I've kept firemouths in both cichlid communities and as a single centerpiece fish in a community tank, and had no issues with either. Outside of a mated pair, they're pretty placid for the most part. I'd consider them rowdier than angelfish, but not quite at the level of a convict. I found Rainbow Cichlids and Honduran Red Points do extremely well with Firemouths, since their level of aggression is pretty similar and they're close in size.
I have a male 3spot blue gourami and named [KING BLUE🔵👑] he live on the left side of the tank he rules it I'm getting him another Female opaline gourami🔵. I have in with him a single male firemouth cichlid🚩 which I will not breed ever cause it's a republicanfish🚩 he will be forever single. I'm laughing maniacally 😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆
I love Firemouths they are very beautiful and have a very interesting behavior. I love to see them showing off and flaring their gills trying to be so mean.
Me and my late brother had a 90 gal fish tank with Cichlids in it. We raised the Ph level by using coral chips instead of rocks. The colors on the fish became more vibrant because of that.
thank you ! I love fire mouths ! I have a male , that about 2 years old . I have had him in a 55 , a 75 , and 2 different 40 breeders . he hates having any fish bigger than a neon in the tank with him . he lays on the bottom for hours or will just sick his face in a corner . ive moved him from tank to tank to tank. its always the same. now he lives on my desk right beside me all day while I work . he is in a standard 20 with am Emperor 400 HOB . I put a 8 inch terra-cotta pot in the tank and an entire bag of pool filter sand . a hand full of Christmas moss and some hornwort floating . some sticks of driftwood and a handful of oak leaves . he is as happy as he can be now , he digs and rearranges all day long . he comes up to the glass and acts like an Oscar . now for the crazy part , when I first put the moss in the tank , I guess my cheery barbs had spawned over it in the tank it was originally in. so a few days later I noticed tiny cherry barb fry . I didn't want more cherry barbs so I figured he would take care of them . well he did ! all 12 lived and are now in the 55 with the rest . he will not eat fry ! anytime I get fry I scoop them from whoever they are and stick them in with the fire mouth . he doesn't mind at all as long as they are little . I know the 20 is small for him , but he's been there for 8 months and he is doing fine.
Did you get him as a little 2" baby growing up in a community tank? So he would get used to other fish bigger than him? Or did you get him when he was older?? I have a little baby right now.
Hello from the United Kingdom . I have recently picked up a close relative of the Firemouth cichlid .I don’t know what the name for it but it’s called a Blue Flash firemouth.Beautiful fish only bought Two but really lucky they have paired up and I have had two spawns already. Now it really has given me renewed interest in the American cichlid genre. Brilliant watching some of your great videos. Regards Mark.
Currently have a pair of Firemouths in a 125 with a pair of Oscars and a pair of Green Terrors and a Electric Blue Acara and a Platinum Polar with a couple different Pictus Cats and a Bristle Nose. I’d say they get along quite well for now
I had one when I got him he was peaceful as time went on he started becoming really aggressive and I had him with larger cichlids, the same behavior was not showing the first months that I got him always keep look at your fish. Great video
Thank you! Definitely a good thing to watch out for. The more hiding spots and larger the tank, the better chance you'll avoid issues. Just never an exact science!
I recently got a 5-6" firemouth in my 75 gallon tank. He was the 2nd last fish to go in with 2 EBAs, 1 juvie blood parrot, and 1 juvie severum. I named him thanos because he's bossy as hell. He chases the severum and BP constantly but I think this is because he's new and is establishing tank boss. Hopefully it calms down in a day or two. I have lots of live plants and stones and rocks and driftwood. If it doesn't work out, will return him for a small juvie firemouth and hope that one grows up to be more docile. Roll the dice as always.
I had a few firemouth cichlids and I could always tell when they were upset about something because their bellies were red and their gills were sticking out!
Love Firemouths, I got 3 in my 55 gallon tank and they are pretty good fish with my bottom feeders though they can get aggressive sometimes but not all the time
To start... nice video's! love to watch them !! But.. I have really bad expirience together with the blue electric acara. They cant stand eachoter! But i have a question. I put the FireMouth in a different tank but now they keep hiding.. any help to make them less shy?
