Mixing lakes, mixing species

My background in fish keeping is almost exclusively African Cichlids. Malawi fish specifically. Then the Frontosa bug hit me and off I went. I used to have an eclectic 55 gallon tank full of mixed Malawi species and a few Frontosa. It was an exciting tank to watch, but I felt the fish never reached their potential. My mind was made up on that thought after I got rid of everything but the Frontosa and saw how they acted in a colony. Now, I am all about species tanks. I feel that a species tank is better than a mixed tank if you want to give your fish the best environment to prosper.

So, what is your take on this? How do you keep your fish?

I ALWAYS keep my fish in species specific tanks. This is because they breed much more easily, are less stress, and there is absolutely no chance of having hybrids.

Mikey wrote:I ALWAYS keep my fish in species specific tanks. This is because they breed much more easily, are less stress, and there is absolutely no chance of having hybrids.

YEah, that's how I have been doing things now as well. SO much more enjoyable.

Spyral wrote:
YEah, that's how I have been doing things now as well. SO much more enjoyable.

I agree. I mean, if the two species can't/won't interbreed that would be fine, but I still prefer species specific tanks. Anyone else have a different opinion?

I guess one example of a non-species specific tank would be Ashley and Shua's big tank. Have lots of different fish. Looks awesome, and they won't interbreed (i think).

wouldn't a mixed breed tank be more natural, because in nature several species have opprotunities to interact?

aaronfeeney wrote:wouldn't a mixed breed tank be more natural, because in nature several species have opportunities to interact?

You have a good point, no doubt. BUT, lets take Lake Malawi for example. They have certain niches where their species are, and they breed together. However, when there are some fish placed into a tank all together, without adequate space or no groups, things could turn bad (aggression, interbreeding, etc).

I have seen a mixed tank work very well though, it just needs to be set up correctly.

In the case of Frontosa, they live at depths in Lake Tanganyika that almost no other fish live at. They also live in huge colonies. Their natural interaction with other species is at night..when the Fronts go to shallow water and eat sleeping fish..lol

So, it is the general consensus that Frontosa should be kept in a species specific tank in a colony. I can tell you, my Fronts acted so much better and at ease when I took them out of the community tank and gave them their own tank. Now, my Mpimbwe Fronts have never even seen other fish (except the pleco) and probably never will. The way they behave in the 180 is absolutely beyond compare in my opinion, I can sit and watch that tank for hours and always see something new.

Well people that know me already know that I am a species specific guy.... All my tanks, I tried to do a mixed mallawii/mbuna tank, and ended up sellin them all.... Now I have a discus tank, ram tank, tropheus tank, and a soon to have Pseudotropheus demansoni only tank....

To be perfectly honest, I did mix collection points in my tropheus tank, cause i dont plan on selling any fry out of it.... plus they are young... so when I do get some breedin goin on, I may seperate the variants. Anyway, so i agree on the itleast LAKE specific tanks....