Want to learn how to keep your very own African Cichlids? It's not as hard as you think, let me teach you 😊 👉 kavemanaquatics.com/keeping-african-cichlids/
Yes your correct I have a fire mouth female with my African cichlids an did it just like u did she was my first fish then we added more then added more are parrot fish we have we couldn't mix with them so we stuck Elsa in my wife's 40 GAL COMMUNITY BEDROOM TANK WITH BUNCH TETRAS BEDDAS KILI GOLDEN WONDER FISH ,SUPER CLOWN PLECOS ,RUBBER NOSE PLECOS,MINNOWS ,A CREEK CHUB ,15 CORY CATS AN TWO PICTUS AN PEOPLE SAY WERE wrong FOR DOING THIS AN NOPE IT WAS BEST THING TO DO SHE LOVES ALL THE WHOLE TANK NO BULLYING NOTHING BUT LOVEING ANFREINDSHIP
@@KaveManAquatics Hey, have you ever seen Jack Dempsey’s peacock bass Frontosa mbunas and convex cichlids all in the same tanks with asian redtail catfish
Love that guy Gordo! I have 3 of them and they are sure laid back fish. I been following you for a minute and want to thank you for all the information my brother.
Gordo so cute! He looks healthy and happy. I have a mix including blood parrots. I’m completely following your videos and advice. As always very informative. Thank you
I have a 1.25' Tetra that has been in a tank with close to 40 cichlids all over 3" and at least a dozen that are over 5'. That tetra has been in there for over a year undisturbed.
Thanks for this it's been a couple months now I have almost the same setup as you.....I also have my very own Gordo.... And everything is been gone perfectly....... Thanks again keep up the good work......👻👍🏾
This video is so helpful. I have 2 blood reds with African cichlids and someone criticized me for that. I’m glad they did though because now I know more.
I have one EBJD with my cichlids and he does fine but I even tried to add 3 different types of gourami: pearl, yellow, and opaline. Surprisingly after 1-2 months they are doing just fine and very happy to be in such a big tank. This even surprised me!
Another astronomical video brother! I find most of the rules directed at fish keeping, is more for beginners and can usually be bent or made to work for yourself! Great video Kev! Can't wait for another! Much love from Newfound Aquatics, Newfoundland
@@KaveManAquatics Same here bro! I push the limits of what can be done alot of the time! Whether it be adding extra filtration so I can overstock a tank slightly. I find as long as I slowly acclimate a fish to a different ph level they're usually fine:)
I have an interesting set up in my African cichlid tank as well with my two jack Dempsey's actually being the top two with my two Bala sharks which are larger but they swim with the others plus 3 pictus catfish and everyone is happy which makes me happy so never say never!😁 Love your channel!
Kev, I have a very similar tank situation - a 75 gallon with many of the same cichlids that you have, however, I pushed the boundaries even further. Not only did I (unknowingly) mix some haps, mbuna’s, etc., together that weren’t supposedly compatible, the tank has four blood parrots that have been happily swimming around for about a year with no problems. Also, since you stress water parameters so much, I just checked the pH and it is only about 7.0, which is the way it comes out of the tap here in Houston. My fish seem to be happy and are currently digging large craters in the substrate about as fast as I can fill them in. It remains to be seen who will win this test of wills, them or me, but keeping these guys never gets dull. Happy Holidays!
If you’re having trouble achieving crystal clear aquarium water, I can help! Download my Free ebook with the best tips and advice - kavemanaquatics.com/free-ebook
YESsss thanks kev!! you gota try things your self in this hobby..!. i just got my first gordo today lol and my first oscar and african cichlid as well. all 3 of them about 2 inches. getting them ready to be put with my angelfish tank.
Thank you!!! I always wanted a parrot cichlid but didn't think I could mix it with my africans. Now I will try it. Awesome information. Wish I had come accross you sooner.
Great video plus advice 👍 I've got a Gold Severum, 2 Emperor Tetras, a Chinese algae eater, a Frontosa, a Featherfin Synodontis, 2 Julidochromis Transcriptus Dickfeldi and a Malawi Eybiter all living together peacefully for the last 2 years. So, I believe it can work 😉
I have a big mix of African and American cichlids ranging from 2-4”, a 8” oscar, and 2 big 12-14” oscars in the same tank and they’re all super relaxed together and I’ve never had a problem. It might be strange but it works.
Hey Kev, I purchased a blood parrot (4.5 - 5") from my LFS and he's been quarantining for the past 2 weeks. I want to add him to my main tank which consists of 10 peacocks (3-4") and 4 haps (3-4"). How should I introduce him into the tank? I've only ever done it by adding 3-5 fish a time, never just one
Couldn't have said it better. I have a new 55 Gallon with all male Mbunas. I've actually had Mbunas for a long time but didn't even know it thanks to Petco and me not doing research. Long story but anyway, I've learned so much from watching your videos. Thanks for everything and more importantly Thank You for your Service!
Thanks for this video bro. I got 3 blood parrots, 1 geophagus, 1 green terror and 1 mbuna cichlid in my tank 80 gallon, I gotta say they all blending in well together. Obviously, mbuna has this aggressiveness but because there are so many mixed other fishes in the tank, my mbuna becomes semi aggressive... My blood parrots are fighters too, my geo & green terror are just too calm as they don't fight back but I always keep an eye on my mbuna. So yeah you're absolutely right, not everything you do must be based according on the textbook but you just got to see it for yourself. Thanks again for this useful advice.
It's reassuring to know that I'm not the only one doing it this way...I've been fairly successful keeping my 6 blood parrots with a big bunch of African chiclids(Mbunas,Haps,Peacocks,Frontosas,Other Tanganikyans ,Victorians and Jewels) ...and their doing fine till now..And rightly said neither the African chichlids mess with the parrots and the same holds true the other way around..
