Hailing from the waters of South America, these fish are not nearly as aggressive as most cichlids, and they won’t really bother other species. Known scientifically as Pterophyllum scalare, even these beautiful animals have some drawbacks when kept in the typical community aquarium, but most people can’t resist their exotic shape and interesting behavior. The nearly automatic reaction is that any cichlid would be a disaster for such a tank-but that’s not always the case! Some species are quite suitable, and the purpose of this little treatise is to suggest a few of them.Īngelfish are often included in the very aquariums I am discussing. Here I am talking about the type of community aquarium that got most of us into the tropical fish hobby: a tank of small and colorful fish species. For that reason, cichlid species have not generally been considered a good choice for the community aquarium. And because of the very parental protection that makes them so popular, they can be quite aggressive toward other fish species. For one thing, most cichlid species tend to be on the large side for aquariums. In addition to all this fascinating behavior, cichlids are a quite colorful family, so their popularity is certainly no great mystery. The way a pair coordinates protection and communicates with one another is a marvel to watch and a source of study for scientists. This is a family of fishes in which every single species provides parental care, but different species do it in different ways! One of the most popular among hobbyists and scientists is the monogamous type, in which a pair defends and cares for the progeny together, cooperating in a way that is downright inspiring to us humans because they act just like we do, only better sometimes. Because of their complex behavior and their multiple family configurations, the cichlids are a treasure trove of possible research.

The cichlids have a special appeal to ethologists, those scientists who study the development of behavior in animals. One is that the family is putting on an evolutionary side show in several parts of the world, but most notably in the Great Lakes of Africa. Members of the family Cichlidae are not only the darlings of aquarium hobbyists, but they are a big hit with scientists too. One long-time hobbyist, however, has found four species that will thrive in your community setup. Known for their pugnacious attitudes, cichlids are often considered too aggressive for the average community tank.

Aquadine community tank formula