Thanks for watching! You could try adding dither fish like Giant Danios or silver dollars to bring him out of hiding more. Could also add more hiding spots which actually makes them more comfortable and brings them out more often
I recently bought a firemouth and i just can’t seem to color him up. The only thing i haven’t tried is changing my substrate color. Right now, my substrate is a natural, sand colored gravel. I see in a lot of your tanks you have a darker gravel. What type/brand/color of gravel do y’all use?
i have 2 firemouth but they seem very different. mine have elecric blue spots and their coloration are better. can someone tell me if there is a fish that is similar to firemouth because i made my research but couldnt find
@@brucehaynes7966 Even if the firemouth was an "aggressive" one, he still small in the cichlid world. He no different from an aggressive poodle so that ngga wood get his ass whipped by almost all other cichs.
Hello, I just recently saw some firemouths at my local shop and really liked how they look. I am getting a 55 gallon tank and want to get some electric blue acaras. If I were to get both species, how many of each would you recommend?
I have 1 fire mouth in a 20 gallon with tetras and khuli loaches. It's a pure grow out tank. He's very calm. Aggressive to his reflection but leaves everyone alone. When he gets bigger he'll be in my 125 with my oscars and bichir
Another fantastic video, THANKS! I have a question I did not see these on the list. All my fish are juvenile at this point, around one or 2 inches big at the most. I have two blood red parrots, two tiger Oscars and two very tiny convict cichlids. Do you think I can add a fire mouth Cichlid to this community?
Yeah, they can definitely work in some cases, and if it's working for you, keep it up. I just wouldn't recommend it in general since tank setup and diet isn't always compatible, depending on the species.
1)can i keep them with african cichlids that are less agressive like some peacocks and haps 2)And are the geophagus albino heckeli a docile fish because he doesnt seem to be as active as the surinamensis so i just wanna be sure
They have amazing colors. I’ve tried them 3 times and all 3 times they were so much aggressive than the fish I had them in with. JD, GT, and Convict didn’t go so well with any of them…I found them to be just overly aggressive….ended up giving up 😅
My firemouths have always been super docile and timid. They are definitely a cichlid that can go either way depending on the individual. Similar to Jack Dempseys and Green Terrors, you can get lucky with some docile ones, but it isn't a surprise when a few turn out to be terrors
Oh wow, that’s unfortunate. I had a male with a lot of color, but thankfully, not a lot of attitude. He was in a 55 gallon with cherry barbs and platies, and no aggression issues.
@@CichlidBros I wanna make a Mexican Biotope like the one in this videoua-cam.com/video/hehYeuwuevw/v-deo.html. even if i put them under this condition is it a bad idea
Im thinking about getting a 26 gallon bowfront. I had FMs before many years ago in a 30 Gallon. I dont have room for a bigger tank. Do you think one or two will work>
Could work since acei are relatively peaceful for mbuna, but I usually wouldn’t recommend Africans with Americans. It can work but can be tricky to get right
I have a pair of breeders and they're extremely aggressive towards the other one how do I control that also how many can I put in a 55 gallon comfortably I have three fire mouth chichlids now
Hey, curious what above jewel cichlids tank mates? I have tiger barbs, jewel cichlids and a massive convict male. Would i be able to add a fire mouth and what other suggestions for a 65g tank?
Surprisingly, the jewel is one of the best tank mate options when it comes to African cichlids, since they have similar habitats and water parameters. They aren't from the rift lakes, so requirements are different than typical Africans. Jewels can be aggressive little guys though, so keep an eye on that
I have kept a pair of Convict(4") and a pair of Fire mouth(3.5") and the Convict is almost killing both the fireMouths ... why they are fighting like hell and the convict is showing to much of aggression !!! ??
i have a firemouth and he is BEAUTIFUL (i think its a he but im not sure honestly) and he hates my blood parrots. to be fair my blood parrots are mean and bully everyone in the tank, im contemplating trading them in or something because my firemouth is constantly trying to fight one of them and he has a pouch or something under his mouth that flairs up when hes mad.. so weird I didnt even know they had those? but hes one of my favs in the tank for sure!
Would a Firemouth Cichlid be too aggressive to live with smaller dwarf cichlids like Rams or Apistogrammas? Anyone with experience let me know, I have a 55g and just 2 blue rams and a rainbow shark in there atm.