I’ve got two very small black nastys that I’m hoping since introduced young won’t be a complete terror only time I ever had an issue mixing the cichlids was introducing an adult with my already adult tropheus he didn’t take kindly to fella invading his territory lmao
Same thing with my Tinfoil Barbs & my Synspilum. Got them before I knew about african cichlids. The Synspilum is the boss of the tank, but he never messes with the Barbs. Very interesting dynamic 👍
I have had luck mixing as well. Jack Dempsey in my mixed cichlid tank. (Haps peacocks and mbuna). In another tank I have a starry night from Madagascar in with peacocks and haps. Plus some rainbow sharks bala sharks and catfish. Its all luck and how you pair things up i guess
My jack just started to slow down, stopped eating ect. I took him out and am treating him for parasites. Hoping to add him back in to my African peacock tank. He is super chill and stays to himself.
I love the bit where you first saw African Cichlids and where instantly hooked! I got that too - between the moment I first laid eyes on them (I thought that I was in a salt water shop)!and a minute later when I asked the shopkeeper what fish they where - I was hooked on African’s - for life apparently! 🤣🐟 You’re right on both counts to KM - you can get away with weird mixes but it’s on fish-by-fish basis. If you’re going to try it - you need a back up plan.
Love your personality man. Why not "KevMan"?!!! I've had African Cichlid tanks over 20 years and I've learned some cool things from you. Added a wavemaker, it changed my tank dynamics for the good. My FX6 is properly stacked and loaded with the right media now, and my tank is killer clear. 110 gallon, FX6, and two Marineland Emporer 400s.
That's awesome, Glad you found the videos helpful. Beauty of this hobby is that we all can learn something new everyday! 😊 My son calls me a caveman so I used my initials and made it KaveMan (KM) 😊
I totally agree with u Kev cuz I have two African cichlids and 1 oscar and they haven't fought at all had em since they were small, that's probably why they got used to each other. But anyway awesome content new to ur channel and looking forward for new vids thx bro for ur time n knowledge really helped me alot 🤘🏻😎👍🏻
You are CORRECT I was forced to house my parrots with my mbunas when I moved until my other tanks were moved and it took awhile and I discovered it could be done
I have mixed tank, and my American cichlids are more aggressive than my African cichlids but the do ok together in my 75 gal tank, I had them together in a 55 but they was getting to big
My South Americans are the same. My EB Acaras run the tank of mbunas and peacocks, my africans have some strange respect for them and keep out of the way
Gordo is so cute! I’d love to hear your thoughts about this… I just got into the hobby about two months ago and started with one parrot cichlid. He was so social and active by himself. Always swam to the glass, happy to see me. He never hid from me. I decided I wanted him to have some friends and got two more parrot cichlids but they are very shy and swim very fast to hide from me which made my first cichlid scared of me also. All three of them are very young, about 1/2-1 inch. I hope they grow out of it eventually but I really miss my first cichlid being so social and not hiding from me. 😢 will only time help? Or is there something I should try to help them be less scared?
Thanks bro...and sorry to hear about the ick. Thats the most common disease...On the bright side there are great meds that work if you catch it soon enough. hopefully you've got the sick fish separated! Let me know if you need any help with that.
Does the primary cause for ick is temperature down because in our city current temp is around 29-30 but winters are coming and we need to use heater soon.
@@KaveManAquatics yah bro I’m putting in aquarium salt and have the temp up to 82 degrees, I also have super ick cute by API ready if anything. I haven’t separated the fishes cause I noticed that almost all have it my tetras and my danios I was doing research and they said to treat the whole tank for it and asume all fishes might have it. Idk if I should be doing water changes right now with the salt solution in the tank or just wait till they get better and then do a water change. I haven’t been feeding them either cause I don’t wanna ruin the water quality since I have that salt in there
@@jose4444 I went through the same thing with my tiger barbs. Get your self a QT and set it up with a filter and some decor so your fish could hide. I bought the med trio from aquarium co-op and it took care of ick, parasites, and fungal infections. Try it out. Oh yeah. When you do the QT don’t do any water changes unless you see an ammonia spike. I have a 10g QT tank. And had it running all week with out a water change but it’s up to you on how you want to go about it. But you should do a water change once a wk in the QT.
I have a Blood Parrot about the size of Gordo. Beat down everything I ever tried to put with him. Texas cichlids, cories, you name it. Some Blood Parrots have the temperaments of Red Devil Cichlids and can hold their own. Your tank is obviously peaceful and I don't see tons of ripped/beat up fins like I see with hostile tanks. Good work!
@@KaveManAquatics I would love to get a dolphin as I've got a 2000 gallon tank. Instead planning to put salt water and cichlids together in one tank. Thanks for the idea dude
@@KaveManAquatics who's Jeffrey? Lol And why can't cichlids be kept with salt water fish? Anythings possible dude Your video inspired Me. Or maybe flower horn with lion fish together with some coral. And maybe add some Male beta fish. What do you think? I think tank would look sick
@@mraquaticnews5676 because the salt will eventually harm the cichlids. They are fresh-water creatures when bought from stores or breeders, and brackish water creatures when they come from Africa. But the salinity of the ocean or the sea is totally something else. It'll kill them, in addition to other parameters salt water creatures need in a tank. Also, keeping saltwater fish is harder than keeping fresh-water ones in that the parameters are less forgiving, plus, the saltwater fish are much weaker health wise, so, having to deal with cichlids aggressive behaviors will most likely mean that those saltwater fish will not be able to handle that much damage, they're not hardy and they're not fighters.
I thought about getting a blood parrot for my 55 community center right now and they are doing absolutely wonderful The bullying going on everybody swings in harmony it's a beautiful thing!
This is exactly what happened to me! And LiPs my blood Parrott does his thing and my Africans do there's. I have two blood parrotts with my ACT. They all do really well together everyone's happy and I too got bashed in a group for having them together However it was done slowly and it WORKED. I love you videos especially how you get right to the point of things!
Glad to hear you got it to work for you as well! People love to quote "rules" about things they've never even tried for themselves. You keep doing you! 😊💪 Sorry Im only getting to your comment now, RUclips doesn't always do a great job with notifications.
