captive cichlid?

[Mephistopheles]

what do you guys know about captive cichlids? I saw one at the store and got sort of attached (i don't know why either. they're not very colorful or anything). but i don't know if it would be a good idea or not. my pH isgenerally pretty high (8 -8.2) cuz of the well. i keep the tank @like 75-78 F. I've got 2 platys, 2 bloodfin tetra and a little spotted catfish. Will they all get along? I figured i'd come here first cuz i'm sick of getting screwed by my [acronym:074667eaaa="Large polyped Scleractinian (stoney) coral"]LPS[/acronym:074667eaaa].

[Mephistopheles]

no no no, it's a CONVICT cichlid. I don't know why i keep calling it "captive." It's CONVICT cichlid...convict.

([acronym:a37d3b50fd="By the way"]BTW[/acronym:a37d3b50fd], how do you pronouce "cichlid")

[madasafish]

Hey Satan's little helper (love the name, Meph),

Absolutely not! He he. Had to make a definitive statement. Convict cichlids are *notorious* for their aggression, especially when in a breeding pair. Stores should always recommend that the fish be kept in species-only tanks. Your tetras would be food for the cichlids immediately, and I imagine your platies would follow. The catfish might survive if he was bigger than the convicts. Liveaquaria often has good advice about these things, so check out this link: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...=21&pCatId=896

You'll notice that the link does recommend some potential tankmates. Take these with a grain of salt. 1 Convict can be kept with other aggressive cichlids etc. but a pair may not. And, I'm not even mentioning the potential problems of having two males in one tank!!

And cichlid is pronounced "si" (as in "sing") - "klid." Siklid.

[acronym:454568ffbd="By the way"]BTW[/acronym:454568ffbd], I also think that convicts are very pretty fish. The striping makes them look like marine fish, which appeal to me. And keep them in mind for your second tank. Make sure it's at least a 40-long, though, as the fish grow to 6 inches.

Good on ya' for asking first. Your tetras and platies will thank you no end!

(You a Faust fan?)

[ferret]

For reference, if the convict doesn't suit you entirely, there's well over 300 species of cichlids ;p Check out cichlid-forum.com for a ton of information.

[e-cat]

Originally Posted by Mephistopheles

no no no, it's a CONVICT cichlid. I don't know why i keep calling it "captive." It's CONVICT cichlid...convict.

([acronym:7e984d4beb="By the way"]BTW[/acronym:7e984d4beb], how do you pronouce "cichlid")

it will kill your other fish in time, if your tank is big enuff i had 1 male and 3 females in a 45gal tank that messures 36"x18"x16" and they breed like crazy, there not too aggressive when there not breeding so you shouldnt have troubles keeping one with other fish, but when they breed watch out as all **** will break loose, iv had luck keeping them with , oscars, salvinis, jack dempsey, dont try jaguar cichlids or other guapotes as the convict is no match and might want too take control of the tank and die trying.

[madasafish]

Yeah, actually there are over *1500* species of cichlid (and counting). There are over 300 species in Lake Malawi alone!

Some ppl say that cichlids get a bad rep for aggression because of certain species such as convicts, Melanochromis johanii, Melanochromis auratus, Altolamprologus compressiceps and Cichasoma octofasciatum (Jack Dempsey). Well, the reputation is mostly deserved! The truth is that most cichlids ARE wired for survival, and this usually entails aggression. Select with utmost care. Read up on several websites, or in books before buying. You'll lose fish otherwise. Check out these Gena of Malawi cichlids for relatively peaceful tank occupants: Otopharynx, Copadichromis, Iodotropheus. They may be tough to find, though!

On another note. If you're interested in good-looking, medium-sized fish, check out some non-cichlid gena and species such as silver dollars (careful with species--some get large), gouramis (careful with some of these, and never buy 2 males), and Discus (symphysodon spp.; they require a lot of work). Be aware that most of these will require 55 Gallon+ tanks.

Just want to say SORRY for raining on your parade. I'm sure these posts are downers for a beginning aquarist. My rec is to learn to love smaller fish such as the tetra species, the dwarf gouramis, zebra danios, white clouds, platies, mollies, guppies. Small fish are immensely rewarding in community tanks, as they may school, and often have stunning colors (e.g. neon tetras, cardinal tetras, rummynose tetras). Be satisfied with these until you can afford to give larger fish an adequate home.

Hope this helps!

[e-cat]

if you have a55gal tank or larger and want a nice cichlid look into the severums.

[Mephistopheles]

Thanks for the help. I guess I'll have to start saving some money for another tank if I want one. That's OK though.

(While I am familiar with Faust, I think I'm just more drawn to the sound of "Mephistopheles" than to the character. I'm glad you like it though)