firemouth cichlid help

[ghostking010]

So I went to my lfs yesterday and I never noticed how beautiful fire mouth cichlids grow to be specily wen they flare is it safe to put one or two with my 1peacock 1 kenyi 1electric yellow and 1 banded leporinie and a pleco in a 55 gallon I hope so cuz I would love to get one or a pair

 

[bob mccoy]

i have my two in a community cichlid tank

 

[ghostking010]

How are they and can u post pics

 

[bob mccoy]

ok i will put them on my profile

 

[Borderlesscott]

I just put one into my Dwarf Cichlid tank on Sunday and so far so good, I'll try to get a pic but he is still shy. If you think the colour looks good in the fish shop wait till you see him in your tank after a few days.

 

[ghostking010]

Better or wors these fish look so beautiful i don't get why there so cheap

 

[Borderlesscott]

I paid £6.00 for my male, probably $8/9, wanted one for ages but was concerned about aggression, but after having a chat to the owner of my LFS he assured me one would be fine, they don't really follow through with any aggression and very quick to retreat which I have to say has been the case, swims away when he is challenged when entering my Apistogramma females territory who is tiny. He spends most of his time hanging out with my Rainbow Cichlids.

 

[ghostking010]

I'm not worry about the fire mouth more like my banded leporinie I'm worryd they are going to get into it and mine is about 2" long already here's a pic of my fish and setup

 

[Borderlesscott]

I would say he would be fine, from what I've read and seen so far it's all just show from the Firemouths, though I suppose each fish is different.

 

[ghostking010]

Yea but its not really the fire mouth I'm worry about its the leporinie u think the fire mouth will handle him ok

 

[Borderlesscott]

Really don't know I don't have any experience with the other fish, but I reckon if you got a good sized firemouth you would be fine as your tank is a good size.

 

[Borderlesscott]

Just managed to get a shot or two, food is always a good bribe - seems to like my Clown Pleco's courgette. Really starting to colour up nicely with lovely spots appearing on his fins and the red really starting to show.

 

[ghostking010]

Wow he's a beauty I'm going to be buying 2 of them tomarrow so ill post pics wen I do I'm in the process of doing a water change now as I right this and moving the rocks around so that my fish don't get crazy wen I put them in

 

[DragonFish71]

Ok seriously, I'm calling out the bad advice on this thread. As a keeper of both african cichlids and firemouths, I would strongly suggest NOT putting them together.

Africans are much more aggressive and territorial than even my breeding pairs of firemouths.

And no, the flaring a firemouth does isn't just for show, it's either a warning to something or they're showing off for a female.

Also, most africans that newer cichlid keepers get are mbuna, which need a low protein diet or they will suffer from malawi bloat. Firemouths need a high protein diet.

 

[Borderlesscott]

Didn't realise there was Africans in the mix, I thought the concern was about a Leporinus. I would agree then, if there is Africans in the tank it would be a bad idea. I only keep new world Cichlids due to the high aggression of Africans and the Ph requirements.

 

[ghostking010]

But I read up on it and talk to my boy who works and owns the lfs I get my fish from said it was fine its mosltly in the fish I had them before but never got to keep them long enough to see how beautiful they get its just I have a leporinie that is vilont and whant to know if the firemouth can hold its ground shoot my cichlids I'm not worry about there mellow just go about living

 

[Borderlesscott]

Really don't know, I have to admit I really don't know much about Africans, personally I wouldn't mix African and American. If someone knows more about the African American mix they would be better placed to help, but I think nearly everyone does one or the other when it comes to Cichlids and for a good reasons, last thing you want to do is put the fish in your tank or putting in your tank under stress.

 

[DragonFish71]

But I read up on it and talk to my boy who works and owns the lfs I get my fish from said it was fine its mosltly in the fish I had them before but never got to keep them long enough to see how beautiful they get its just I have a leporinie that is vilont and whant to know if the firemouth can hold its ground shoot my cichlids I'm not worry about there mellow just go about living

If you read up on it then you'd know just how bad an idea it is to mix africans with sa/nw cichlids. As for "your boy who owns the lfs" he's probably just out for the sale. Sorry to break it to you, but that's how it works.

As for the leporinus, they are questionable with anything. If it's already violent as you state, it can get worse as it gets larger.

But hey, what would I know. I give advice for free to people who have questions compared to someone trying to make a sale.

 

[ghostking010]

Yea well he's kinda family so is take his before yours I just put the thread to get more opinions I heard so many storys that I know enough to just have to wing it I'm not scared to do diffrennt I mean its like us we all diffrennt some nice some vilont but. Some how we mange to live together and if it don't work out I can always reaturn it and try diffrennt big real I feel you man u may know more but wer all just learning more evryday so thanks for the edvis tho

 

[Aski247]

Yea well he's kinda family so is take his before yours I just put the thread to get more opinions I heard so many storys that I know enough to just have to wing it I'm not scared to do diffrennt I mean its like us we all diffrennt some nice some vilont but. Some how we mange to live together and if it don't work out I can always reaturn it and try diffrennt big real I feel you man u may know more but wer all just learning more evryday so thanks for the edvis tho

Diffrence is, there is no jail for "no so nice fish" You will just end up with dead fish and regret.

Fact is you wanna mix fish from two different continents, with different water needs, dietary needs. And different attitudes.

At the end of the day it's your tank, you are the deciding factor in what goes in it. All we can do is give advise on what would be in the best interest of the fish. It's up to you to use it.

Good luck.