Chichlids

[InxayonFinland]

I didn't see a freshwater fish area so I figured I'd post here.

I have a 30 Gallon Planted Tank and I would really like to do 4 cockatoo chiclids. My question is, would these fish be aggresive to the 3 cory cats I already have? If so, what would be a good bottom feeder? I've been thinking that I might sell them to my lfs and get a pleco of some sort. So, would the cockatoo's do well with a plece or my cory cats?

Heres a link to the fish I want:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=1664
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=1666


Thanks!

 

[iceywater101]

I have never kept coakatoo chiclids but, for my red zebras I had to get a pleco to keep the tank clean because they killed everyhing else. Also I had a very hard timing keeping plants because they like to dig ALOT! Just gie them plenty of rocks and caves to hide in that way they leave the plants alone.

 

[severum mama]

Cockatoo cichlids (or any other apistos) will be fine with plants. They actually prefer a planted tank so it sounds like you have a great setup for them. They are generally peaceful toward other fish and would likely ignore your corys or a pleco, and are MUCH more docile than many African cichlid species like red zebras. The only thing you'd have to watch is conspecific aggression, so I'm not sure that you could keep 4. Maybe it would be possible if you had 1 male to 3 females... but a pair would almost definitely be a safe bet. The females aren't as colorful but are still beautiful IMO.

Remember, if you want a pleco, choose one that will stay small, like a clown, tiger, or bristlenose. If your apistos ever breed, corys or a pleco might make a snack out of the eggs... but then again the cichlids guard the eggs well enough to prevent it. I'm not sure, since I haven't kept them myself. I've always wanted some. 8)

 

[Menagerie]

That's pretty accurate, severum mama. I have kept Appistos with cories and plecos in a lightly planted tank. They never bred and remained civil to each other most of the time.