Firemouth with Africans

I was at one of the local fish stores earlier today and noticed 3 firemouths in with some type of African cichlids. They seemed to be doing fine but I was wondering if this was sustainable long-term or if it was just something that they did at the store? I don't want to try it but I'm curious because everything I've ever been told says not to mix Africans with Central/SA.

The aggression wouldn't be too big a problems fugu had the right environment, but the water parameters are on opposite ends of the spectrum.


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Eventually the firemouths will be killed, especially with other mbuna.

What africans would you be mixing them with. If you are just using tap water and there are enough fish and hiding places it might work.Matt Quinn keeps fish from all over the planet together,lol. With a little planning it could probably be done the real question is, is it necessary.

I don't actually plan on doing it. I just saw a tank at a fish store and was wondering if it was viable as a long-term setup.

It's not a good idea... won't end well long term.

Matt

Spine said:

What africans would you be mixing them with. If you are just using tap water and there are enough fish and hiding places it might work.Matt Quinn keeps fish from all over the planet together,lol. With a little planning it could probably be done the real question is, is it necessary.

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+1 Much easier done than some people think, often more a question of species with compatible temperaments than water being the issue. Plus, anyone who has kept gouramis, white clouds, lot of rasbora species, lot of barbs, some tetras, lot of the so called sharks (bala sharks, rainbow sharks, etc.), rainbowfish, etc. in their new world tanks are already mixing continents. Makes me laugh when some of these same people insist you can't (or shouldn't) do it.

Most African species, especially captive bred, will do just fine in ph in the 7s where a firemouth will be perfectly happy as well. So, if the question is can it work, and not opinions on the aesthetics of it, the real question becomes which African species. African species vary in temperament, some not that aggressive. Some you could easily keep with moderate to even mild new worlds. Might look funny to most people, some combinations in particular, but doesn't mean you can't do it.

of course pet stores normally have centralized water systems, so all freshwater fish would be kept in the same parameters, regardless of their ideal.
as long as there's enough space for everybody I would think it'd be sustainable. a few of my tanks have combinations that would never meet in the wild, but i don't keep african cichlids at all.

For the record, it's not what I'd normally do in a display tank that I wanted to look "right", but temporarily in growout or overflow tanks I've had some 'weird' combinations. Might be juvies, extras, misfits, etc. until I sell or move some of them, rearrange tanks, or whatever.

For example, I have a breeding group of kapampa fronts and I've kept extras in overflow tanks with severums, guianacara, geos, etc... come to think of it I knew someone who kept frontosa and geos together in his main tank, just because he liked both fish-- weird maybe, but it worked.

A lot of cyphotilapia would be compatible in temperament with a number of SA species, actually. (Again, weird as it sounds, I've even seen a couple of people keep them with discus.) There are other African species I've had that would work with a number of new worlds in terms of temperament. But it needs to be the right species, I wouldn't get a bag of 'mixed Africans' and just throw them together with a firemouth.

The bottom line is whether or not you like the idea is not the same as whether or not it can be done.