Animal Stories - People Talking About Cichlids



Select Pet Atlas	Select A Family	Species / Breed

Aquarium Tropical Fish Articles

Latest Animal Stories on Cichlids (1235)

Taylor - 2013-02-27
i have had a EBJD for around 5 months now and it is no more then 1 and a half inches in length, do that sound right to you or is it growing slow?

Click For Replies (8)

Jeremy Roche - 2013-02-27
Not a bad thing. There are a lot of things that control growth. Tank size, temps, feeding, but you are in no way doing anything wrong based on growth.
Taylor - 2013-02-28
ok thank you for the info, at the moment i have it in a 125L tank with about 12 small community but will be moving it 2 my 240L tank with my 2 oscars when it is big enough. the temp is 25/26
David Brough - 2013-02-28
It sounds about right to me.
Max miller - 2013-03-09
I have 20 3 inch cory catfish with 1 electric blue jack deamsy she is 2 inches big they are In a 45 then I will move them all to a new them into a 80 will they all be ok in that tank
Jeremy Roche - 2013-03-10
Should be fine. They will enjoy the increased room!
Max miller - 2013-03-10
So the eletric blue jack demsy will not eat the cory catfish and can add 1 ram if so what kind? Finally this is the last question can I add my convicts with them they are the same size but the male? Thanks a lot :D :P
Max miller - 2013-03-10
So the eletric blue jack demsy will not eat the cory catfish and can i add 1 ram if so what kind? Finaly this is the last qestion can i add my convicts with them they are the same size but the male? Thanks a lot :D :P
riz - 2013-06-05
As a rule of thumb, fishes tend to increase in length 1 inch/month, depending upon how big aquarium is.

Johnny Jojnson - 2007-02-25
I really love Amphilophus (Cichlasoma) octofasciatum commonly know as the Jack Dempsey. My aquatic hobbyist activities usually focus on Angelfish breeding which can become tedious at times. Many years ago a friend gave me a few Jacks he had raised from fry in his tanks as a diversion from the frustrations of breeding Angelfish.

Wow, these fish are as rewarding and easy to breed fish as Guppies. They have fantastic coloration that changes with their mood. They are large enough to enjoy visually from a across the room or directly in front of the tank. I wish Angelfish had as much coloration. They do tend to lazily hide in the background or other hiding places such as caves but put on a heck of a show at feeding time.

It is important to provide caves if you want to breed them but they are not nearly as fussy about water quality as Angelfish. They do their own tank arranging. They tend to create depressions in the substrate all the way to the bottom of the tank and for this reason I suggest avoiding under gravel filtration. The only down side to keeping Jacks is they are not very live plant friendly and only get along well with a limited number of tank mates.

Click For Replies (1)

Pamela - 2013-06-02
Angelfish is ugly. Buy a flowerhorn, it is the prettiest tropical fish as well as most valuable fish in market. Every one of them has a different pattern and males have a bigger hump, female flowerhorn has a samall or totally no hump. They are very active and fun fish to keep. You can feed it as much as it eats, this fish cannot be over fed. Flowerhorns are very hardy and aggressive fish that can only be kept alone, since you are thinking of buying one fish, i would suggest you to get flowerhorn.

Head Nurse Pattye - 2009-05-20
I have a great community 100 gallon tank of cichlids. A Leporinus (my leopard fish)
a Red Devil, a young Flower Horn, a Green Terror, a Jack Dempsey, a Manguenese and 2
Plecostamus bottom dwellers.

I've learned a great deal about tanks over the years since I was a kid.

Recently I learned how to keep the Red Devil and aggressive acting fish in check.

They can individually be put on "time out" in a plastic bag with air for a couple of minutes and allowed to float on top while you rearrange the rocks and scenery.

There will still be a more dominant fish (Red), but when his attitude gets out of hand and BEFORE Red has moved all the rocks in his favor, I do this.

Carry - 2005-12-10
First let me say they are fast growing, aggressive, need lots of water changes, alot of filteration, and are messy. My 9'' oscar has waste the size of deer poop. It's crazy. They love to eat. They can and will jump out of the water to get food. That includes your hand if its above the water line. I've owned probably a little over a dozen oscars total. I have 4 right now. I feed mine earth worms, pellets, frozen brine shimp, freeze dried blood worms, algae wafers, shrimp pellets,beef heart, guppies, and freeze dried tubifex worms. I'd like to srart my own culture of either blood worms, white worms, or brine shrimp someday. I think all my fish will benefit from that. That being said I never feed feeders from local or chain fish stores because of the disease feeders have that can be passed onto my fish. It's not worth loosing an 12in oscar to watch him eat feeders. I do breed my own guppies and feed those sometimes. When you breed your own it ensures you have the control over the quality of feeder you are providing. I mean, look at the feeder tanks in the stores. They are always overcrowded, nasty, and have dead fish floating around at the top. Do you really want to expose a 12'' oscar to that that you've took the one year or so to raise? Seems like a waste.

