i have African ciclild fish how big do they get? how do they breed?what fish do they get along with?

Question

i also have parrot , angle , sharks , goumies , fancy tail. i heard that african ciclild dont like gravel is this true?

Answer 1

It depends what type of african cichlid you have. A demasoni maxes out at 3", many haps get up to nearly a foot, while a frontosa will grow over a foot in length (all are african cichilds).

If you have mbuna (which are usually found in the 'assorted african cichlids' tank) they usually get up to 4" to 5", some are smaller, while others (like bumblebees) get up to 8".

African cichlids are fairly aggressive and territorial (to which degree depends on the species, tank size and tank mates). They really don't belong with the fish you currently have (a sexually mature hyber-dominant aggressive mbuna could kill or continuously attempt to kill them all...and you wouldn't want that).
They are best kept with other compatible african cichlids.

Many african cichlids are mouth-brooders, while others are sand-spawners, it depends on what kind you have.Most are 'harem-breeders' (1 male per 2 or 3 females). For the most part they are quite prolific, capable of producing 15-45+ fry every other month.

Sand is probably a better substrate for them, though they probably wouldn't mind gravel.

Answer 2

I have cichlids as well, and mine range between an inch long and an inch-and-a-half long. They really don't breed at all when mixed with other fish, but if you buy different genders of the same species of cichlid, you can expect fish eggs at the bottom of your tank!
I must confirm your fears of cichlids not getting along with gravel. This is entirely true, and gravel will actually eat the cichlids.
Also, don't fear if you run out of fish food...they can survive for about a week without food.

Answer 3

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/categ.cfm?pcatid=830

If you have all those together in one tank, that's a bad combination all around.