I wish I could get one of your fish ❤️❤️❤️so beautiful!!!! I'm having trouble finding me a flavescent like ur flava Flav😘😁😁 your channel is my favorite!!!!
I'm glad I found this video. I have a jack dempsey in a 75 gallon mixed with african cichlids..they have been together for a better part of a year. I keep the PH around 7.8 and everything is just fine...he goes about his business while the Africans keep thier hierarchy intact.
I have every type of chiclid in one 125 gallon tank and have them all living together peacefully. Some times agression just move the decor around and keep them well fed. Also populate more if they get aggressive. Have had no fish killed or even hurt
Dang ppl get in there feelings heavy on what ppl do with their own tanks 😭😭. What works for you works for you . Most of the cichlids are born in tanks anyway what do they know about their natural habitats? Keep doing what your doing , like your videos
Have been mixing them for over 20 years. The only problem I had was really over 20 years ago was putting a F1 with aquarium raised cichlids. Aquarium raised fish have adapted to the water in the region they are due to the strain being so far from the original F1 they came from. Raising fish from different areas why they are juvenile have turned out "for me" the easiest as they get to know each other. Adults I change the rocks, step up water changes, etc. Beautiful tank man. Like you use the zoe. Been using it for 20 years.
Good morning Kev; It appears as though you are the "go-to man" for cichlids. I am starting a new cichlid tank, (MTS) I was just wondering if it was safe to mix Tanganyika, Malawi, and Victoria cichlids together. The water parameters are fairly different for each strain. I too have been bitten by the cichlid bug. After viewing your channel and admiring your set-up I was hooked. Thanks my brother, keep up the hard work. Stan
Glad you’re enjoying the content! Usually you wouldn’t mix the fish from the 3 lakes because their water parameters are different. PH requirements change for each lake. But! With that being said I have seen tanks mixing all 3 lakes before. It may be challenging but it can be done.
Again amazing video. I would like to share something with you . I do have red spotted severum and my water is not acids. Guess out the fish is growing fine without any problems. I use to have angle fish in 9 ph water not only they grew up without any problems but also I had a batched of of fry. This PH thing from what I understand as long as you are not TOO high or TOO low the fish will be ok. What kills fish is rapid change - broken heater, broken filter , broken air pump to much food and dirty water and the worst part adding a sick fish or plants or even a snail. Thank you for the excellent video.
Thanks for sharing that info...This hobby always has new things to learn and we as fish keepers should adjust as well. Im seeing many comments of many mixed and successful tanks
My old tank had 4 mbunas, 1 fire mouth, 1 red devil cichlid, 1 flower horn, 1 Jack Dempsey, 2 peacocks, and 1 jaguar cichlid They all lived with eachother growing up from baby fish to big for about 5 years and there was about no problems, I kept all of the water temp at about in between both African and American cichilds preferred temps, for some reason the fish didn’t really seem to care and kinda coexisted together as if they were all from the same place, still to this day very shocked that it happened. Unfortunately a big wave of ick happened which led to 2 fish deaths ( red devil and the fire mouth) and then eventually I had to move leading to me giving the tank to someone else, and between moving some fish did pass and the new owner didn’t take care of the new fish well leading to more passing again. To my knowledge whichever fish did survive they transported into a 300 gallon pond
I’ve always kept Red Devils oscars etc recently I have gotten Molly’s glo fish and I evicted my fish was going to give them to my local pet store but my wife didn’t want me to so I bought her a 20 gal and I upgraded my fish and redid my whole tanks thanks keep ip the good work
I have a mixed tank, I got them all as babies every once in a while the Oscars get moody but nothing to bad, and fish adjust pretty well to different PH as long as it’s a slow process and u can keep it consistent
@@thepilgrim1581 I have had them longer then 6 months but I also have cichlids that r way to big to be eaten but yes eventually I may have to separate them do to the full grown size of all of them
Thanks Kev really appreciated the video yes I had Central South American Jack Dempsey's convicts and firemouth and stuff and I put Africans in and they all were dead in the morning so now I know it was the pH thanks for passing on the knowledge
Awesome vid bro 😎. I have a similar thing going on in my 125. I started with a 75 back in may and by July and immediately had to get a bigger tank I currently now have that 125 with a central and African mix and they get along very well. My tank boss is a female red devil 😈
I hope I can, my guy was super hard to find...got lucky at a LFS...but yea I love those guys, so much spunk in a little package. He would square up with the african cichlids, double or triple his size and hold his ground, lol Its like they were always testing each other, neither backing down, but neither ever engaging..l super fun to watch!
@@KaveManAquatics haha! I hope to find one of those for my tank someday! I have a red parrot in with my mbuna! He tried squaring up with the boss Kenyi. Locking mouth and all but lost that battle. Now knows he can't hang so he just does his own thing! Thankfully it was just that one day and they figured things out! All is great!
As long as they worked things out and its not a constant battle they'll be fine. Just remember things can change once they all get bigger, so keep an eye out.
Have a Oscar and a Severum,my dad really likes African cichlids,can keeping the African cichlids with the severum and the Oscar work the same way?,please do respond quickly as I’m going to fetch some today
I had a blood parrot with small mbuna for a while. They all did well. I rescued him and he was eventually rehomed. They’re actually more aggressive that you would think. They can’t really throw down because their mouth’s are so small. They’ll tell you if the water chemistry is off too, especially the ammonia. They’ll develop black spots overnight if it’s high. Can you tell they’re one of my favorites?😊
Mate, I had 2 Blood Parrots in my Peacock tank for 6 months and they were ok. As you said, they don't care about the hierarchy, the mind their own business and the Peacocks don't mind them at all. Have now moved my 2 Blood Parrots to a another tank with the Severums, Geophagus etc.
I always thought this as well. These fish have been in captivity for generation after generation. They've adapted to whatever their environment is. Fish are resilient!
I get home from work at about 3...so lights kick on at about 3:30 until 10pm is lights out...Dont leave your lights on past 8 hours and if you can, try for less.
