Choosing South American Cichlid tank mates is not difficult at all. There are a few things that you need to consider before you make any quick decisions while at your favorite pet store.
The first thing that you must consider is the size of your cichlid species. Obviously, don't choose fish or invertebrates that appear to be able to fit in their mouth. It is not fool proof, but it makes for a good rule of thumb.
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| The pink oscar fishs (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Secondly, don't choose a species that potentially could be more aggressive than your favorite species of cichlid. For example, Oscars and Angel Fish will generally do just fine together when they are juveniles. But when those Oscars start to get big, those poor Angels won't stand a chance.
Now that I have made a few obvious points about choosing South American Cichlid tank mates, let's get to the point. When I think of South American Cichlid tank mates, I think of catfish. But more specifically I think of the gentle Corydoras. These are absolutely some of my favorite aquarium fish and they make excellent tank buddies for many varieties of Cichlids, even the African varieties.
When choosing corys, make sure you consider the size of your Cichlids. If you have a mature Oscar tank, choosing the smaller types of corys is a bad idea. Your Oscars will love the snack and vacuum them up like skittles. Choose one of the larger varieties like Corydoras aeneus. They will mature at about three inches long and make good tank mates for even the larger varieties of South American Cichlids when the catfish are fully mature of course.
Keep this in mind when choosing South American Cichlid tank mates, Oscars sometimes break the rules. For the best results with Oscars, it is best to raise them with tank mates like corys, while they are both juveniles so that they are conditioned to having each other around. Oh, and make sure you keep at least a half dozen or so of the corys. They like the company and have strength in numbers.
Keeping a South American Cichlid [http://www.cichlidfishsecrets.info] tank can be a very enjoyable and rewarding experience. Cichlids can have unique personalities and be quite intelligent, but keeping them healthy and stress-free can be a challenge. Visit [http://www.cichlidfishsecrets.info] and find out for yourself the correct and easy way to keep your Cichlids healthy, colorful and stress-free.
Article Source: EzineArticles |
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