Swordtails As Dithers With Small CA Cichlids?

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aclockworkorange

Dovii
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Jun 24, 2010
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I'm planning my 33 gallon to have one or two species of small CAs, likely a cryptoheros species and maybe multispinosa. I've noticed Lee Nuttall has kept swordtails with centrals before (maybe he will see this and chime in?) and I was wondering if anyone else has?

I'm a bit worried those long tails might catch some nips. I am looking primarily at wild type swordtails, which generally have longer tails.
 
I kept black mollies (which were actually pretty large) with my firemouths and an EBJD. They did fine and I also had platys in there for awhile too. I would keep more than just a pair of sword tails if I were you though. I would keep at least 4 or five because the smaller fish gain strength with numbers.
 
Ive got 1 male 3 female green swordtails in a 160 gallon with a pair of heros severus 7 inch, a pair of rotkeil 7 inch and geo tapajos and nobody as much as looks at them.
 
aclockworkorange;5153364; said:
I'm planning my 33 gallon to have one or two species of small CAs, likely a cryptoheros species and maybe multispinosa. I've noticed Lee Nuttall has kept swordtails with centrals before (maybe he will see this and chime in?) and I was wondering if anyone else has?

I'm a bit worried those long tails might catch some nips. I am looking primarily at wild type swordtails, which generally have longer tails.
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I personally have found adding swordtails or platys to smaller centrals tanks like Cryptoheros sp is quite safe.

With larger members you have to be careful. I would rather add the cichlids last to an already established tank with swordtails that have had a bit of growth.

Its when the lights go out that problems may arise with larger fish, as swordtails become skittish and thrash around near the top of the tank, then attracting unwanted attention from a cichlid with a large extendable mouth.

As mentioned earlier, one male to a least six females, or you will have trouble on your hands with fighting males.

Go for it with the tank and stock your planning, should make a nice display.

Lee.
 
I keep Mollies with my GT & Krobia (SAs not CAs) and as mentioned before nobody even looks at them. I've had them together for almost a year. I keep one male and six females, the male is about 2" the females are about 3-3.5". They are the great at picking at algea, generally adding activity and keeping small bits of food cleaned up. I think they are the best all around dither I've had and the live food pumped out every three weeks or so is an added bonus. I have frogbit growing on the surface which they eat and makes a great nursery for the fry to hide in. I don't think you'll have any issues keeping Swordtails or Paltys with smaller CAs.
 
I too have been trying black mollies as dithers. I have 8 of them in my 180 with 3 4" Ornatum and a breeding pair of 6" Theraps Coeruleus and they do great. I did not however realize how aggro the male mollies are to each other! Funny that the cichlids pay little attention to them but the males chase each other all over the tank. I have 4 males (mistake) and 4 females but I am also thinking of trying out a group of large Buenos Aires Tetras or some barbs from Petsmart instead. Not expecting this lack of aggression to them to continue as the Ornatum grow but it's working pretty good so far.

I'd like to get some dithers that school together a little better than the mollies do currently.
 
I agree with most above. I have a pair of Rio Mongu cons in a 29 with 5-6 swordtails and they are just fine. I tried swords with some bigger centrals and they ended up being expensive feeders in a matter of a few days.
 
As others have said, I have to agree that one of the great benefits to having livebearers with the cichlids is that they provide live food every couple of weeks. The cichlids love to hunt the fry. I would save some of the molly fry in a different tank every once in awhile to grow out and then add them back after they achieved a safe size. This way I never had to buy any new ones.
 
So 1 male and a harem of 5-6 females would be best?

I'm not looking for a super strict biotope, but platys are also found in CA, correct? Any preference of one over the other? I've kept both platys and swords, but domesticated line bred types. The swordtails were more aggressive, but a bit harder to breed.
 
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