African Cichlids Or American Cichlids????
- Thread starter Mrs. Nicky
- Start date
Discovering what type of fish you prefer thru experience is a Lesson Learned. Is it not 7Jason?
Sent from my SCH-R760 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
Sent from my SCH-R760 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
I prefer American over African. For several reasons but to answer accurately I have to break up Africans.
*** This has just been my experience I am sure others have different expierences
Mbuna- Hate! yes flashy colors but they chase each other non stop. someone is always getting beaten up. Yes they have the flashy colors but not much for pattern so the colors just get old after a while to me, not relaxing at all.
Peacocks - My favorite of the africans. Not as aggressive as mbunas they get a pecking order established. They are more open water so they don't hang out in caves. there colors change and just over all better looking appearance in my opinion.
Frontosa - Beautiful regal looking fish but they take up allot of room and hardly move. And very slow growers so I got rid of mine.
That's all the experience I have with Africans. There are many more but I can't address because i have never had them.
American cichlids - Love most all of them big attitude and personality. Its a challenge to get the right mix but when you do its rewarding. Many get good size to them. They have wonderful mix of colors they aren't just one solid color. They seem to interact with each other not just terrorize each other and if they have room to call a territory their own they do well.
Dwarfs are just outstanding big attitude in a little package. And a rainbow of colors all on a single fish look at the German Blue Ram for example.
There is something to American cichlids that is just addicting.
*** This has just been my experience I am sure others have different expierences
Mbuna- Hate! yes flashy colors but they chase each other non stop. someone is always getting beaten up. Yes they have the flashy colors but not much for pattern so the colors just get old after a while to me, not relaxing at all.
Peacocks - My favorite of the africans. Not as aggressive as mbunas they get a pecking order established. They are more open water so they don't hang out in caves. there colors change and just over all better looking appearance in my opinion.
Frontosa - Beautiful regal looking fish but they take up allot of room and hardly move. And very slow growers so I got rid of mine.
That's all the experience I have with Africans. There are many more but I can't address because i have never had them.
American cichlids - Love most all of them big attitude and personality. Its a challenge to get the right mix but when you do its rewarding. Many get good size to them. They have wonderful mix of colors they aren't just one solid color. They seem to interact with each other not just terrorize each other and if they have room to call a territory their own they do well.
Dwarfs are just outstanding big attitude in a little package. And a rainbow of colors all on a single fish look at the German Blue Ram for example.
There is something to American cichlids that is just addicting.
We have had success mixing the 2. We have 2 peacocks with a Jack Dempsey and also have 2 Bichirs with them. We used to have jewels, mbunas and yellow fin in the same tank too but I recently made a jewels only tank and the yellow fin found a new home. The mbunas were mean constantly so we gave them to our LFS buddy.
In my honest opinion, I prefer American/new world. As mentioned above, mbunas are mean little turds. I like my fish to interact not fight. I like peacocks too though.
But my FAVORITE is my Festae. Of course she has a tank to herself because I'm afraid she'll kill or hurt any other fish I may put in. I'm growing out my albino BN plecos and a crawfish so hopefully I can keep them with her as a clean up crew.
Sorry about my tangent...
In a nutshell, either mix or SA/CA
Happily married Mommy of 3 babies, 2 fur babies and 15 gilled babies
In my honest opinion, I prefer American/new world. As mentioned above, mbunas are mean little turds. I like my fish to interact not fight. I like peacocks too though.
But my FAVORITE is my Festae. Of course she has a tank to herself because I'm afraid she'll kill or hurt any other fish I may put in. I'm growing out my albino BN plecos and a crawfish so hopefully I can keep them with her as a clean up crew.
Sorry about my tangent...
In a nutshell, either mix or SA/CA
Happily married Mommy of 3 babies, 2 fur babies and 15 gilled babies
I agree with mixing. My friends has oscars, convicts, jewels and jack dempseys with mbuna and peacocks.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
Sent from my Nexus 5 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
When I kept Africans I kept Mbuna. I learned the hard way that I Hate Mbunas. All they did was try to kill each other. I did like how active they made the tank and the colors were a plus. All I want is activity
Sent from my SCH-R760 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
Sent from my SCH-R760 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
Fast moving Africans is a sign of stress in a crowded tank when each fish is fighting for musical chairs territories. The chaotic fast movement of crowded African tanks get me dizzy. I like the slow majesty movement of Americans. An all Malawian tank is boring to me as they are all blue and yellow fish with similar size and shape, and all mouthbrooders. Tangs have more variation in body shape, size and breeding behavior. But no Africans from great lakes show as strong and protracted pair bonding as Americans which I never get tired of watching.
Mixing Americans with Africans is possible and interesting, but the selection of Americans is limited to medium size fish like Thorichthys and Cryptoheros species or large but peaceful CAs such as Vieja and Acara species. Many popular CAs such as Midas, Jacquar and Festae are too big, mean and predatory for Africans. Many Amazon basin SAs demand very soft water and don't mix well with hard water Africans.
Mixing Americans with Africans is possible and interesting, but the selection of Americans is limited to medium size fish like Thorichthys and Cryptoheros species or large but peaceful CAs such as Vieja and Acara species. Many popular CAs such as Midas, Jacquar and Festae are too big, mean and predatory for Africans. Many Amazon basin SAs demand very soft water and don't mix well with hard water Africans.
I prefer Americans because they are like puppies. Meaning they are very personable and have the potential to become quite large. They greet you upon arriving to the tank. My Umbee and Red Devil (Midevil) recognizes me and the food container. They are like dogs wagging their tails. When I kept Africans they only interacted when it was feeding time. They always had territorial disputes and pretty much ignored me.
