Cichlids and plants

[Danio35]

Is it true that they should not mix, or is it just a nasty rumor?

 

[greenfish]

It is possible. Check out this tank: http://www.aquahobby.com/tanks/e_tank0411.php

 

[Sonia]

It depends what kind of cichlid... some eat plants (many vegetarians) and some uproot them but many just enjoy them harmlessly. I've read that Tilapia African cichlids, for example, devour plants.... many South and Central American cichlids uproot them (just place larger pebbles at the base of robust plants). Angelfish, Discus and many dwarf cichlids can be kept in densely planted tanks. The point is, it really depends, you just have to read about the individuals to find out what they are like.

 

[malkore]

Read through this post from Travis...good journal for cichlids and plants: http://tropicalresources.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=7645

 

[Menagerie]

Travis also posted on AA: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=39189&start=0

 

[Lowcoaster]

Almost all of my holding tanks have at least one species of South American or West African Dwarf Cichlid--They have never caused me a problem.

 

[travis simonson]

Hey guys, just found this post. I can't really say anything about the habits of CA/SA cichlids with plants since I'm strictly an ARLC guy, specifically mbuna. I can tell you that mbuna are herbivores with a few omnivores thrown in. Their diet in the wild consists primarily of aufwuchs, the micro-crustaceans that live on algae amongst the rocks of Lake Malawi, so their primary feeding habit is to graze algae, not just for the algae but for the small animals living on it. There are very few plants in Lake Malawi so they can't really be said to eat plants natively. I've noticed that if you can manage to keep the plants in an mbuna tank algae-free then you have very few problems with the mbuna damaging them. Those plants in my tank that get algae growing on them do get grazed by my fish, but they are often very gentle about it, probably becasue they just want the algae and don't like the taste of the plants themselves. Some plants, however, they simply love. Particularly Vals. I don't know why, but my mbuna will eat a val down to its roots overnight, it must be some sort of delicacy for them. I've considered feeding it to supplement their diets but that would get a bit pricey

I've tried a wide variety of plants with my mbuna and if anyone has any questions about what I've had luck with feel free to PM me. I would also love to hear anyone else's experience with plants and cichlids. I've still got a lot to learn.

 

[Menagerie]

Travis, how do you keep the Mbuna from digging up the plants?

 

[travis simonson]

I think a lot of it depends on the type of mbuna you keep. The species I keep don't really become tankbusters (L. caeruleus, Ps. demasoni, Ps. elongatus, L. fuelleborni) and haven't really been a problem. Only the Labs show any real propensity for digging, and I give them an area behind some of the hardscape and out of view that I call 'the sandbox' for them to dig in. They seem perfectly happy to dig there. I did have some issues with my Glosso and some of the smaller plants until they got rooted. Believe me, I was replanting about 50% of the Glosso every morning until the root system got established, but I decided I was going to be more stubborn than the fish and, in the end, it worked out. I've found that once a plant gets its root system anchored into the substrate the mbuna will leave it alone as it's just too much effort for them to pull it up. I think it is probably best to keep only young mbuna in a newly started planted tank as they will have less impact on the plants until the plants can get established. Plus I think growing up around all of the plants, the fish get used to the idea of them being there and aren't as resistant to the idea as if the plants had been introduced after the fact.