# Question about mixing cichlids



## LooneyDNA (Apr 21, 2011)

Now i have been looking at the different types of cichlids and the different lakes.. now i was wondering would mixing the Tanganyika cichlids and the Malawi cichlids be a bad idea? :?


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## xxbenjamminxx (Jan 22, 2011)

Which species are you talking about? That would ultimately be the deciding factor as some will not tolerate others and some will.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

Nothing magic about mixing the two lakes but as mentioned some are more workable than others. Feel free to pretty much ignore the small preference each might have on PH,etc. Most can adapt to what you have within reason.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I have not liked the results when I mixed them, but I've only tried a couple.


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## LooneyDNA (Apr 21, 2011)

Sorry but its another Question.. I have been asking around about sand cleaning, and today I went to PET CO. to get a power head. Well to make a long story short, I asked one of the workers about cleaning sand and well he told me if I have a Good sand like cichlid sand that I shouldnt have to touch it. But if its something like play sand I should... so I ask you my friends  the ones who know more then others, is this True or false? :-?


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## DanniGirl (Jan 25, 2007)

False. All substrate should be cleaned from time to time, especially sand. A syphon hose works best. :thumb:


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## LooneyDNA (Apr 21, 2011)

LooneyDNA said:


> Now i have been looking at the different types of cichlids and the different lakes.. now i was wondering would mixing the Tanganyika cichlids and the Malawi cichlids be a bad idea? :?


ok so i finally got 2 fish out of the many i wanted to put in my tank. Thing is i wanted a mixture malawi Mbuna fish but i came across 2 brevis that i fell in love with, i think they are tanganyika . So i was tould by a gentlemen that i would not be able to put the malawi Mbuna with my little guys b/c they may attack them. i have a 55 gal tank, what are your thoughts on this?


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## Grumblecakes (Feb 20, 2011)

i think it would still depend on the mbuna. my yellow labs and my brevis generally play nice. if anyone is causing problems its usually the brevis chasing off the yellows. However my labs are still pretty young and their new tank should finish cycling soon.

for what its worth i have noticed my brevis are more active when the other fish are not.


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## LooneyDNA (Apr 21, 2011)

i wanted some thought on a few fish i wanted to put together in my 55 gal

ok so i already have a pair of 'Lamprologus' brevis in my tank and would like 2 more. I know off the top of my head i want to add 1 or 2 frontosa's and yes i know they get a good size and when they do i plan on putting my little love babies in a 30gal long so that they don't get eaten. But the others i want are.

Neolamprologus leleupi (orange&Yellow) - 5
Neolamprologus cylindricus (Chituta) - 5
Altolamprologus calvus - 2 or 3
Spathodus erythrodon or Tanganicodus irsacae (Kigoma) - a pair
Neolamprologus sexfasciatus (Gold) - i know i might not be able to get this one

I think this might be to many fish but what's your advice on this set up i want?


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## Pizzle (May 24, 2011)

Keep in mind that all of the fish that you listed will occupy the bottom of the tank for the most part. Also, all of them can be pretty aggressive.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

In a 55G think in terms of one bottom dweller like a shellie, one rock dweller like a calvus and one open water swimmer like cyprichromis.

The leleupi will kill the brevis so don't mix those. Frontosa are for a 72" tank so avoid those. Sexfasciatus like to kill everyone in the tank when they spawn, so you don't want a pair or a group.

I did have a single tret (similar to sexfasciatus) in my 72" tank but I took him out...he hid all the time and when he did show up at feeding time he was nippy with everyone else. Not an asset to the tank at all.


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## LooneyDNA (Apr 21, 2011)

ok well now im sad  ... my thing is i really want some color going on in my tank. But they have to get along with my brevis. Can anybody throw me some ideas i can do for my tank plz?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Calvus and cyps are very colorful!


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## allierw (Apr 20, 2006)

DJRansome said:


> Calvus and cyps are very colorful!


I second this. They are gorgeous and the cyps add a lot of interest at the top of the tank. Frontosa get much too large for a 55g and will eat your shellies and would eat the cyps also.

What about something in the julidochromis family? I had marlieri once and they are an attractive fish. I don't know if they get along well with calvus, though. They might be an alternative.

You could also try a single daffodil.


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## LooneyDNA (Apr 21, 2011)

allierw said:


> DJRansome said:
> 
> 
> > Calvus and cyps are very colorful!
> ...


So the Juli's wouldn't try to hurt my shellies? also i want to thank everybody for helping me get all this figured out so that i can have a happy tank


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## allierw (Apr 20, 2006)

No, I don't think they would. I had a tank setup for some time with rock on the sides and back and a sand bed with shells in the front...the julies never bothered the shellies (multies).


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