Posts Tagged ‘african cichlids’
New World Cichlid Tankmates – Choose Tankmates for Cichlids Wisely
Searching for the best tankmates for South American Cichlids can be difficult at first. But it is not that hard if you make sure not to make any quick decisions when you are in your favorite pet store.
The first thing that you must consider is the size of your cichlid species. Obviously, don’t choose fish or invertebrates that appear to be able to fit in their mouth. It is not fool proof, but it makes for a good rule of thumb.
Second, choosing tankmates that do not have the same temperament as each other. Juvenile Oscars and Angel Fish are a good example. These two species make great tankmates when they are little. But when those Oscars start to grow, the Angels will loose every battle very quickly.
Those are a few obvious points about choosing tankmates for your cichlids, but lets get to the issue of this article. So what are the best tankmates for cichlids. Catfish, that’s right, Catfish. But lets get a little bit more specific. What about Corydoras. These little guys are some of my favorite tropical fish, and they make great tankmates for all sorts of cichlids.
Again, you should definitely think about the size of the cichlids that you own. If you have Oscars, you should not choose the smaller kinds of corydoras. The Oscars will think that they are food and scarf them down like little candies. It is best to choose one of the larger varieties of corys like the bronze corydoras.
The larger types of corys like the bronze and green varieties, will reach full size at about three inches. So they should make good tankmates for even the larger types of American Cichlids.
Here is a very important thing that you must consider if you choose corydoras as tankmates for Oscars. Sometimes they simply don’t follow the rules and do as they please. For the best results with pairing Oscars and corys, it is best to raise them together so they are used to having each other around. Here is a cory tip. Keep your corys in groups of at least six or seven. They are much happier in a group.
See this article for more information about cichlid tank mates. Visit cichlid care to learn how to keep cichlids healthy, colorful and happy.
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