Frankie - 2012-03-21

Been a fish-keeper most of my life and ive had 'Nics' for several years. The pair I have are large. They have bred a few times (not very often though). Recently, I've noticed that the female has grown a huge lump on her forehead (breeding time). However, she has never shown this trait during breeding before. Now the male has grown a small lump on his head too, but additionally, he has grown a massive face plate quite similar to an Orangutan haha! This has made him look a bit strange as he doesn't have the typical face of a Nic now. Has anyone else observed this before?

Click For Replies (3)

Jeremy Roche - 2012-10-26
This is normally seen in wild caught variety of cichlids during breeding. Not normal with nics though. maybe it has something else bred with it?
Adam - 2012-11-14
I've seen other posts and stuff from people that said this happens with nics...
Adam - 2012-11-14
Saw it a bit on my male once but not the female

Anonymous - 2009-06-17
I have 2 malawi eye bites. They are housed with convicts, green terrors and red devils.

david - 2011-06-12
Are Rams compatible with Heckel Discus, Altum (wild) Angelfish, and Black Ghost Knifefish? How about with Silver Dollars?

Click For Replies (2)

Charlie Roche - 2011-06-13
The Knifefish needs a minimum of a 100 gallon tank on his own. They are beautiful but they get huge and he will most likely eat the others.
cody - 2013-02-24
The angel fish isn't recommended but you may try with a knife fish all depends on you tank size to oh and for the discus. Alot of people may tell you to keep them in a single species tank and they need different water phlevels in their tank.

david - 2011-06-12
Are Rams compatible with Heckel Discus, Altum (wild) Angelfish, and Black Ghost Knifefish? How about with Silver Dollars?

Click For Replies (2)

Charlie Roche - 2011-06-13
The Knifefish needs a minimum of a 100 gallon tank on his own. They are beautiful but they get huge and he will most likely eat the others.
cody - 2013-02-24
The angel fish isn't recommended but you may try with a knife fish all depends on you tank size to oh and for the discus. Alot of people may tell you to keep them in a single species tank and they need different water phlevels in their tank.

Grace - 2012-11-13
Hello! I have a 55 gallon tank and raised in 4 tin foil barb (about 2-inches in size) and 3 tiger barb, 1 bala shark, and 2 tiny albino catfish bottom feeder for 2 months. When I went to the pet shop two weeks ago, I fell in love with the gold severum and immediately purchased 4 they're about over an inch big. I noticed that the two of the tin foils have patches on their body. It doesn't look like an ich so I observed the severum if they are nipping the tin foils and they are. I need your expertise. Should i put them in a separate tank? And how often should I clean my tank? Appreciate your help.

Click For Replies (1)

Jeremy Roche - 2012-11-14
The biggest problem with your set up is the size of the tank. Severums are peaceful as long as they have their own territories and in a 55 Gallon tank there is just not enough space and will make them act out. The tank is fine for one with the fish you have not 4.

sam - 2009-10-27
Hiya, I have a 40 gallon fluval vicenza aquarium with a fluval external canister filter. I do a 25% percent water change every Friday and the fish are feed flake, cichlid pellets, tetra prima, catfish pellets, and blood worm treats. My current fish are one 3inch male festivum, one 3 inch male opaline gourami, one 3inch female pearl gourami. 3 days ago I added 4 little baby angelfish about the size of a 50p, 2 smaller marble ones and 2 silver striped angelfish. At first they got chased and nipped but now they are ignored.They lighten up my dull tank. They look so awesome just playing tag in and out of the big amazon sword plants. Feeding time is, well fun, they are wee psychos, lol. Soon I'm going to add some new fishes to the festivum, gourami's and angel's tank. I'm thinking about adding somthing like 2 golden gouramis, 1 snakeskin gourami, 1 baby pleco, 1 red tailed shark, 4 baby keyhole cichlids, 6 cherry barbs, 8 serpae tetras, and I would like to add a baby severum too, but we'll see. Thanks Animal-World, you've helped me out sooooo many times with your fish info, and today you helped me again with my new angels. So thank you very much :), your brilliant! Cheers Animal-World. I mean it, without your site I'd be a crap fish keeper, thanks!!

About Animal-World

Animal-World offers animal pictures, videos, and animal information on all different types of pets and animals. Included are animals that are commonly kept as pets, exotic pets and wild animals. Check us out for information, education, and fun. We strive to aid in responsible pet ownership and an understanding of the importance of preserving and honoring our world and its inhabitants. Animal-World members and contributors are from all over the world. You too are invited to be an active participant in this community. Post your own personal pet stories, contribute pictures of your pets, and join the forums for pet and animal discussions.

Visit Animal-World

Animal Stories - People Talking About Cichlids

About Animal-World