Do electric yellows and blue peacocks need heaters??

Question

and what are some fish to go with them i have convicts are they all ok to go together i have them all separated now but i wont anther 2 or 3 other fish what you think

Answer 1

yes! they do need a heater...

and peacocks do best in a peackoc only tank, sometimes you can mix haplochromids with them but peacocks are one of the more none agressive cichlids and will usually get beaten up by the more agressive species...

you cannot keep african cichlids of any kind with SA cichlids.

Answer 2

This isn't the type of question to go pushing local fish shops on people just becasue someone happens to work at one.  This really isn't even a forum where you're going to find much acceptance of people that work in fish stores with all the horrible advice that's slung by store employees.

There is however no question about it that ALL TROPICALS need a heater.

Convicts are South Americans, they do NOT mix well with Africans usually.  I have done it before, but it's not easy.  You don't seperate them because the water like bot sounding mega said, is completely different.  You need a higher PH and higher Hardness waters for Africans then you do South Americans.  Not to mention that if you keep a mating group of Convicts, you will be over populated with Convicts before the end of the year.

Nice speech, LFS is better then chain, but in the end, you can just as easily make a mistake like anyone else on a forum.  A forum isn't after your money though.  The difference between a good LFS and a great LFS is the good will only tell you what is in your best interest.  The great ones will tell you and even help you find a place that sells what they don't.  Forums offer a broader base of experience.  It costs you nothing to come.  YA isn't what I'd call an expert laden place.  Cichlid-forum, monsterfishkeepers, and even the site I help Carl S manage by far have just as helpful information out there, but aren't after money.

For such a simple question as this, short and to the point that all tropicals need a heater would suffice.  I don't need to advertise or flash what I do or what I know to explain that.  If the asker can't figure that one out, being a pet store owner or employee or dog washer isn't going to help them.  Sorry you got mad.  I won't lose sleep over it though.

Answer 3

Yes,

Your African cichlids will need their water sitting around the 27 degree celcius mark.

Dont keep them with convicts. Your convicts are an American Cichlid that requires soft, acid water, and has different behavioural patterns.

Your African cichlids (Yellows and Peacocks) require a hard alkaline environment - use lime sand or limestone in your tank to keep your water at a stable ph and water hardness, and every now and again I need to buffer my water with Rift Lake salt to maintain these conditions as my scheme water is a bit iffy.

As for your stocking, this is all dependant on the size of your tank. If you have anything under 150 Litres, I wouldnt recommend having a cichlid tank as its too small for them. If its large enough for more than one colony however, keep them with other more mild african cichlids, such as Melanochromis Maingano, Some Labidochromis Hongi (related v. closely to your yellows) or any of your aulonocara (Your peacocks are in this family) and some pseudotropheus species. Talk to your local fish shop about whats appropriate for your tank, they should also be able to help you.

EDIT: TO Jon V - who thinks his way is the only correct way of keeping fish.

I pride myself on working at a local fish shop because the information I provide people is always researched well, without bias for money making, and doesnt just rely on "personal experience keeping fish at home". I too have been keeping fish for a long time, about ten years, and working at a specialised aquatic store successfully keeping and breeding various types of fish.

Its a great idea for any fish keeper to find a local fish store that is trustworthy, and can give you the correct information when you need it. Im not saying that because I hope it will give my store a boost in sales, Im saying that because its a good idea (In any case, I live in the most obscure place on the planet) And from my experience, Local Fish shops have by far, a smaller turnover of staff than larger pets stores, and can generally provide a greater, more solid base of knowledge than the employees at places like "petco". And I certainly dont appreciate you making my hard work and job sound like its useless when you know nothing of my situation. Dont be a Jerk.