# Firemouth Cichlid



## flemming

I have one small Firemouth Cichlid and two small Jack Dempsey Cichlids and one small Tiger Oscar its seams the Firemouth Cichlid picks on the two Jack Dempsey Cichlids the Firemouth does not bother the Tiger Oscar should i get another Firemouth Cichlid what should i do any advice ??


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## irondan

how big is the tank? do you have sightline breaks like large structures or grasses/plants? the meeki wont be agro toward the jds once they put on some size.


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## flemming

irondan said:


> how big is the tank? do you have sightline breaks like large structures or grasses/plants? the meeki wont be agro toward the jds once they put on some size.


They all are in a 46 gallon


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## Bruce Haynes

Scale for scale Firemouth are one of the most aggressive cichlids out there. They can be relentless in their dominance of a tank and will usually kill conspecifics. I have never been successful with these fish. They are beautiful and amazing, but wicked aggressive. I have had the largest in a tank of 7 kill off every fish until he had the tank to himself. Needless to say, he had to go.


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## TheFishGuy

Getting rid of the firemouth soon would be a good idea. I've had similar experiences as Bruce.


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## Elijah

IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve owned all of these fish, except the Oscar. Firemouths grow pretty slowly, and only max out at about 6 inches. JDs, IME, grow pretty quickly, and once they mature I highly doubt that they will take bullying from the firemouth. Oscars grow quickly to boot. But then, I had a firemouth that stood his ground against a pair of breeding cons. Like irondan suggested, IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢d definitely put in some sight breaks; hiding places. If your JDs can endure the bullying for a few months, the tables will then turn IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m sure.

But like others have said, firemouths can certainly be atrociously aggressive. Being is you only have a 46 gallon, thereÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s bound to be aggression in the future anyway. IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢d return the firemouth to the place you got him.


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## NadiaS

I've had a firemouth cichlid for a few years, used to have 2 but one died suddenly. Anyways, the remaining fire mouth has always been kind of a sissy believe it or not. He's always had his "spot" in the back corner behind plants and a wall. I got a Jack Dempsey a couple of months ago and he's becoming extremely aggressive with everyone in the tank. Today he beat up the fire mouth to the point where I had to move the firemouth to a qt tank or quite simply he would have been dead by now. So my problem is just the opposite of what I've read here.


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## TheFishGuy

It's funny because the FM situation seems to be split 50/50 with people I talk to. Either you've got A-holes or you've got pansies... I bred them once a long time ago... THis thread is making me want to get some more...


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## NadiaS

I'll send you mine.  Poor sap is just moping around the 10g qt tank now. I'm not sure what to do with him now... :-?


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## TheFishGuy

:lol: I don't want yours... It'd spread that Canadian accent through my tanks... :lol:


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## Chubbs the Jellybean

Blame canada... (in singing voice)

I totally agree TFG - they're either all or nothing, mine was definitely an "all" when I had him...


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## bernie comeau

TheFishGuy said:


> Either you've got A-holes or you've got pansies...


My experience with the fish is that they are sort of both. Often very aggressive but not usually very capable. In the past, mine picked on anything they could.....especially fish like rainbow cichlid and A. centrarchus were bullied constantly. For a few years I had nothing more then a bunch of convicts, a blue gourami, pleco and one large female FM in my 180 gal........this FM spent her entire time, day in and day out, chasing convicts back into their territory. She stayed away from the large dominant male convict, but he had no interest in her either. Very aggressive fish.

But when I kept them with large agressive CA like midas/RD, trimac, dovii.....even JD, they did not fare well, longterm. Might have been different in bigger tanks. They don't seem to have the same kind of ability, that say a convict cichlid would, against larger fish.