I've seen it done too, but doesnt mean you should. They dont mix well for multiple reasons. If you're new to African Cichlids start with this playlist loaded with tons of info on them - ruclips.net/p/PLP5OXTIIDO8MG9hyJ8PjbC33zEbcyy8__
I noticed you have a blue polar Chiclid in there (parrot convict) how is that working out ? I’m asking because I just added one to my African chiclid tank.
I'm thinking to keep Jewel Cichlids with my Convict and Geophagus. Currently my American Cichlids are very gentle and never provoke or fight with each other.
Sup Kev: my blood red parrot is aggressive as hell. He wanted to fight even humans. I got one African cichlids and he just bullies. What could I do? I’m limited on space
Try this...Big eater change (80%), scrub all glass, get as much as you can out. stop feeding, no lights, maybe even cover the tank with a blanket. Get a pleco, he’ll clean up the spots you missed. Then let me know how it goes...good luck
Electric blue Acara,severams,Aulonacara Deep orange/Pecock,Yellow lab,Albino Rainbow Shark,Albino Cory ,Convict Fire Mouth ,Red Jewel,Angel all are in pair .. is it possible ? pls suggest ..
I've got a 75 gallon tank and my blood parrot is the OG too!! Lol I've a crazy community going on lol I've got Texas cichlids and jack dempseys. They all get along well though. I know if I shared videos people would roast my ass for the way they're mixed but it's my tank and they are thriving and happy
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
Want to learn how to keep your very own African Cichlids? It's not as hard as you think, let me teach you 😊
👉 kavemanaquatics.com/keeping-african-cichlids/
Yes your correct I have a fire mouth female with my African cichlids an did it just like u did she was my first fish then we added more then added more are parrot fish we have we couldn't mix with them so we stuck Elsa in my wife's 40 GAL COMMUNITY BEDROOM TANK WITH BUNCH TETRAS BEDDAS KILI GOLDEN WONDER FISH ,SUPER CLOWN PLECOS ,RUBBER NOSE PLECOS,MINNOWS ,A CREEK CHUB ,15 CORY CATS AN TWO PICTUS AN PEOPLE SAY WERE wrong FOR DOING THIS AN NOPE IT WAS BEST THING TO DO SHE LOVES ALL THE WHOLE TANK NO BULLYING NOTHING BUT LOVEING ANFREINDSHIP
@@KaveManAquatics Hey, have you ever seen Jack Dempsey’s peacock bass Frontosa mbunas and convex cichlids all in the same tanks with asian redtail catfish
Love that guy Gordo! I have 3 of them and they are sure laid back fish. I been following you for a minute and want to thank you for all the information my brother.
Awesome! Thank you! Glad you're enjoying the channel! 😊
Gordo so cute! He looks healthy and happy. I have a mix including blood parrots. I’m completely following your videos and advice. As always very informative. Thank you
Thank you! Gordo appreciates that 🤣 Glad you’re enjoying the channel! 😊
I have a 1.25' Tetra that has been in a tank with close to 40 cichlids all over 3" and at least a dozen that are over 5'. That tetra has been in there for over a year undisturbed.
Thanks for this it's been a couple months now I have almost the same setup as you.....I also have my very own Gordo.... And everything is been gone perfectly....... Thanks again keep up the good work......👻👍🏾
This video is so helpful. I have 2 blood reds with African cichlids and someone criticized me for that. I’m glad they did though because now I know more.
You will always encounter fish police in this hobby. Don't worry about them 😁 Glad you found this video as well! 💪
I have one EBJD with my cichlids and he does fine but I even tried to add 3 different types of gourami: pearl, yellow, and opaline. Surprisingly after 1-2 months they are doing just fine and very happy to be in such a big tank. This even surprised me!
Awesome! Sometimes we try things and it results in success! Nice 👍
#re-play crew. Thinking outside the box, love it, tell me I can’t, hold my coffee watch this. 22-dec~23 Lj.
I have EBJD w my Peacocks and Haps and all great. How are your gouramis after a long time?
Another astronomical video brother!
I find most of the rules directed at fish keeping, is more for beginners and can usually be bent or made to work for yourself!
Great video Kev!
Can't wait for another!
Much love from Newfound Aquatics,
Newfoundland
Thanks bro, Thats exactly how I feel! 😊
@@KaveManAquatics Same here bro!
I push the limits of what can be done alot of the time!
Whether it be adding extra filtration so I can overstock a tank slightly.
I find as long as I slowly acclimate a fish to a different ph level they're usually fine:)
Agreed! 😊
I have an interesting set up in my African cichlid tank as well with my two jack Dempsey's actually being the top two with my two Bala sharks which are larger but they swim with the others plus 3 pictus catfish and everyone is happy which makes me happy so never say never!😁 Love your channel!
Exactly, somethings work in one tank that wouldnt for another, glad its working out for you.
Kev, I have a very similar tank situation - a 75 gallon with many of the same cichlids that you have, however, I pushed the boundaries even further. Not only did I (unknowingly) mix some haps, mbuna’s, etc., together that weren’t supposedly compatible, the tank has four blood parrots that have been happily swimming around for about a year with no problems. Also, since you stress water parameters so much, I just checked the pH and it is only about 7.0, which is the way it comes out of the tap here in Houston. My fish seem to be happy and are currently digging large craters in the substrate about as fast as I can fill them in. It remains to be seen who will win this test of wills, them or me, but keeping these guys never gets dull. Happy Holidays!
You said Cichlids are braskishy type fish...Does that mean i can try them with an F8 Puffer?
Nope, would not mix with a puffer.
@@KaveManAquatics Thanks bro
If you’re having trouble achieving crystal clear aquarium water, I can help!
Download my Free ebook with the best tips and advice - kavemanaquatics.com/free-ebook
@@willywonkowski7751 exactly!
YESsss thanks kev!! you gota try things your self in this hobby..!. i just got my first gordo today lol and my first oscar and african cichlid as well. all 3 of them about 2 inches. getting them ready to be put with my angelfish tank.