Don't overlook Buenos Aires tetra and Guianacara as excellent tankmates for firemouth, I've currently got a breeding group of Guianacara and a breeding pair of firemouth in a 240L tank with minimal issues.
I have one fire mouth that looks that looks like yours, then. I have another one the coloration is a little bit. dark red ish hue all around still a red belly like yours the head is a bit triangle shaped as opposed to this maroon ish one is a bit more egg shaped I think it made it with one of my jack Dempsey’s though those two are hanging out a lot and I saw a little fry. I wonder if I’m gonna have some weird little bastards
These fish are pretty mean in general. I’d watch out for new people coming the hobby. Especially if you put them with convicts, mine for some reason really dislike each other.
I had 4 of them, all at different times and had to get rid of them all. All of them went after every fish in the tank. They are by far my worst cichlid ever. Never again
I love this channel. I just wish you guys posted more videos. Just can’t get enough.
Thanks for watching! Working on getting more content out soon!
definitely a bucket list cichlid
I've kept firemouths in both cichlid communities and as a single centerpiece fish in a community tank, and had no issues with either. Outside of a mated pair, they're pretty placid for the most part. I'd consider them rowdier than angelfish, but not quite at the level of a convict. I found Rainbow Cichlids and Honduran Red Points do extremely well with Firemouths, since their level of aggression is pretty similar and they're close in size.
I have a male 3spot blue gourami and named [KING BLUE🔵👑] he live on the left side of the tank he rules it I'm getting him another Female opaline gourami🔵. I have in with him a single male firemouth cichlid🚩 which I will not breed ever cause it's a republicanfish🚩 he will be forever single. I'm laughing maniacally 😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆
I love Firemouths they are very beautiful and have a very interesting behavior. I love to see them showing off and flaring their gills trying to be so mean.
One of the best for sure!
Me and my late brother had a 90 gal fish tank with Cichlids in it. We raised the Ph level by using coral chips instead of rocks. The colors on the fish became more vibrant because of that.
I've added you guys as go to for info,great channel ty guys
Awesome, thanks for watching!
thank you ! I love fire mouths !
I have a male , that about 2 years old . I have had him in a 55 , a 75 , and 2 different 40 breeders . he hates having any fish bigger than a neon in the tank with him . he lays on the bottom for hours or will just sick his face in a corner . ive moved him from tank to tank to tank. its always the same.
now he lives on my desk right beside me all day while I work . he is in a standard 20 with am Emperor 400 HOB . I put a 8 inch terra-cotta pot in the tank and an entire bag of pool filter sand . a hand full of Christmas moss and some hornwort floating . some sticks of driftwood and a handful of oak leaves .
he is as happy as he can be now , he digs and rearranges all day long . he comes up to the glass and acts like an Oscar .
now for the crazy part , when I first put the moss in the tank , I guess my cheery barbs had spawned over it in the tank it was originally in.
so a few days later I noticed tiny cherry barb fry . I didn't want more cherry barbs so I figured he would take care of them .
well he did ! all 12 lived and are now in the 55 with the rest . he will not eat fry ! anytime I get fry I scoop them from whoever they are and stick them in with the fire mouth . he doesn't mind at all as long as they are little .
I know the 20 is small for him , but he's been there for 8 months and he is doing fine.
Did you get him as a little 2" baby growing up in a community tank? So he would get used to other fish bigger than him? Or did you get him when he was older?? I have a little baby right now.
@@nick92028 she , I think , was tiny , about 3/4 inch .
she currently has some gambusia fry living with her .
I love the silver dollars, too! Really great tank!
Thank you!
Such a cute fish!!! I love it!
I love them, I did one mistake keeping with angelfish. Right now I have one with my Oscar fish and doing just fine.
What was the issue with the angel? I am soon setting up a 75g with a Firemouth and other geos. I was also going to do 1 angel. Thanks.
I have one with an Angelfish among other fish rn and so far 0 issues.
@@papasmerf6453 the firemouth took a big bite of the angelfish and they were in a 75.
Hello from the United Kingdom . I have recently picked up a close relative of the Firemouth cichlid .I don’t know what the name for it but it’s called a Blue Flash firemouth.Beautiful fish only bought Two but really lucky they have paired up and I have had two spawns already. Now it really has given me renewed interest in the American cichlid genre. Brilliant watching some of your great videos. Regards Mark.
