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I'm planning my cichlid tank and am planning on getting very young cichlids (1 to 1.5" and letting them grow into the tank (45 gal with two Fluval 204s).

I was thinking getting 2-3 each of Kenyi and Red Zebras. Do you think a bristlenose would be save in there? I would get the bristlenose now with the baby cichlids so he wouldn't be introduced into their territory later.

Get a good sized BN & let him in the tank first. Make some good hiding places & Driftwood, so the BN have some places where to hide. Just keep a good eye on the BN & remove him if you see any aggression.


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Hrm... Problem being I only have the one tank at the moment...

I am first and foremost concerned with the safety of the bristlenose, so maybe it would be better not to get one?

I've had mixed experiences with bristlenose and cichlids. For years I had a 5 inch female in my 120 gallon mbuna tank, no problems with aggression. However a few months ago I bought two smallish (about 2-3 inch) bristlenoses to go in ym 80 gallon mbuna tank, they were constantly harrassed and both ended up dying. I honestly don't think there would be a problem if you get the bristlenose as an adult and the cichlids as juvis.

Last edited by just beginning at 23-Jun-2005 20:45

The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. - Oscar Wilde

If you are going to do this, make sure that the bristlenose has many many many many hiding places where it can go and totally disappear, and the cichlids (kenyii) can't get...

Get the BN as an adult, and the kenyii as small/young as possible (but not too young) Then while your kenyii are growing keep an eye on them and be prepared to pull the BN out if they are giving him too much trouble, and stress...

Best of luck, it's always one of those things, that it depends on the individual fish...

heidi




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well boy meets girl and it's a good bet
Girl's gonna play a little hard to get
But they both got the same thing on their mind
Ain't that the way that the world goes round
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"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

Thanks guys!

Well, it seems bristlenoses are pretty hard to find here in Boston anyway. I found a place down the street that sometimes gets them from a local breeder. I'll check before I buy one that they'll take him back (I don't care much about the refund) if I have probs with aggression. Also I'm sure it won't be only one tank for long, so if the aggression starts when the cichilds get older it will be fine.

OK!

I finally found a bristlenose and got a couple of very small cichlids (kenyi and red zebra, about 1" this weekend. I don't think the little cichlids could care less about the bristlenose. They don't even seem to notice he's there.

For now until the cichlids become bigger the BN will be fine.. but until the cichlids start to become more terretorial as they age is when u'll need to look out for your BN..
BNs have a softer skin so they are more delicate when attacked and bashed.. i would recommend when this becomes an issue to look into buying a pleco maybe. I know sailfin plecos are good to have with aggressive fish because they have a tough skin that feel like a shell.. no damage will occure

r0b3y