# Housing cichlids



## flashback3003 (Apr 8, 2009)

I have a question, will angel rams and african butterfly cichlids spawn together? and also, how do you sex african butterfly cichlids? (cant seem to find any sites...) thank you cheers~


----------



## bae (May 11, 2007)

They are almost certainly not interfertile. I suppose they might try to court each other but they would be following different scripts, so wouldn't get very far.

African butterfly cichlids (Anomalochromis thomasi) aren't easy to sex, especially when immature. In mature adults, the males are larger and have slightly more elongated rays on the dorsal and anal fins. Your best bet is to buy six or so young fish and let them sort out the sexing issue.

They are very nice fish, and quite shy and nonaggressive for cichlids, even when spawning.


----------



## flashback3003 (Apr 8, 2009)

ahhh i see, also, a thing i notice about my cichlids are that they always tend to stay on the bottom of the tank even at night...is that common? Also they dont take any floating foods, atleast until it sinks, any way to get them into moving around a bit more? thank you


----------



## bae (May 11, 2007)

Cichlids tend not to be surface-oriented fish.

If they have a lot of cover, e.g. thickets of plants, they'll feel more secure and be out in the open more. Floating plants may help, too. Small cichlids are afraid of getting nabbed by birds (kingfishers, etc).


----------



## flashback3003 (Apr 8, 2009)

today i noticed that the rams have nip-marks of them caused by the african butterfly....should i do anything like seperate them?


----------



## Tropicana (Feb 15, 2009)

Flashback3003, African Cichlids and South american Cichlids do not mix, i would suggest getting rid or moving one or the other permanently. Since they are not accustom to the others method of dominance they dont know whats going on and will pick at eachother for a while possibly until sickness or death. in some cases they get along in larger tanks but theres always a risk of mixing fish from different habitats. (at least for Cichlids.)


----------