Blue flash???? Do you mean Ellioti?
Currently have a pair of Firemouths in a 125 with a pair of Oscars and a pair of Green Terrors and a Electric Blue Acara and a Platinum Polar with a couple different Pictus Cats and a Bristle Nose. I’d say they get along quite well for now
Nice setup!
Real nice Firemouth with the 4 silver dollars.5 perfect specimens!
I bought 6 of these fishes and they are doing great
Today I bought 6 of them for home personal collection ....got per shop too...want to keep this from long time
Good choice
@@CichlidBros thank u sir ....
Beautiful fish. Please do a species profile on the Uaru.
thank you! haven't kept uaru in awhile, but will add it to the list (especially if I get more soon)
I just bought 3 to put in a 55 with 2 jack Dempseys,all the same size all babies lol ,wish me luck spent 2 weeks getting the tank ready
I had one when I got him he was peaceful as time went on he started becoming really aggressive and I had him with larger cichlids, the same behavior was not showing the first months that I got him always keep look at your fish. Great video
👍🏻🙌🏻
Thank you! Definitely a good thing to watch out for. The more hiding spots and larger the tank, the better chance you'll avoid issues. Just never an exact science!
@@CichlidBros yes I totally agree is also the fish some fish are just nicer than other too
I recently got a 5-6" firemouth in my 75 gallon tank. He was the 2nd last fish to go in with 2 EBAs, 1 juvie blood parrot, and 1 juvie severum. I named him thanos because he's bossy as hell. He chases the severum and BP constantly but I think this is because he's new and is establishing tank boss. Hopefully it calms down in a day or two. I have lots of live plants and stones and rocks and driftwood. If it doesn't work out, will return him for a small juvie firemouth and hope that one grows up to be more docile. Roll the dice as always.
Nice fish and video
Thanks 👍
You guys going to do a profile on kribensis cichlids and German blue Rams?
I can really see some geophagus in them. I wonder when they split from each other because they have every similar bodies.
I had a few firemouth cichlids and I could always tell when they were upset about something because their bellies were red and their gills were sticking out!
Thumbs up 👍 for that green friend behind you. 👍
Hey, thanks for the info! What gravel is that during the intro video and throughout? Thanks
Love Firemouths, I got 3 in my 55 gallon tank and they are pretty good fish with my bottom feeders though they can get aggressive sometimes but not all the time
I’m keeping a firemouth a pair of Dempseys a pair of Nicaraguans in my 55
To start... nice video's! love to watch them !! But.. I have really bad expirience together with the blue electric acara. They cant stand eachoter! But i have a question. I put the FireMouth in a different tank but now they keep hiding.. any help to make them less shy?
Thanks for watching! You could try adding dither fish like Giant Danios or silver dollars to bring him out of hiding more. Could also add more hiding spots which actually makes them more comfortable and brings them out more often
I recently bought a firemouth and i just can’t seem to color him up. The only thing i haven’t tried is changing my substrate color. Right now, my substrate is a natural, sand colored gravel. I see in a lot of your tanks you have a darker gravel. What type/brand/color of gravel do y’all use?
Could you do profile of nannacara anomala, laetacara araguaiae, and ivanacara adoketa hard to find info on these guys
We’ll add it to the list!
Nice and helpful video. I have had those cichlids twice, but when they mature they really get aggressive
However they are beautiful fish anyway 👍🏼
Thanks for watching!
@@CichlidBros thanks
What kind of fish is the yellow fish at 4:27
Midas cichlid
Which food you feed
- Xtreme Krill Flakes - geni.us/iTAWsN
- Xtreme Big Fella Pellets - geni.us/9Cra
- Xtreme Nice Pellets - geni.us/6ADcc
i have 2 firemouth but they seem very different. mine have elecric blue spots and their coloration are better. can someone tell me if there is a fish that is similar to firemouth because i made my research but couldnt find
You most likely have one of the Firemouth relatives (Thoricthys Aureus or Ellioti would be my guess)
One of the most aggressive cichlids I have ever kept was Meeki.
What the f ck is a meeki?