Thank you!!! I always wanted a parrot cichlid but didn't think I could mix it with my africans. Now I will try it. Awesome information. Wish I had come accross you sooner.
Glad I could help! Just keep in mind that every tank is different, and what works in one may not work in another.
Great video plus advice 👍 I've got
a Gold Severum, 2 Emperor Tetras, a Chinese algae eater, a Frontosa, a Featherfin Synodontis, 2 Julidochromis Transcriptus Dickfeldi and a Malawi Eybiter all living together peacefully for the last 2 years. So, I believe it can work 😉
I have a big mix of African and American cichlids ranging from 2-4”, a 8” oscar, and 2 big 12-14” oscars in the same tank and they’re all super relaxed together and I’ve never had a problem. It might be strange but it works.
Wow!!! Keep an eye on those 2”ers! 👀😁
I'm so glad I found your channel, thank you for all your videos😊🙏🏼🙏🏼
I'm glad you found it too! 😁 BTW, you should check out my new Aquarium Keeping APP designed for beginners! - aquabuildr.com
Hey Kev, I purchased a blood parrot (4.5 - 5") from my LFS and he's been quarantining for the past 2 weeks. I want to add him to my main tank which consists of 10 peacocks (3-4") and 4 haps (3-4"). How should I introduce him into the tank? I've only ever done it by adding 3-5 fish a time, never just one
I'd like to add that I'm not 100% sure on the sizes...but my parrot is definitely around 5" and is a lot bigger than the other fish
Love your videos bro. I've learned so much from you. Keep up the great work! Your fishes look awesome. What size is your fish tank?
Thanks bro, appreciate that! My tank is a 75 Gallon
Couldn't have said it better. I have a new 55 Gallon with all male Mbunas. I've actually had Mbunas for a long time but didn't even know it thanks to Petco and me not doing research. Long story but anyway, I've learned so much from watching your videos. Thanks for everything and more importantly Thank You for your Service!
Thanks for this video bro. I got 3 blood parrots, 1 geophagus, 1 green terror and 1 mbuna cichlid in my tank 80 gallon, I gotta say they all blending in well together. Obviously, mbuna has this aggressiveness but because there are so many mixed other fishes in the tank, my mbuna becomes semi aggressive... My blood parrots are fighters too, my geo & green terror are just too calm as they don't fight back but I always keep an eye on my mbuna. So yeah you're absolutely right, not everything you do must be based according on the textbook but you just got to see it for yourself. Thanks again for this useful advice.
Exactly! Some tanks can have success where others fail, its all unique. Glad you enjoyed the video 😊
It's reassuring to know that I'm not the only one doing it this way...I've been fairly successful keeping my 6 blood parrots with a big bunch of African chiclids(Mbunas,Haps,Peacocks,Frontosas,Other Tanganikyans ,Victorians and Jewels) ...and their doing fine till now..And rightly said neither the African chichlids mess with the parrots and the same holds true the other way around..
I’ve got two very small black nastys that I’m hoping since introduced young won’t be a complete terror only time I ever had an issue mixing the cichlids was introducing an adult with my already adult tropheus he didn’t take kindly to fella invading his territory lmao
Same thing with my Tinfoil Barbs & my Synspilum. Got them before I knew about african cichlids. The Synspilum is the boss of the tank, but he never messes with the Barbs. Very interesting dynamic 👍
I enjoy Kave. You keep it, real man, Luv it. Good stuff here.
I have had luck mixing as well. Jack Dempsey in my mixed cichlid tank. (Haps peacocks and mbuna). In another tank I have a starry night from Madagascar in with peacocks and haps. Plus some rainbow sharks bala sharks and catfish. Its all luck and how you pair things up i guess
My jack just started to slow down, stopped eating ect. I took him out and am treating him for parasites. Hoping to add him back in to my African peacock tank. He is super chill and stays to himself.
My polleni was killed by mbunas and leporinus😌
Have kept jewels and convicts together before now. Worked pretty well. You need to have quite a few of each to disperse the agression.
Love it that this worked out.
Thanks bro, me too! 😁
I love the bit where you first saw African Cichlids and where instantly hooked! I got that too - between the moment I first laid eyes on them (I thought that I was in a salt water shop)!and a minute later when I asked the shopkeeper what fish they where - I was hooked on African’s - for life apparently! 🤣🐟
You’re right on both counts to KM - you can get away with weird mixes but it’s on fish-by-fish basis. If you’re going to try it - you need a back up plan.
Thats how it went down for me also! Hooked! lol 😁
Love your personality man. Why not "KevMan"?!!! I've had African Cichlid tanks over 20 years and I've learned some cool things from you. Added a wavemaker, it changed my tank dynamics for the good. My FX6 is properly stacked and loaded with the right media now, and my tank is killer clear. 110 gallon, FX6, and two Marineland Emporer 400s.
That's awesome, Glad you found the videos helpful. Beauty of this hobby is that we all can learn something new everyday! 😊 My son calls me a caveman so I used my initials and made it KaveMan (KM) 😊
I totally agree with u Kev cuz I have two African cichlids and 1 oscar and they haven't fought at all had em since they were small, that's probably why they got used to each other. But anyway awesome content new to ur channel and looking forward for new vids thx bro for ur time n knowledge really helped me alot 🤘🏻😎👍🏻
My pleasure! Glad to hear that uncommon mix is working well for you too! 😁
@KaveMan Aquatics I know huh very rare indeed lol looking forward with ur next one 💪🏻😎👍🏻
You are CORRECT I was forced to house my parrots with my mbunas when I moved until my other tanks were moved and it took awhile and I discovered it could be done
Yup, and that’s how most of us figured out it could work too lol
What kind of background are you using man? It’s really cool the back of your tank? Appreciate all your advice bro.
All my backgrounds are from aquadecorbackgrounds.com Tell them KaveMan sent you, lol Also use code Kaveman10 at checkout for a 10% discount 😊
Great video G. Shoutout to my guy Gordo too.
