what can I keep with my cichlids? please help!

[Baby Neon]

I'm just wondering if I can keep any bottom feeding fish with the cichlids that I own? i have a 2 blue acara, 4 convicts, 1 festivim,2 keyholes and 1 kribinsis. (also housed in the tank are 3 silver dollars 2 kissing gourami and 2 bristlenose). my tank decor is mostly driftwood and large plants. i was thinking maybe clown loaches but dont know if they will get munched on by the bigger fish

[Cichlid Connections]

Loaches would do fine... from ur list....the problems I see would be with your convicts and Kribs. They will go at each other sometime or another.

Another alternative for bottom dwellers would be plecos. Hypancistrus would do well as most species don't grow too large. Do a research on potential size first.

[Plecowhacko]

Any pleco will do fine with them hahaha J/K

Not just any pleco. Why ? because plecos are sometimes shy and that cichlids are very fast when it comes to feeding time. so u can deduce that your cichlids will get most of the food and the plecos will get to watch the cichlids eat... Unless u have big sized plecos then you won't be seeing this as a problem. It takes the pleco quite some time before they actually are brave enough to come out and compete for food...well for some genus that is. Some like the Pterygoplichthys Spp. are born brave hehehe

[Geoffrey22]

Corydoras would do it if u don like pleco.besides, tyr decor ur tank with coral stone rather then planted tank.Harder water and higher PH would make the coloration of ur fish better.

Geoffrey Loh

[Plecowhacko]

I do not agree with that. What about you Joe ?

The fishes that he mentioned cmes from water of different perimeter and does need its natural values. Color or not, it will have a certain effect on the fish one way or the other. Unless u dun like your fish and want to torture it properly, then u put a low ph fish into a hi ph water.
Hi ph water is for hi ph fish like african cichlids and not CA/SAs.

Coloration of the fish is not important. What is important is the health and longevity of the fish that brings the owner great joy. main concern is the owner's peace of mind that the lil critter is alive.

[Baby Neon]

thanx everyone! my fish are thriving in slightly acidic water, so puttin the ph up isnt an option... I'm worried cories will get munched on when my fish get to their full size?

[Cichlid Connections]

cories in alkaline water ???? No way...... Although Convicts being Central American can tolerate higher PH doses. The best PH values for ur type of fishes is in the region 6.5 to 7.0. but I still don't think corys are a good mix. Plecos and loaches should be a better option.

[Plecowhacko]

Well common cories like (paleatus,aeneus,trilineatus,sterbai,panda) can stay in high ph water...i know that because i did have them staying with my mpimbwes before... but theres a side effect though. They can't get big. My 2 year old cory at that time stayed at 3cm for all its time there. My newer cory fewer purchase of arcuatus however is blowing up to 3.5cm from a mere 2cm individual in a period of 5 months...

FYI...ur cichlids will not try to swallow them unless they are so much bigger and if they do attempt to, they will have a terribly painfull lesson as corries have spikes (sterbai's have mild poison in their spikes). However if the cichlid is too persistent in trying to gobble down the cute cory, u may end up with 2 dead fishes instead. Cory don't go in easily so the cichlid will suffocate and also die with his cory meal...

[kevkoi]

Considering that you're from Sydney Australia, ur best bet would be to get some decent size clown loaches. Another option u can get from your LFS (if they don't have it, they can order it in for you) are some Hoplo cats. (Just very big versions of corydoras).

Interesting suggestion of Hypancistrus sp..... Now at the price they are in Aust, u wouldn't risk them with those other cichlids!!! LOL!!!

Another possible addition are the Dekeyseria pulcher (L16 which have just been included into the Aust import list recently.

kev