New to the keeping if cichlids

[tanz8anz]

I think cichlids r very pretty fish but have heard they can only.be kept with themselves and afe extremely agressive. We went to get some new fish and the fish store talked us into a pair of kirbensis reasurring us they are ok in a community tank of 4 angels 6 barbs and 1 bristlenose. We havent been given wrong information by this fish store before. But i am.wondering if it is true that they r ok im community?

The male tends to be a bit bossy and.chases other fish if they go to low close to the bottom of the tank or near the sunken aircraft carrier ordament he and the female has claimed. His biggest issue when the bristlenose ventures over that side of the tank he will chase him away. But i have seen the bristlenose put thw male and female in there place when they have ventured over to where he is fed.

They are extremely pretty and.fascnating to watch but am i going to wake up to dead fish and 2guilty.culprits?

Sent from my LG-E460f using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Brandon D.]

Kribs r mellow should be good

 

[xwing]

I think cichlids r very pretty fish but have heard they can only.be kept with themselves and afe extremely agressive. We went to get some new fish and the fish store talked us into a pair of kirbensis reasurring us they are ok in a community tank of 4 angels 6 barbs and 1 bristlenose. We havent been given wrong information by this fish store before. But i am.wondering if it is true that they r ok im community?

The male tends to be a bit bossy and.chases other fish if they go to low close to the bottom of the tank or near the sunken aircraft carrier ordament he and the female has claimed. His biggest issue when the bristlenose ventures over that side of the tank he will chase him away. But i have seen the bristlenose put thw male and female in there place when they have ventured over to where he is fed.

They are extremely pretty and.fascnating to watch but am i going to wake up to dead fish and 2guilty.culprits?

Sent from my LG-E460f using Aquarium Advice mobile app

The bristlenose should be fine if he is already putting them in there place some

 

[tanz8anz]

He will only.chase them off if ive put food down for him and they come over he will send them packing but if they chase him away from thw aircraft carrier he will dart off and hide in.the tree stump ordament which is were i feed him.. lately the male has gotten less tolerant of fish grazing on the bottom im not sure y he has started the behaviour as he didnt before as we have a large angel fish that the male kirb doesnt usually like to mess with

Sent from my LG-E460f using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[arthurstorm]

Kribs can nip any pretty fins of community or smaller cichlids they are an african cichlids, also if chasing other fish off poss breeding if you have both sexes, but sometimes you can get lucky and have a mellow pair until breeding

 

[xwing]

Kribs r mellow should be good

I agree but keep in eye on the fins for damage caused by fighting chasing is normal so long as it's not injuring any fish

 

[tanz8anz]

They seem to just chase off the bristlenose the only time they dont is if the brisltenose is eating and then the bristlnose chases them. I havent seen any fin damage on any of the other fish so i dont think there is any injures going on. They just seem to thnk the bottom of the tank is theres and they dont have to share. They wont eat anything but blood worms which i dont feed every day i have been trying different foods so but they turn there nose up on it but they no were i feed the bristlenose so once hes finished they try get his leftovers i have tried putting the same food down on there side of the tank but they wint touch it..

You can tell that the bristlenose doesnt go over there side of th tank often as the plants r dirty.

Im.wondering if the chasing is because they r hungry but they get given food which they wont eat... would putting something in.the middls of the tank to block the kirbs line of sight help cos if they see the bristlenose on.the ground they will go chase him off

Sent from my LG-E460f using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[tanz8anz]

Would removing the female stop then chasing he wasnt like this before she went in he was quite peaceful but really shy he seems alot happier now shes in there just bossy with chasing

Sent from my LG-E460f using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[tanz8anz]

I have done a water change and.rearranged the plastic plants in the tank and have moved them to the middle so if the kirbs are on.there.side they cant down.were the.brisltenose.hangs out

Sent from my LG-E460f using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[xwing]

I am not sure about kribs but it worked with peacocks I removed the females to stop the aggression

 

[NYgiantsRP]

What size tank is this? You could have some problems in they start mating.

 

[tanz8anz]

The tank is 180litre or 91cm long 54cm high 46cm deep. I believe that is the dimensions... we havent put anything in.the tank to encourage them to breed as we arent wanting to breed them although im aware they may do it anyway they are both really put a show on for each other hes holding a deep red colour around his mouth and stomach and her shes got a bright purple stomach and they will show it off to each other.. what will they eat cause i will put flakes in and granules and shrimp.pellets for the bristlenose and they wont eat amy of that i brought some.cichlids spirunlina meal.sticks but they wont come.up.to eat it they only come up.to eat blood worms is there something else they like to eat?

Sent from my LG-E460f using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[tanz8anz]

Im not sure if hes being agressive or just chasing the bristlenose was down eating and the kirbs swam in next to him and left him alone even.after he finished.eating and was just sitting.on the stones the male kirb was next to him and there was no chasing. Its strange he picks and.chooses wen he wants to chase the other fish amd bristlenose iys usually when the bristlenose is up on something but yea no one is getting hurt so.i guess its just fish being.fish

Sent from my LG-E460f using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[arthurstorm]

Forgot to mention the pair of kribs i used to have used to nip all the top little dorsal fins on all my 16 cory's but never bothered with any of my cichlids prob because would have had *** kicked lol

 

[tanz8anz]

I dont c evidence of damaged fins and they r happily coexisting most of the time i guess its no different to what the angels do to one another.. im really wanting to get a red fin shark i was told it was ok but am a bit unsure now cause of the kirbs

Sent from my LG-E460f using Aquarium Advice mobile app