Thanks bro! 😊💪
I love the name “Gordo” 😂👍🏻 Great vídeo and thanks for sharing ✊🏼
Thanks, I think it fits him great 😊
Enjoying the Channel Kaveman!Very informative!👍🏽
Awesome, thank you!
I have a similar situation, thanks for the knowledge!
Your tanks look amazing by the way.
I have mixed tank, and my American cichlids are more aggressive than my African cichlids but the do ok together in my 75 gal tank, I had them together in a 55 but they was getting to big
My South Americans are the same. My EB Acaras run the tank of mbunas and peacocks, my africans have some strange respect for them and keep out of the way
Gordo is so cute! I’d love to hear your thoughts about this… I just got into the hobby about two months ago and started with one parrot cichlid. He was so social and active by himself. Always swam to the glass, happy to see me. He never hid from me. I decided I wanted him to have some friends and got two more parrot cichlids but they are very shy and swim very fast to hide from me which made my first cichlid scared of me also. All three of them are very young, about 1/2-1 inch. I hope they grow out of it eventually but I really miss my first cichlid being so social and not hiding from me. 😢 will only time help? Or is there something I should try to help them be less scared?
Good thing to know bro... your cichlids are looking really nice and goldo too.... right now I’m battling Ick in my tank 😓🙁
Thanks bro...and sorry to hear about the ick. Thats the most common disease...On the bright side there are great meds that work if you catch it soon enough. hopefully you've got the sick fish separated! Let me know if you need any help with that.
Does the primary cause for ick is temperature down because in our city current temp is around 29-30 but winters are coming and we need to use heater soon.
@@KaveManAquatics yah bro I’m putting in aquarium salt and have the temp up to 82 degrees, I also have super ick cute by API ready if anything. I haven’t separated the fishes cause I noticed that almost all have it my tetras and my danios I was doing research and they said to treat the whole tank for it and asume all fishes might have it. Idk if I should be doing water changes right now with the salt solution in the tank or just wait till they get better and then do a water change. I haven’t been feeding them either cause I don’t wanna ruin the water quality since I have that salt in there
@@jose4444 I went through the same thing with my tiger barbs. Get your self a QT and set it up with a filter and some decor so your fish could hide. I bought the med trio from aquarium co-op and it took care of ick, parasites, and fungal infections. Try it out. Oh yeah. When you do the QT don’t do any water changes unless you see an ammonia spike. I have a 10g QT tank. And had it running all week with out a water change but it’s up to you on how you want to go about it. But you should do a water change once a wk in the QT.
Its not the primary cause, but yes low temp will stress the fish and can cause Ich
Dam your cichlids are so colorful. They are beautiful
Thank you! 😊
I'm growing out my Rusty Mbuna in my S.A tank right now. Everyone happy happy for the time being.
Good luck! 💪
On your way to 8k Subs kev! Underrated channel. Push through my brotha! Keep it up!!
Thanks for the great info....have you had a flower horn and would you recommend one in the tank
Never had a flower Horn, Unfortunately don't have experience with them, sorry I couldn't be more helpful.
How is it going with your flower horn? I just got one and he definitely took over the tank the first 20 minutes.
@@mayrahobbs75 going great so far besides one african cichlid decapitation the rest of the tank seems to get along fine...
You were changing camera angles ... left side right side in and out. Good change.. always great content.
You’re right I did do more of that but that wasn’t they major change, great eye though! 😊
Great story Kev. Now that shows dedication to one fish. 🐠👍🏻
Thanks, Yes it does! He's about 10 years old, and 5 have been with me 😊
I had no clue sinbad kept fish! Lol jkjk love your videos bro!!
lol, I never knew how much I looked like him until I started this channel lol
@@KaveManAquatics ur like his buff brother haha but awesome video!
I have a Blood Parrot about the size of Gordo. Beat down everything I ever tried to put with him. Texas cichlids, cories, you name it.
Some Blood Parrots have the temperaments of Red Devil Cichlids and can hold their own. Your tank is obviously peaceful and I don't see tons of ripped/beat up fins like I see with hostile tanks. Good work!
Thank you! And yes you’re right, you never know the personality of your specific fish. Luckily Gordo is peaceful but also not a push over! 😁
Damn bro good info. I'll try clown fish, coral and South American cichlids see how that goes
That will work nice
@@KaveManAquatics I would love to get a dolphin as I've got a 2000 gallon tank. Instead planning to put salt water and cichlids together in one tank. Thanks for the idea dude
You cant put salt water fish and cichlids together. But I think you know that jeffery.
@@KaveManAquatics who's Jeffrey? Lol
And why can't cichlids be kept with salt water fish? Anythings possible dude
Your video inspired Me. Or maybe flower horn with lion fish together with some coral. And maybe add some Male beta fish. What do you think? I think tank would look sick
@@mraquaticnews5676 because the salt will eventually harm the cichlids. They are fresh-water creatures when bought from stores or breeders, and brackish water creatures when they come from Africa. But the salinity of the ocean or the sea is totally something else. It'll kill them, in addition to other parameters salt water creatures need in a tank. Also, keeping saltwater fish is harder than keeping fresh-water ones in that the parameters are less forgiving, plus, the saltwater fish are much weaker health wise, so, having to deal with cichlids aggressive behaviors will most likely mean that those saltwater fish will not be able to handle that much damage, they're not hardy and they're not fighters.
I thought about getting a blood parrot for my 55 community center right now and they are doing absolutely wonderful The bullying going on everybody swings in harmony it's a beautiful thing!
Awesome! Glad its working out well! 😁
I spotted that Convict in there. Great video
Thanks 😁
This is exactly what happened to me! And LiPs my blood Parrott does his thing and my Africans do there's. I have two blood parrotts with my ACT. They all do really well together everyone's happy and I too got bashed in a group for having them together However it was done slowly and it WORKED. I love you videos especially how you get right to the point of things!
Glad to hear you got it to work for you as well! People love to quote "rules" about things they've never even tried for themselves. You keep doing you! 😊💪
Sorry Im only getting to your comment now, RUclips doesn't always do a great job with notifications.
