Mixing Malawi's With Other Breeds

Hi

What other breeds of fish is OK to mix with malawian sichlids? When purchasing my fish at the pet shop I bought about 20 malawians, 4 barbs, 2 angel's & 2 pangasians. All still small. I had been warned that with malawians you should not mix breeds, but the guy at the petshop rekons as long as you purchase them when they are all small (the same size) it will be fine and I should have no hassles. Well, all I have left in the tank is the barbs, all 4 of them, and the malawians, I have since added 6. The pangasians were the first to "dissapear" then an angel, then took the remaining angel to a local petshop just to save him from the same fate. The barbs seem to get on fine with the malawians, they are slightly bigger than the malawians and seem to be more of a scavenger fish than the malawians. Is it good to have the barbs or shall I also donate them to the petshop and fill up tank with more malawians?

 

The guy at the petshop should refund you and give you extra fish to apologize for incorrect information given to a customer.

Do not mix malawis. They are suitable for a species only tank. Take the barbs back. They won't make it when the malawis get bigger.

Another piece of advice: don't ask for advice at a petshop. I know there are some guys on this forum with malawi tanks. They will give you much better advice. :bigsmile:

 

Lake Malawi Cichlids

Stick to fish from the lake and you'll have better luck. They prefer alkaline water and will not tolerate South American Cichlids like Angels. Also SA cichlids prefer soft acidic water

Do you know what Malawi's you bought or did you buy purely on colour?

 

Thanks for help. Ja, so much for the assistant knowing his stuff! Think he just saw fast cash in the making! The thought of going back and giving him a tight one has crossed my mind, I have stopped supporting their shop since I have discovered the fish shop at the back of makro on Edwin Swales. I am thinking of getting a second tank to have as a communial tank, will probably start that tank with the barbs.

I have no idea what Malawi's they are? I just bought two each of the same colour :embarrest:!! White ones, orange ones, yellow ones, blue stripes, brown stripes! Is it better to keep the same types, or can they be mixed?

 

Yip this is the fish shop assistant and advice at their best - it makes me crazy! If only they would stop thinking about their pockets and getting the sales before the welfare of the fish they are selling!!!!!! I know, I know - I'm living in my own little dream world, but wouldn't it be nice?

 

even though i just sell plants, i never sell stuff to people unless i know it'll survive in their garden or conditions, also with ferts and poisons, only what i'm sure they need or what truly will work

I dont like BSing people, and i dont like them BSing me...

 

I'v been keeping malawis for years..the first advice i'd give u is to change petshops..whoever tells sum1 to mix malawi's n angels should be shot in my opinion..they clearly dont know what they talking about..stick to keeping malawis alone..possibly with some synodontis catfish..but unfortunately you cant mix them with barbs,angels etc

 

when i first started i was sold 2 malawi's 2 jewels ,2 dwarf gurami's and 3 congo tetra's......
this didnt go well

 

What concerns me is if the shop assistant selld Malawis 'mixable' with other fish species... how do we know that the shop even keeps the different fish in different water perameters.

I went passed an LPS the other day and the dud had heaters on at 27degrees for COLD WATER gold fish. Duh?

 

HUH I hope you gave him an ear full Zoom, you know to try and educate him abit....lol

 

Well, I asked the sales rep if he knew what fish he was selling, and he said he wasn't sure, but he thinks it was some type of koi.

Hehe

I just said he should maybe consider reading up on what temp the koi prefer.