Posted by Michele on December 22, 2002 at 01:15:21:
In Reply to: Re: can you put them in with cichlids? posted by PetCrazy on December 22, 2002 at 01:09:24:
:Okay, avoiding that "pi$$ poor" comment that seemed to have "stirred some gravel"....so I'll move on.
:I wouldn't add clowns with the majority of cichlids, since they'll even attack a common pleco (which is why you'll see "blind plecos" in cichlids tanks). But this is all dependant on the species...(and seeing clowns are prone to stress related illnesses, particularly when added to a new environment...you wouldn't want them freaking out over the fact that their new tank mates are eyeing them as a new potential meal)
:Dwarf cichlids like Rams won't even hurt a tetra (though there are some mean dwarfs as well), so you could obviously put clowns in with them...since the clown will get WAY larger than your bolivian or blue ram (the clowns would most likely scare the lights out of the ram actually)...
:Jewel cichlids are another "dwarf" species that wouldn't harm a clown...(though there is the odd exception)
:But if you have let's say...a red devil, your clowns would be out of luck.
:Though this is all dependant, an Oscar couldn't do much to a large clown asides chase him around a little, but he couldn't rip it apart like let's say.....a school of kenyi *if they felt like tearing off fins etc*. But he could make the clown ill, since oscars know how to make a tank incredibly filthy in a short period of time...
:But I think I recall you saying a 44 hexagon....now considering that clowns like to be in groups...do have the potential to get quite large...and like a big of room to "goof around"...a hexagon would not be the best environment for them.
:Now if it was lets say...a 55 gallon breeder tank (long and wide rather than tall)...it may be an option for awhile. (Till they get a decent size and may need to be moved). Even at that, an acceptable group(3) of them in a 55 five at full size is a bit touchy...but then again, not many people keep them that long. (Hey, I'm just brutaly honest here..)
:In short, No, clowns wouldn't be a good option in your tank. *I know, I like to ramble before I get straight to the point*.
:You may want to look for another type of fish that would be more suitable for the job in your tank (yes, there are other, smaller species that can do a similar job).
:Another thing is...smoosh the darn things. Your cichlids will thank you for taking care of the hard shells and allowing them to eat the gooey innards. (Heck, even clown loaches appreciate it when you make their job easier).
:Asides that, eventually the snails will eat all they can from your tank due to over population, and will all die off anyway.
:There are also other things (if you were chemically inclined, which I'm not...but sometimes...you don't have a choice)...to use snail-b-gone...or something like that.
:If you are fortunate enough to keep cichlids that don't massacre all your plants (which is why I love rams btw), make sure you look over all your plants thoroughly before putting them in your tank. That is one of the main reasons you get snails in your tanks. Stop the problem before it starts sort of thing...that's what I do..and voila, I've only had 2 snails (who's life only lasted for about 2 seconds after I saw them......I know it sounds cruel, but give me a break, they were eating my water wisteria!!!)
:
:Well, I hope you're having fun with your tank
:PC
:PS. The lettuce trick does work from what I've heard (I've never had a big issue with snails, since as I said, I check over every plant before adding it to my tank.)
:Oh another point to add, depending on the type of cichlid you have, is your pH and water temperatures, which may not be all that acceptable for a clown...but that's just my humble thoughts on the matter....and I always go on about nothing, so don't mind me.