I wish I could get one of your fish ❤️❤️❤️so beautiful!!!! I'm having trouble finding me a flavescent like ur flava Flav😘😁😁 your channel is my favorite!!!!
Thank you Tina! Glad to hear that. Try Imperialtropicals.com They can sometimes stock cool species like Flava Flave! 😊
Please reply were did you get that rock background.
Aquadecorbackgrounds.com
@@KaveManAquatics thanks it looks amazing 🤩
I'm glad I found this video. I have a jack dempsey in a 75 gallon mixed with african cichlids..they have been together for a better part of a year. I keep the PH around 7.8 and everything is just fine...he goes about his business while the Africans keep thier hierarchy intact.
Exactly, it can be done! Glad to hear its working out well for you! 😊
I have every type of chiclid in one 125 gallon tank and have them all living together peacefully. Some times agression just move the decor around and keep them well fed. Also populate more if they get aggressive. Have had no fish killed or even hurt
Dang ppl get in there feelings heavy on what ppl do with their own tanks 😭😭. What works for you works for you . Most of the cichlids are born in tanks anyway what do they know about their natural habitats? Keep doing what your doing , like your videos
Thank you bro! Troll will be trolls I guess. Nothing better to do other than find content they dislike and spread their hate 🤷🏼♂️
Another great video and amusing too! Gordo is a bad ass name!
LOL, Thanks 😊
Have been mixing them for over 20 years. The only problem I had was really over 20 years ago was putting a F1 with aquarium raised cichlids. Aquarium raised fish have adapted to the water in the region they are due to the strain being so far from the original F1 they came from. Raising fish from different areas why they are juvenile have turned out "for me" the easiest as they get to know each other. Adults I change the rocks, step up water changes, etc. Beautiful tank man. Like you use the zoe. Been using it for 20 years.
Thanks for sharing that info! Sounds like your guys are in good hands! 😊💪
Good morning Kev; It appears as though you are the "go-to man" for cichlids. I am starting a new cichlid tank, (MTS) I was just wondering if it was safe to mix Tanganyika, Malawi, and Victoria cichlids together. The water parameters are fairly different for each strain. I too have been bitten by the cichlid bug. After viewing your channel and admiring your set-up I was hooked.
Thanks my brother, keep up the hard work.
Stan
Glad you’re enjoying the content! Usually you wouldn’t mix the fish from the 3 lakes because their water parameters are different. PH requirements change for each lake. But! With that being said I have seen tanks mixing all 3 lakes before. It may be challenging but it can be done.
Again amazing video. I would like to share something with you . I do have red spotted severum and my water is not acids. Guess out the fish is growing fine without any problems. I use to have angle fish in 9 ph water not only they grew up without any problems but also I had a batched of of fry. This PH thing from what I understand as long as you are not TOO high or TOO low the fish will be ok. What kills fish is rapid change - broken heater, broken filter , broken air pump to much food and dirty water and the worst part adding a sick fish or plants or even a snail. Thank you for the excellent video.
Thanks for sharing that info...This hobby always has new things to learn and we as fish keepers should adjust as well. Im seeing many comments of many mixed and successful tanks
hey, u also got a convict there , u didnt mention it
i also got a green terror and a jaguar with africans
Good eye! 😉
He forgot that was an American cichlid too
@@pn7836 Hi Troll 👋 I was worried you had left me, welcome back 😁
Thankx for this video am going to give it a try 👍🏼
No problem 👍 Good luck!
Hey Kev Is that another parrot in with Gordo?? It looks like a strip convict??👍🏾
Yea thats a dwarf convict/parrot hybrid
@@KaveManAquatics Beautiful 👍🏽
My old tank had 4 mbunas, 1 fire mouth, 1 red devil cichlid, 1 flower horn, 1 Jack Dempsey, 2 peacocks, and 1 jaguar cichlid
They all lived with eachother growing up from baby fish to big for about 5 years and there was about no problems, I kept all of the water temp at about in between both African and American cichilds preferred temps, for some reason the fish didn’t really seem to care and kinda coexisted together as if they were all from the same place, still to this day very shocked that it happened. Unfortunately a big wave of ick happened which led to 2 fish deaths ( red devil and the fire mouth) and then eventually I had to move leading to me giving the tank to someone else, and between moving some fish did pass and the new owner didn’t take care of the new fish well leading to more passing again. To my knowledge whichever fish did survive they transported into a 300 gallon pond
I’ve always kept Red Devils oscars etc recently I have gotten Molly’s glo fish and I evicted my fish was going to give them to my local pet store but my wife didn’t want me to so I bought her a 20 gal and I upgraded my fish and redid my whole tanks thanks keep ip the good work
Nice!
I spent the whole video wondering when he was going to address the polar blue convict swimming in the tank as well.
🤣🤣 I dont remember...did I?
I have African cichlids living with a red blood parrot too it can be done! Love your videos really helpful 'lets go!'
Absolutely! Thanks bro! 😁
Thanks to Kevs' tips on how to do, it was successful.
Great to hear!
Hey Kev can you tell me how many African cichlids you got in this 75g
Love Goldo he looks so nice
My 75 had 25 adults in a t one point before upgrading the tank. 😁
How many years it takes to grow parrot fish upto 5-6inch,if provided good space and high quality food,with water
Not sure how fast they grow..But mine is 10 years old and hes about 8-9 inches
I have a mixed tank, I got them all as babies every once in a while the Oscars get moody but nothing to bad, and fish adjust pretty well to different PH as long as it’s a slow process and u can keep it consistent
That’s helps a lot for them to grow together as babies.
After 6 months you ll need to get a separate tank for the Oscar..... It ll out grow everything in your tank 😁
@@thepilgrim1581 I have had them longer then 6 months but I also have cichlids that r way to big to be eaten but yes eventually I may have to separate them do to the full grown size of all of them
@@charlessloop1552 👍
Hi hope you are well. Can I add 2 brichardi cichlid with my one electric blue acara in my 180 litre bow front tank?
