African Cichlid Stocking

[CaptainAquatics]

Hi! I have a blue goramie and I want to know if it can live with African cichlids. The goramie is about 2-2.5 inches long and 3 out of the four are full grown. I recently put a red tail shark of simalar size with the cichlids and they don’t seem to care. I want this goramie to get used to living with African cichlids from a earlier age. It is also living with mollies and swordtails and I don’t know how long it will stay peacefull. The tank it’s in is also a little crowded so it would help that tank as well. Do you think it would wor or would the African cichlids bully him. Keep in mind these African cichlids are not normal as they hide constantly and really only come out at feeding (because before I got them they were in poor environments). Thanks

 

[AquaticJ]

I wouldn’t keep African cichlids with anything except maybe a Synodontis catfish.

 

[CaptainAquatics]

I don’t know these guys seem more peaceful than most African cichlids. They don’t bother the shark at all. And he is smaller than the goramie.

 

[Demeter]

No, best not try it. African cichlids will beat the crud out of it. It may last for a little while but not for long. I tried a paradise gourami with Africans once and that poor gourami ended up being pushed around. He was placed in his own tank after that.

Even if your cichlids are still timid, they will eventually start behaving normally. It is in their nature to defend territory and attack intruders.

 

[CaptainAquatics]

Well they have been like this for months now and really don’t care about the shark. PLUS I will leave that tank open for it if it does develops a problem.

 

[AquaticJ]

What kind of Africans are we talking about? The shark can hold its own, for now at least. The other problem is Gourami like a PH and hardness that’s totally opposite than Africans.

 

[dojafish]

I discourage the idea. Gourami can't defend itself if push comes to shove.

 

[Demeter]

Gourami may be aggressive but I've yet to find one equally aggressive as most African cichlids. If the cichlids are mature they will not take kindly to other fish being added to their tank. If normal behaving Africans shouldn't be mixed with gourami then abnormal ones shouldn't be either.

The paradise gourami I had was a menace. He bullied the cichlids when they were juveniles but once those mbuna hit puberty they were nipping his long fins and keeping him up on the corners of the tank. I'll never trying mixing Africans with non-Africans again. I see no reason to try when so many have already admitted defeat after having some fish get killed.