2002
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#18
1 or a pair. Same for any s american dwarf (apistogramma, nannocara), or a male and 2 females maybe.
You don't stock cichlids by inches per gallon, you have to take into account their behaviour, and territorial needs. You can't untrain them either
 

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