Thanks Kev really appreciated the video yes I had Central South American Jack Dempsey's convicts and firemouth and stuff and I put Africans in and they all were dead in the morning so now I know it was the pH thanks for passing on the knowledge
Awesome video, may I know how big is your tank and how many african are in there? thanks!
Thanks, this is a 75 gallon with about 25 fish. I have a 210 gallon now with about 40 fish...check it out - ruclips.net/video/sqj2g8_PZ7U/видео.html
Awesome vid bro 😎. I have a similar thing going on in my 125. I started with a 75 back in may and by July and immediately had to get a bigger tank I currently now have that 125 with a central and African mix and they get along very well. My tank boss is a female red devil 😈
Thats awesome, Happy to see so many successful mixed tanks.
Can you keep a Severum in a African Cichlids tank?
The addition of my old Blood Parrot was the best idea ever!!
Yea I love my big fat blood parrot!
That shout out to prime time aquatics!!!
Jason’s the man 💪
Haha!! Love that guy! Are you gonna try getting another convict parrot eventually?
I hope I can, my guy was super hard to find...got lucky at a LFS...but yea I love those guys, so much spunk in a little package. He would square up with the african cichlids, double or triple his size and hold his ground, lol Its like they were always testing each other, neither backing down, but neither ever engaging..l super fun to watch!
@@KaveManAquatics haha! I hope to find one of those for my tank someday! I have a red parrot in with my mbuna! He tried squaring up with the boss Kenyi. Locking mouth and all but lost that battle. Now knows he can't hang so he just does his own thing! Thankfully it was just that one day and they figured things out! All is great!
As long as they worked things out and its not a constant battle they'll be fine. Just remember things can change once they all get bigger, so keep an eye out.
@@KaveManAquatics yup! Will do! Thanks!
Might sound weird but I’ve kept gourami, South America and African cichlid together with no problems
Have a Oscar and a Severum,my dad really likes African cichlids,can keeping the African cichlids with the severum and the Oscar work the same way?,please do respond quickly as I’m going to fetch some today
I had a blood parrot with small mbuna for a while. They all did well. I rescued him and he was eventually rehomed. They’re actually more aggressive that you would think. They can’t really throw down because their mouth’s are so small.
They’ll tell you if the water chemistry is off too, especially the ammonia. They’ll develop black spots overnight if it’s high. Can you tell they’re one of my favorites?😊
This video was educational and fun as well
Thanks, Glad you enjoyed it! 😊
I got two electric blue acharas and 1 electric blue jack Dempsey and 7 African cichlids in one tank
Is that a convict cichlid in the tank?
Polar blue dwarf parrot
Mate, I had 2 Blood Parrots in my Peacock tank for 6 months and they were ok. As you said, they don't care about the hierarchy, the mind their own business and the Peacocks don't mind them at all. Have now moved my 2 Blood Parrots to a another tank with the Severums, Geophagus etc.
Awesome, theres a reason why so many have parrots with Africans 😊
I always thought this as well. These fish have been in captivity for generation after generation. They've adapted to whatever their environment is. Fish are resilient!
Awesome video mate
Thanks, Glad you enjoyed 😊
I want to ask you what time do you switch on the light and what time do you switch off the light.Kave please reply.
I get home from work at about 3...so lights kick on at about 3:30 until 10pm is lights out...Dont leave your lights on past 8 hours and if you can, try for less.
@@KaveManAquatics Thank you for your information.
Can you mix mbunas and peacocks? I’ve seen it be done but some say it can’t.
I've seen it done too, but doesnt mean you should. They dont mix well for multiple reasons. If you're new to African Cichlids start with this playlist loaded with tons of info on them - ruclips.net/p/PLP5OXTIIDO8MG9hyJ8PjbC33zEbcyy8__
I noticed you have a blue polar Chiclid in there (parrot convict) how is that working out ? I’m asking because I just added one to my African chiclid tank.
I lost him a very long time ago to swim bladder disease 😔
Good video in your opinion which is better bio balls or ceramic rings?
Ceramic rings, I think bio balls work better in a sump
@@KaveManAquatics its for a huge barrel filter for a koi pond
Then bio balls will work well too. Bio balls works better when they have some movement. Honestly you can go with either and they'll get the job done 👍
@@KaveManAquatics perfect thanks
Did coastal cichlids go out of business? I can't find the web page?
Sadly, I believe they did
Hey Kev, can you mix adults and Juvenile African cichlids?
Yes you can but you have to keep an eye on them. Some adults will get aggressive with the smaller guys and it can stunt their growth.
I'm thinking to keep Jewel Cichlids with my Convict and Geophagus. Currently my American Cichlids are very gentle and never provoke or fight with each other.
The jewel cichlid is known to be very aggressive though...so keeping them with calmer fish may not work out well.
Sup Kev: my blood red parrot is aggressive as hell. He wanted to fight even humans. I got one African cichlids and he just bullies. What could I do? I’m limited on space
I'm having problems with Brown algae Brown algae. Please help 😒
Try this...Big eater change (80%), scrub all glass, get as much as you can out. stop feeding, no lights, maybe even cover the tank with a blanket. Get a pleco, he’ll clean up the spots you missed. Then let me know how it goes...good luck
Electric blue Acara,severams,Aulonacara Deep orange/Pecock,Yellow lab,Albino Rainbow Shark,Albino Cory ,Convict
Fire Mouth ,Red Jewel,Angel all are in pair .. is it possible ?
pls suggest ..
Technically no...but anything is possible
Thriving VS Surviving. You also have a Convict in there?
Mate parrot fish ain't usually peaceful. They are some of the most aggressive ciclihds around which is why I'm adding a king kong last to my tank.
I've got a 75 gallon tank and my blood parrot is the OG too!! Lol I've a crazy community going on lol I've got Texas cichlids and jack dempseys. They all get along well though. I know if I shared videos people would roast my ass for the way they're mixed but it's my tank and they are thriving and happy
I know what you mean, but if you can make it work, and it aint broke, dont fix it 💪