Cichlid Fish Forum banner

Good new tankmate?

2K views 7 replies 3 participants last post by  malawicichlidfan123 
#1 ·
I have a 36 bow front with a male EBAcaca and male firemouth what would be a good tank mate for them? Or am I already overstocked? Btw their still 2-3 inches
 
#5 ·
malawicichlidfan123 said:
Never done convicts, would a single male/ female work or would she crossbreed with firemouth?
IMO, a female convict would pose much less of an aggression risk, especially in a small tank. More likely to get along with it's tank mates then a male convict, IME and IMO.
There is some chance of hybridization with a firemouth. All CA cichlids have potential to hybridize with each other. While there is some chance, I don't believe it is all that likely. A 'firecon' is not a very common CA hybrid , especially when you consider how often the 2 species have been kept together over many, many years. If preventing the small chance they may cross is your standard......then by the same standard you would not be able to keep more then one species of lake Malawi cichlid together in the same tank.
Curious how you know the sex of your firemouth and EB acara at only 2-3" ? Neither are particularly easy to sex at young/small size.
 
#6 ·
Yeah they're still juveniles but big enough to tell from their fins/color, and how aggressive they were in their old tanks so I'm pretty sure they are but not a hundred percent, this is my first CA tank and they've been doing well I just need another one, a female con would be cool, how are jewel cichlids?
 
#7 ·
malawicichlidfan123 said:
Yeah they're still juveniles but big enough to tell from their fins/color
I wouldn't put much, if any, faith in that. Not a very reliable indicator of sex for either species. Sometimes a male or 2 will indicate out of a whole tank of juvies by having much more developed fins....but that is in comparison to a whole group of same age juvies.
Kept both of these species (FM and regular blue acara) for many years and even large adults are not always that easy to sex. Generally it would be the size and body shape in comparison to the other sex of the same age or observing their breeding tubes over the course of a few weeks or months.
malawicichlidfan123 said:
how are jewel cichlids?
IME, somewhat less aggressive then the convict cichlid. Though similar enough aggression-wise to place them in the same category.
The red coloration varies considerably amongst individuals. The very bright red is generally associated with breeding coloration only.
Despite the fact they are often claimed to be monomorphic in a lot of the literature, IME they are easily sexed at a young age, based on body shape. Females "roundish" and males the top and bottom of the fish are straight, sort of forming parallel lines and also usually having a slanted forehead. I generally sex them 100% at the size they are sold at the LFS though it can be more then difficult to distinguish in pictures, dependant on the angle of the shot.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top