In the past, had a few pairs in the community tank. Threatened lots with the convicts, but couldn't defend the territory from larger fishes at all. None of these pairs ever got to the stage of laying eggs as they couldn't hold on to territory. Sometimes their territory wasn't even on the bottom of the tank, as they were pushed up higher in the water column:lol:


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## NadiaS

You hit the nail on the head Bernie-aggressive but not very capable. I've spent a great deal of time laughing at my FM when he's puffed out his face to 3 times its normal size trying to look tough. Then he starts shaking his puffed up head at whatever "intruder" is there.The response from most of the others has been just to ignore his crazy facial gyrations. Then it's back to his corner again to hide behind the wall. It's been pretty comical to watch. I do feel badly for him now. 
P.s. This Canadian does not have an accent and I never say "eh" just FYI :x


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## bernie comeau

NadiaS said:


> P.s. This Canadian does not have an accent


Well, actually......EVERYBODY has an accent, at least to somebody living elsewhere. But from my perspective, the funniest Canadian accent has got to be the Newfie. I always laugh (not out loud of course) when I hear them talk ....some of them, though they are talking English, I can't understand a word they are saying!! I suppose eventually, if I were around this accent enough, I'd have no problem understanding.


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## NadiaS

Well I suppose you're right about accents and to be honest I have trouble understanding Newfies too. Then there's the French Canadians. I won't even go there..


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## TheFishGuy

:lol:


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## I Know The Answer

Okay I'm going to explain the fire mouth. This guy is very beautiful but aggressive. Buy him when young. And have bigger tank mates before he is big. They will probably bully him the first few days but then will let him be. That teaches the fish a lesson to not mess with the rest. Do not put it with the electric blue acara cichlids. Although they live in the same region they hate each other. Beware when the fire mouth widens its mouth it's going in for a fight. Like the betta fish it intimidates the opponent. When it gets bigger then the rest (I suggest that it should be one of the smallest even full grown). Whenever cichlids fight they will lock lips so just take one out and maybe re-arrange the tank. Then put it back in for more cover. Btw don't listen to the gay fish clerks at pet smart or something; they tell you not to mix the African and new world and stuff but that's not true. I have over 300 fish and they are all different species of cichlids. I also have freshwater silver dollars. They can be with anything because they can get 6 inches big. I also have an arowana that bullies some of the cichlids. Put a tiger Oscar with this guy and it will shut the Arowana right up


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## TheFishGuy

And those would be your experiences. 
My arowana EATS oscars for snacks. 
Also not sure how the sexual preference comes into play when getting advice?


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## krazykilroy

My take on Firemouths from my experience:

FMs tend to seek their place in the pecking order, whether it be on top, or somewhere in-between. But sometimes they find themselves at the bottom.

They do a good amount of pushing, and depending on who pushes back, is who will get the bow-down from them. If no one pushes back, They'll be king of the tank. If everyone pushes back? they run for cover a lot.

Whereas a lot of cichlids will either be pansies from the gate, or pick fights until the very end, Firemouths find themselves with the classic bully/follower mentality.


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## UB15

Have 3 small ones in same sized tank. I put 6 giant Danio's in as dithers and they don't bother the green terror,angle, convicts, etc..


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## mpdumont

I have 2 FMs with a pair of constantly mating Jewels....
One of the FMs swims freely and bothers no one, the other is getting beat on by the Jewels.
He hides in the corner in some short plants most of the time!

From Rochester, NY and we love our Canadian neighbors for their great beer and hockey


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## Pdxmonkeyboy

well I googled firemouth aggression as my FM isn't the kind that covers in the corner. My FM is a total prick. convict of same size? gets beat on. fattest siamese algae eater ever..gets picked on. Electric blue jack dempsey... the firemouth completely ignores him?

I have a small 3-4" jag I might out in there to take some pressure off of the convict. the FM has been particularly relentless lately.

any suggestions on calming them down? 
feed more? 
cooler temp? 
lots of wood and plants in there now. PLENTY of cover


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## TheFishGuy

Adding more fuel to the fire will not calm anything down. 
You can try some of the following.
Lower the temperature to the mid to low 70's
Do a massive water change and move some decor around in the process.
You have three fish in the tank, make five obvious territories for them when redecorating.
Get a school of giant danios or silver dollars as dithers. 
Get rid of the fire mouth.

What size tank? 
What's the current temperature?


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## Pdxmonkeyboy

40 gallon breeder. current temp around 77-78


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## TheFishGuy

Obviously try all the techniques first before getting rid of it. 
Last option is to remove the aggressor. 
When you move the decor try and make breaks in line of site.


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## Pdxmonkeyboy

I picked up a 7 pack of dithers.. we will.see what happens


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## Pdxmonkeyboy

Columbian tetras.. that was the dither I got.


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## TheFishGuy

They might work


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