# Discus to African Cichlids



## kayser (Sep 16, 2014)

Hello every one, I am new here and I have a question
I used to have Discus for long years and now, I am changing to African Cichlids. so my question is
1. What fish can I get to start, or does it matter?
2. What are the main differences between Discus and African Cichlids when it comes of being picky about quality of water?

Thank you


----------



## crazcaspr (Mar 17, 2014)

I remembev when i first started I just went and bought any kind of african cichlid. I learn after awhile you can do a all mbuna tank all peacock or all hap tank. You can mix peacocks with haps but dont mix them with mbuna cause as they get larger they become really nasty. Dont mix Africans with south Americans either. Im no expert on discus but I believe Africans are way to aggressive for discus.


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Welcome to Cichlid-forum!

What are the dimensions of your tank?

Discus like softer water I hear and daily 100% water changes. With Africans we like to shoot for weekly 50% changes and < 20ppm nitrates.


----------



## Als49 (Jul 11, 2014)

I've kept Discus for about 3 - 4 years in South American community tank, and I even had fry twice in that tank. For the first few months, I had WC twice a week, about 50% each time, and I mixed the water carefully (tap + reserve osmosis water to get certain TDS). After that I only had WC once a week for 50% with whatever water (got lazy mixing the water). The Discus still grow healthily. Hence I believe Discus is not so picky about water quality, or perhaps it's because I have a great sump filter system with live plants.

I started with African cichlid about 2 months ago, choosing small Tanganyika cichlids. WC is twice a week, about 20% each time. The tank is also planted.

I chose to start with Tanganyikan cichlids because from what I read in many forums and articles, they're more docile than Malawi cichlids, especially Mbuna. But still, comparing them to Discus, Discus is very very gentle and elegant, and eats slowly. So when I watch these two tanks, their behaviors looks so different: Mild vs. Wild 

So which fish you want to get started, it's up tp you  What kind of fish that you like? Colorful? Aggressive? Big? Small? Colony, pair or trio? Species or community tank? Etc...
And what is your tank size so that you can choose suitable fish for your tank?

To be honest about water quality, in the beginning of this hobby, I bought testing kits (the vial and solution ones, not the strips) along with pH meter and TDS meter, and tested the water every week. After a few months I got tired testing it and never do it again. And the fish and the plants grow well.

As long as the fish looks healthy, greedily eats and grows, then I'm also happy. Hobby is suppose to make you happy and relax, not stress


----------



## Als49 (Jul 11, 2014)

By the way, here's my African Tanganyika planted tank, and here's my Discus planted tank. Perhaps you can get some ideas.


----------



## kayser (Sep 16, 2014)

crazcaspr said:


> I remembev when i first started I just went and bought any kind of african cichlid. I learn after awhile you can do a all mbuna tank all peacock or all hap tank. You can mix peacocks with haps but dont mix them with mbuna cause as they get larger they become really nasty. Dont mix Africans with south Americans either. Im no expert on discus but I believe Africans are way to aggressive for discus.


Discus fish are aggressive to each other, but they don't bother other types, surely, I am not going to mix them at all
what kind of algae eater and bottom feeders go with African Cichlids? and what is the ideal temperature of water?


----------



## kayser (Sep 16, 2014)

DJRansome said:


> Welcome to Cichlid-forum!
> 
> What are the dimensions of your tank?
> 
> Discus like softer water I hear and daily 100% water changes. With Africans we like to shoot for weekly 50% changes and < 20ppm nitrates.


I am planning to start with a 55 Gallon high tank
I used to do 100% and 80% WC twice a week

for my breading tank 50% daily mixing the water with distilled in a 25 Gallon


----------



## kayser (Sep 16, 2014)

Als49 said:


> By the way, here's my African Tanganyika planted tank, and here's my Discus planted tank. Perhaps you can get some ideas.


That is really beautiful, great tank
I am planning to start on 55 Gallon high tank
I like colorful and schooling fish
what is your advice?


----------



## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Kayser, Welcome to C-F!!

Have you tested the pH, GH and KH of your tap water yet? Knowing these values will help to determine if you even need to mess with your tap water at all.

Also, what are the dimensions of your 55G high tank, please post as length x width x height.


----------



## kayser (Sep 16, 2014)

Deeda said:


> Kayser, Welcome to C-F!!
> 
> Have you tested the pH, GH and KH of your tap water yet? Knowing these values will help to determine if you even need to mess with your tap water at all.
> 
> Also, what are the dimensions of your 55G high tank, please post as length x width x height.


the water is Hard here, the PH is close to 7.8 Discus was doing fine with it
I have to check the dimension of the tank


----------



## Als49 (Jul 11, 2014)

kayser said:


> Discus fish are aggressive to each other


Before keeping Africans, I thought discus was aggressive. But after keeping Africans, I feel that discus is not aggressive at all.



> what kind of algae eater and bottom feeders go with African Cichlids?


I tried putting 100 cherry shrimps, but they were all gone in a few days. I thought cherry shrimps were too big for my Multies and Julies' small mouth, but I was wrong (cherry shrimps still survived in my discus tank, I even found some shrimp fry when I rescaped my tank).

My algae crews are horned snails and MTS. And a few time I found empty shells of horned snails. I wonder who ate them?

Some people also keep BN pleco with their Africans.


----------



## kayser (Sep 16, 2014)

I had cherry shrimp in my discus tank, and they were gone in no time LOL then I had another 10Gallon with only plants, Shrimp, and snails only
I like BN pleco, I used to have them my discus tank. Also I used corries as B. feeders
I wonder if I can used them with Africans!!!? I mean the corries


----------



## rennsport2011 (Oct 21, 2013)

The Corys would get beaten up and killed with most africans, there are exceptions, but those fish aren't that common anyway.