That’s surprising. There’s always exceptions to species but I’ve had a few of these guys and they’re pretty docile
@@DongWang-m4n thorichthys meeki = firemouth cichlid
@@brucehaynes7966 Even if the firemouth was an "aggressive" one, he still small in the cichlid world. He no different from an aggressive poodle so that ngga wood get his ass whipped by almost all other cichs.
Can you feed these fish with dried gammarus and daphnia? Are they nutritious enough for them?
Is that silver flat one with an orange fin a tetra?
Hello, I just recently saw some firemouths at my local shop and really liked how they look. I am getting a 55 gallon tank and want to get some electric blue acaras. If I were to get both species, how many of each would you recommend?
Nice! Maybe go with 2-3 of both
I have 1 fire mouth in a 20 gallon with tetras and khuli loaches. It's a pure grow out tank. He's very calm. Aggressive to his reflection but leaves everyone alone. When he gets bigger he'll be in my 125 with my oscars and bichir
Very nice! That will be a great long term home for it
@@CichlidBros the Oscars will devour him at the moment. I appreciate the UA-cam work actually replying to your viewers!
@@want.to.b3.gamer670 How big will firemouth have to be before those oscar nggas can't eat him?
@@DongWang-m4n at the moment bigger than 3 inches but long term growth I rather be 4
Another fantastic video, THANKS!
I have a question I did not see these on the list.
All my fish are juvenile at this point, around one or 2 inches big at the most.
I have two blood red parrots, two tiger Oscars and two very tiny convict cichlids. Do you think I can add a fire mouth Cichlid to this community?
Thanks for watching! Shouldn't be a problem if the tank is large. I would recommend a 6ft tank at minimum
Awesome video can you put fire mouth cichlids with sevrum cichlids please let me i also have a 75 gallon tank and i want to had a few fish 👍👍
Thanks! I currently have that mix and it’s been great. Done the same in the past and it’s worked well
I HAVE A FIRE MOUTH IN MY TANK WITH AFRICAN CICHLIDS AND HE IS DOING FINE
Yeah, they can definitely work in some cases, and if it's working for you, keep it up. I just wouldn't recommend it in general since tank setup and diet isn't always compatible, depending on the species.
1)can i keep them with african cichlids that are less agressive like some peacocks and haps
2)And are the geophagus albino heckeli a docile fish because he doesnt seem to be as active as the surinamensis so i just wanna be sure
They have amazing colors. I’ve tried them 3 times and all 3 times they were so much aggressive than the fish I had them in with. JD, GT, and Convict didn’t go so well with any of them…I found them to be just overly aggressive….ended up giving up 😅
My firemouths have always been super docile and timid. They are definitely a cichlid that can go either way depending on the individual. Similar to Jack Dempseys and Green Terrors, you can get lucky with some docile ones, but it isn't a surprise when a few turn out to be terrors
Same. Mine is a menace to everyone. I feel bad for my Akara and Parrot. They just want to chill. But he won’t let them. 🥲
Oh wow, that’s unfortunate. I had a male with a lot of color, but thankfully, not a lot of attitude. He was in a 55 gallon with cherry barbs and platies, and no aggression issues.
My convict and firemouth get along quite well. Maybe I'm just lucky
Do you think sword tails and mollies would be good tank mates?
I wouldn’t recommend them
@@CichlidBros I wanna make a Mexican Biotope like the one in this videoua-cam.com/video/hehYeuwuevw/v-deo.html. even if i put them under this condition is it a bad idea
So how many could I keep together in a 65
Im thinking about getting a 26 gallon bowfront. I had FMs before many years ago in a 30 Gallon. I dont have room for a bigger tank. Do you think one or two will work>
One might be okay, but usually I’d recommend a 40g for more than one
@@CichlidBros Thanks i reconsider. I may do one.
Do firemouth cichlids eat any kind veggie flakes? I can't get him to eat pellets with garlic guard. He'll eat bloodworms with no issues
Yep. I would recommend Xtreme pellets and krill flakes. Spirulina occasionally
My firemouth and electric blue acara got into it and my firemouth won't let it go even in a 125 idk what to do
I would add extra hiding spots/decor, or dither fish (such as silver dollars), and if neither works, look to separate the fish
How about the acei for a tank mate
Could work since acei are relatively peaceful for mbuna, but I usually wouldn’t recommend Africans with Americans. It can work but can be tricky to get right
Thank you
I have a pair of breeders and they're extremely aggressive towards the other one how do I control that also how many can I put in a 55 gallon comfortably I have three fire mouth chichlids now
Hey, curious what above jewel cichlids tank mates? I have tiger barbs, jewel cichlids and a massive convict male. Would i be able to add a fire mouth and what other suggestions for a 65g tank?
