Future Planning

[tonhe]

Ok, as some of you may of seen. I'm new around here, just starting a new tank, 125G Corner seen in my signature. I'm moving all of my Cichlids into the the new tank, and selling the old bow front.

Anyway, I'm pondering what else I'm going to add in the future, and wanted suggestions. Given what is in both aquariums, here are the fish I would like to add.

1. Frontosa
2. Figure 8 Puffer (Maybe?)
3. 1-3 more Parrot Cichlids
4. Maybe some dither fish of sorts, suggestions? (More tiger barbs maybe?)

Thanks !

-Tony

 

[Menagerie]

It looks like you have Africans from both Lake Tanganyika and Lake Malawi. This is not recommended due to general differences in temperament and stocking density. Are your parrot cichlids Blood Parrots or Hoplarchus psittacus?

 

[tonhe]

I do have both, and so far they have gotten along quite nice. I've raised most of the Malawi in my 55G from very young with my SA Cichlids and they're pretty tame. I did have an incident with a fish I bought as a young guy as a Black Convict, after a month or so I noticed he wasn't... by the time I figured out what he was, he had started eating Tiger Barbs whole.

I fixed my signature.. They're Bloody Red Parrots.

 

[tonhe]

If given that the rest of the tank makes are pretty well integrated together.. ie: they all get along really well. How would you feel about adding a Frontosa, or even the Figure8 Puffer? I'm really more interested in the Frontosa, and have been for quite a while.. the figure8 would be really neat too though..

-Tony

 

[Menagerie]

How old are your fish? As you learned, cichlids can suddenly have a different temperament depending on age or tank mates.

Frontosa--maybe
Figure8 Puffer--no

 

[tonhe]

This is also true, most of mine are 1-2 years right now.

Some times I don't think of things like age changing their temperament...

 

[Menagerie]

The most dramatic change in temperament comes with sexual maturity. Having said that, my Mbuna are all at least 3 years old (no new ones in that time) and every once in awhile, a fish they lived with for years is a target!

We need some more cichlid keepers to weigh in on future planning! Where are you?

 

[bazil323]

Definitely no to the F8. They are brackish puffers and need an sg between 1.004 and 1.008. Plus, they tend to be agressive with almost any tankmates.

 

[Cheapeeper]

I'd say no to the puffer fish as that's looking at a whole different kind of fish.
I have Convicts and know a lot about the nasty temperments of the Cichlids. As they reach the breeding age all **** can let loose and 1 or more of the other fish will become target fish.
I dont personally have any Frontosa but I thought they can be the same way I thought.
Just my 2 cents

 

[bazil323]

Yeah, what cheapeeper said. No puffer is a community fish. There are very few that will allow any tankmates let alone a community.