Central American Cichlids
Aggression
Jack Dempsey sparing with a Red Devil
Can't we all just get along? No!
Aggression is the biggest problem when it comes to Cichlids. You never know what combination will work until you try honestly. But I do believe Central American Cichlid should not be mixed with Africans.
Cichlids are territorial so they need a lot of caves to hide in and make themselves a home to protect so make sure you have a lot of hiding spots.
No matter what you are going to have some level of aggression is how much. When a fish is being harassed, chased and can't eat, it needs to be re-located.
When you buy a Cichlid you have to have a back up plan if things don't work out.
How to Introduce a New Cichlid
Take all the decorations out and put the new fish in, leave it for a couple hours then put the decorations back in. This should help the new memeber of the family adjust better. If not re-locate the fish. It just will not work.
Keeping Cichlids In A Decent Sized Tank
Firstly, you need a decent sized tank in order to keep cichlids. For starters, it is highly recommended that you get at least a 75 gallon tank. Cichlids are highly territorial creatures and will most likely carve out an area for themselves. If you have a very small tank, there is a chance that they will simply take over the entire tank...which will eventually lead to certain deaths! Hence, ensure that you have a sufficiently large tank for them to live in - 55 gallon minimum for Central American Cichlids.
Invest Time In Aquascaping
The next important point here is aquascaping. Having a large tank is only the beginning; it is not enough to control their aggression. A bare tank, no matter how large, can only hold a few cichlids because they will still try to take over the entire tank! The reason here is aquascaping.
Cichlids, like most animals, uses natural objects in their surroundings to define their territory. Hence, you need to create "zones" for them to live in so that they will not fight over the same territory.
Another important aspect in aquascaping is to create sufficient "hiding places". This "hiding places" could be something like plants, caves, empty shells or even rockworks. These "hiding places" is for your cichlids to hide when they become exhausted from chasing each other around in the open.
If you are into breeding cichlids, "hiding places" are essential as they double-up as breeding sites for them to lay their eggs.
By making the above adjustments, you may find that cichlids are actually fairly easy to care for and maintain. Much of cichlids aggression stems from the need to have their own territory - either for hiding purposes or breeding purposes.
Lets face it, some cichlids no matter what we do or wish will never get alonmg, we just need to face the facts.
Aggression is the biggest problem when it comes to Cichlids. You never know what combination will work until you try honestly. But I do believe Central American Cichlid should not be mixed with Africans.
Cichlids are territorial so they need a lot of caves to hide in and make themselves a home to protect so make sure you have a lot of hiding spots.
No matter what you are going to have some level of aggression is how much. When a fish is being harassed, chased and can't eat, it needs to be re-located.
When you buy a Cichlid you have to have a back up plan if things don't work out.
How to Introduce a New Cichlid
Take all the decorations out and put the new fish in, leave it for a couple hours then put the decorations back in. This should help the new memeber of the family adjust better. If not re-locate the fish. It just will not work.
Keeping Cichlids In A Decent Sized Tank
Firstly, you need a decent sized tank in order to keep cichlids. For starters, it is highly recommended that you get at least a 75 gallon tank. Cichlids are highly territorial creatures and will most likely carve out an area for themselves. If you have a very small tank, there is a chance that they will simply take over the entire tank...which will eventually lead to certain deaths! Hence, ensure that you have a sufficiently large tank for them to live in - 55 gallon minimum for Central American Cichlids.
Invest Time In Aquascaping
The next important point here is aquascaping. Having a large tank is only the beginning; it is not enough to control their aggression. A bare tank, no matter how large, can only hold a few cichlids because they will still try to take over the entire tank! The reason here is aquascaping.
Cichlids, like most animals, uses natural objects in their surroundings to define their territory. Hence, you need to create "zones" for them to live in so that they will not fight over the same territory.
Another important aspect in aquascaping is to create sufficient "hiding places". This "hiding places" could be something like plants, caves, empty shells or even rockworks. These "hiding places" is for your cichlids to hide when they become exhausted from chasing each other around in the open.
If you are into breeding cichlids, "hiding places" are essential as they double-up as breeding sites for them to lay their eggs.
By making the above adjustments, you may find that cichlids are actually fairly easy to care for and maintain. Much of cichlids aggression stems from the need to have their own territory - either for hiding purposes or breeding purposes.
Lets face it, some cichlids no matter what we do or wish will never get alonmg, we just need to face the facts.