Surprisingly, the jewel is one of the best tank mate options when it comes to African cichlids, since they have similar habitats and water parameters. They aren't from the rift lakes, so requirements are different than typical Africans. Jewels can be aggressive little guys though, so keep an eye on that
How many would you suggest putting in a 75 gallon tank? I have 6 hybrid tetras and two catfish now with 2 Firemouth’s…?
You could probably do up to 3-4 without issues
can i keep a pair of them in a 105liter tank
Likely could for awhile, but may be too small as when they’re adults
is it ok to just keep one of them will they get lonely?
I have kept a pair of Convict(4") and a pair of Fire mouth(3.5") and the Convict is almost killing both the fireMouths ... why they are fighting like hell and the convict is showing to much of aggression !!! ??
Perhaps your convicts are in breeding mode.
i have a firemouth and he is BEAUTIFUL (i think its a he but im not sure honestly) and he hates my blood parrots. to be fair my blood parrots are mean and bully everyone in the tank, im contemplating trading them in or something because my firemouth is constantly trying to fight one of them and he has a pouch or something under his mouth that flairs up when hes mad.. so weird I didnt even know they had those? but hes one of my favs in the tank for sure!
ua-cam.com/video/Cc7-FSTH3CE/v-deo.html&ab_channel=FabriceMaxime
The pouch that flares up is how they got their name ^.^
Are they good with Oscar’s?
I have 2 fire mouths awesome fish
Love from India 🇮🇳 ❤
Thanks for watching!
Would a Firemouth Cichlid be too aggressive to live with smaller dwarf cichlids like Rams or Apistogrammas? Anyone with experience let me know, I have a 55g and just 2 blue rams and a rainbow shark in there atm.
My Firemouths do not like Rams nor do they like their bigger cousins the Electric Blue Acaras.
Don't overlook Buenos Aires tetra and Guianacara as excellent tankmates for firemouth, I've currently got a breeding group of Guianacara and a breeding pair of firemouth in a 240L tank with minimal issues.
I have about 30 buenos aries with my fire mouth and green terror. I 2nd your comment
I have one fire mouth that looks that looks like yours, then. I have another one the coloration is a little bit. dark red ish hue all around still a red belly like yours the head is a bit triangle shaped as opposed to this maroon ish one is a bit more egg shaped I think it made it with one of my jack Dempsey’s though those two are hanging out a lot and I saw a little fry. I wonder if I’m gonna have some weird little bastards
When it comes to firemouth cichlids i would get a single male with my paired gourami my male 3spot blue gourami and Female opaline gourami
"SOME" plants would work? Are you saying they will eat your plants?
Yeah, I would maybe recommend the hardier plants like Anubias, hornwort, or duckweed
I had to give mine the ol baking soda bath.
He was a mean mean MEAN fish. Tried to keep him but not at the expensive of my other fish.
When should children segregate from their parents(firemouth Cichlid fish)
Can I keep firemouth with my tinfoil barbs??
Should be fine. I’d just recommend a large tank since the tin foil barbs need so much swimming space
@@CichlidBros is 3 feet X 2 feet tank fine
The Ellioti is super aggressive .please buy with caution
In a proper tank size and setup, that aggression can be limited, as with the Firemouth
These fish are pretty mean in general. I’d watch out for new people coming the hobby. Especially if you put them with convicts, mine for some reason really dislike each other.
Usually they are more bark than bite
I love them , but T. eloti is better looking
I like both as well!
I had 4 of them, all at different times and had to get rid of them all. All of them went after every fish in the tank. They are by far my worst cichlid ever. Never again
They’re fine with Oscars. It just depends on your OSCAR.
Is it only males that flair up their gills?. I might have 3 males then. Yikes.
How would 1 do in a 75 gallon long term? With an electric blue acara and a red gold spot severum