----------



## kayser (Sep 16, 2014)

rennsport2011 said:


> The Corys would get beaten up and killed with most africans, there are exceptions, but those fish aren't that common anyway.


So what are my options for BF? I think snails are too slow for that


----------



## OllieNZ (Apr 18, 2014)

kayser said:


> rennsport2011 said:
> 
> 
> > The Corys would get beaten up and killed with most africans, there are exceptions, but those fish aren't that common anyway.
> ...


Don't underestimate the cleaning power of snails!!!
Most people seem to use one of the dwarf synodontis species, these guys like corys do best in groups the larger the better.


----------



## OllieNZ (Apr 18, 2014)

Although with my mbuna nothing ever hits the bottom anyway


----------



## kayser (Sep 16, 2014)

What is the ideal temperature for AC?


----------



## Als49 (Jul 11, 2014)

OllieNZ said:


> Although with my mbuna nothing ever hits the bottom anyway


The same thing with my Multies and Julies, they darted to the food and almost finish the food before it hit the bottom. Itmade me wonder if my petricola got to eat because they ate much slower and hid most of the time.

The snails will take care the remaining food on the bottom, if there's any.

Very different behaviors than discus. Discus eats slowly and always comes back for more. And discus also seems to enjoy finding foods on the bottom.


----------



## Als49 (Jul 11, 2014)

There's also Tangayikan sand sifters, they're definitely bottom feeders, but based on what I read, their tank mates are very limited and must be chosen very carefully.

So there are many different routes to keep AC. Each with its own unique characteristics.


----------



## kayser (Sep 16, 2014)

no one gave a reply regarding the ideal temperature!!


----------



## OllieNZ (Apr 18, 2014)

kayser said:


> no one gave a reply regarding the ideal temperature!!


75-82f


----------



## rennsport2011 (Oct 21, 2013)

78F is a good temperature.


----------



## Als49 (Jul 11, 2014)

So which fish is it gonna be?


----------



## kayser (Sep 16, 2014)

Als49 said:


> So which fish is it gonna be?


I don't know yet, I like colorful fish


----------



## Als49 (Jul 11, 2014)

kayser said:


> Als49 said:
> 
> 
> > So which fish is it gonna be?
> ...


That's a good start 

Frontosa and Tropheus are colorful.

Most Malawis are also colorful.

Then tank dimension can narrow down the choices of fish.


----------



## rennsport2011 (Oct 21, 2013)

Als49 said:


> kayser said:
> 
> 
> > Als49 said:
> ...


Tank dimensions would eliminate frontosa and Tropheus. ;-)

In a 55 gallon, I would stick with smaller and lesser aggressive mbuna.


----------



## Als49 (Jul 11, 2014)

rennsport2011 said:


> In a 55 gallon, I would stick with smaller and lesser aggressive mbuna.


You're right. I forgot he mentioned his tank size.


----------



## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

I may have missed it, but the 55 tall dimensions were never provided....


----------



## Als49 (Jul 11, 2014)

Iggy Newcastle said:


> I may have missed it, but the 55 tall dimensions were never provided....


Only 55G high provided, no measurements yet.


----------



## kayser (Sep 16, 2014)

Yeh, I always forget to measure the dimensions when I am at home,  I will do it tonight

I always liked schooling fish like Tetras (Neon and Cardinals) is there something similar?


----------



## Als49 (Jul 11, 2014)

Cyprichromis leptosoma is shoaling fish. I'd love to get them if there's any here.


----------



## kayser (Sep 16, 2014)

ok, the tank is 48"X13"X21"
it is set, recycled and ready to go now

What do you guys feed your AC? for my Discus, I feed Flakes, FD black worms, and tetra bits


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I don't think you are going to get much in the way of schooling from Africans in a 48" tank. I'd suggest 3 species of peaceful mbuna stocked at 1m:4f of each. I feed New Life Spectrum Cichlid formula, you want high quality ingredients (for example maximum krill and spirulina, minimum flours and meals) and < 35% protein.


----------



## Chester B (Dec 28, 2012)

Xtreme aquatics and Northfin fish foods. I used to feed NLS but I always found it to be tough to switch fish over to it. The fish would always prefer other food to NLS.


----------



## pfoster74 (May 13, 2012)

kayser said:


> Als49 said:
> 
> 
> > So which fish is it gonna be?
> ...


]i think (Cynotilapia zebroides (Jalo Reef) (Labidochromis caeruleus) and (Iodotropheus sprengerae) would be a colorful group of cichlids that will also work well together in a 55g.also a group of 3 to 4 Synodontis multipunctatus may give you the schooling effect you are looking for


----------



## kayser (Sep 16, 2014)

Can I feed these guys FD black worms?


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I wouldn't.


----------



## pfoster74 (May 13, 2012)

kayser said:


> Can I feed these guys FD black worms?


i feed my africans quality spirulina flake food also NLS cichlid 1mm sinking pellets and they also get algae wafers.


----------



## kayser (Sep 16, 2014)

I am going to buy some AC today..... excited


----------



## kayser (Sep 16, 2014)

ok I got some fish last night, they are doing well and eating so far. can someone tell me the names/types of these fish


----------



## Chester B (Dec 28, 2012)

You just bought them without knowing their names :-?


----------



## kayser (Sep 16, 2014)

Actually, I forgot the names. the Guy at the store gave me a complete education about AC and told me the names of every fish, but it was a lot of information in one day for me.


----------

