Firemouth Compatibility

[tr0p1cal]

So ive finally removed all my fish, removed the sand and soil and replaced that with new. Ive scaped my tank allthough im looking to add a few more pieces of wood into it and pebbles/rocks.

yesterday i bought 3 firemouths around the 2 inch mark, and im wandering what else to put with them.

my tanks 4x2x2 with is 100uk gallons.

i was thinking convict, serverum, blue acara, EBJD and a salvini are my favourites (i think)

the salvini seems a no go and i think the convicts.

just wondered what ideas pther ppl had as im new to larger cichlids.

 

[GShorty1981]

I would avoid the Salvini and Convict, they are NASTY.

Severums and a EBJD will mix well, Firemouths can be a pain.

How about

Red Spotted Severum
Gold Severum
EBJD
Royal Pleco
shoal of Tiger barbs

 

[hamfist]

A slightly more laid back selection could include chocolate cichlid, rainbow cichlids, Geo.steindachneri, sajica cichlids, festivum, praecox rainbows as well as the others mentioned.
Agree that the convicts and salvini are probably more aggresive than would fit well with those.


However, if you wanted it to be more of a semi-aggressive community then you could look at convicts, salvini, sajicas (again), sevs, Geo.brasiliensis etc. Really up to what sort of tank you are looking for.

 

[tr0p1cal]

i was also perhaps thinking

blue acara and rainbow cichlid.


im not really interested in plecos but thanks anyway

 

[GShorty1981]

Salvinis are not semi agressive, they are like keeping a mini Dovii in a community, everyone i have owned has been a straight up killer.

 

[hamfist]

Salvinis are not semi agressive, they are like keeping a mini Dovii in a community, everyone i have owned has been a straight up killer.

Sure, some may be killers, but nowhere near all. I have not kept them myself but am aware of some folks certainly keeping a single salvini succefully, and peacefully, with the likes of severums, acara etc. Have also seen them myself living harmoniously in a decent sized tank (100G and up) with others.

Personally, I'd class them, convicts, viejas, G.brasiliensis as semi-aggressive.

By "aggressive" I'd be talking about red devils/terrors, flowerhorns, dovii, jags etc. And even then, some individuals of those species can be very placid in the right environment. It all comes down to what you want to define "aggressive" and "semi-aggressive" as really.

 

[GShorty1981]

Salvinis (i have kept a lot of these) i would rate along side Jags easily (which they are very closely related), they are just smaller so can't do as much damage....but i still wouldnt mix one long term with Severums/EBJD/Blue Acaras

Most male Cons are nasty to, people like to call them 'Mini-Midas' because how destructive they are in community's.

Brasiliensis complex i agree with you, they are pretty gentle till they hit maturity then they can be stupidly aggressive towards conspecifics but leave other fish alone.

Vieja Argenteas/Vieja Synsipla are either end of the scale so its kinda hard to put them in the 'semi' bracket, Syns being Oscar like and Argenteas being killers in the same bracket as things like Buttis and Devils (I have kept one before in a 6ft tank and it hammered everything)

Just contrasting opinions I suppose.

 

[GShorty1981]

Back on topic tho, Firemouths are at the lower end of semi agressive.

 

[hamfist]

Back on topic tho, Firemouths are at the lower end of semi agressive.

Agreed !

 

[ChilliPepper]

My Firemouth doesn't get on too well with my JD, my Geophagus Tapajos or my female Nicaraguan. So I wouldn't recommend trying any of those combinations.

My FM is a beautiful fish, but seems to like deliberately trying to wind other fish up, and due to the amount of hiding places in my tank, I only seem to see the s£d when s/he is out chasing someone or flaring at them. They are not aggressive as such, as it's all show, but they are argumentative, that's how I'd describe them.

A Con might be alright, but to be honest they are nasty little devils, so wouldn't be a peaceful tank.

I think my FM is OK with my Sevs, but they are all bigger than s/he. I have a Red Spot, a Green and 4 Rotkeils.

Another issue you may have is if you get a breeding pair. In which case I wouldn't recommend any other cichlids.

Larger Rainbowfish would be a good option, I had mine in my 50g with Praecox and Lacustris and they didn't bother each other.

You could have some Corys or something for the bottom, as they don't bother with each other. I personally find Corys very boring though.

 

[tr0p1cal]

thanks for the replies, if you wouldnt mind putting a list of what you would have in a 4x2x2 that does include firemouths that would be great, then i can see what combos i can look at.

hamfist do you no if maidenhead eastleigh/saouthamptom got much in atm, i think you mentioned before they are near you.

 

[hamfist]

thanks for the replies, if you wouldnt mind putting a list of what you would have in a 4x2x2 that does include firemouths that would be great, then i can see what combos i can look at.

hamfist do you no if maidenhead eastleigh/saouthamptom got much in atm, i think you mentioned before they are near you.

THe Fair Oak (Southampton) MA is the worst I have ever been to for SA/CA cichlids. All they ever have is keyholes and small gold sevs. Never anything more interesting except the odd fish in their big reservoir tanks which customers have bought in.

Aquajardin (also in Fair Oak) are a much more interesting shop altogether. From memory, I think at the moment in the way of SA/CA cichlids they have ....

red-spotted sevs, gold sevs, bolivian rams, salvini, keyholes, various other rams, festivums (some small, but also some absolutely enormous ones !!), one or two blue acara & maybe some altifrons/surinamensis-type geos (could be wrong there though). In general, they have an interesting selection of most stuff. Not just all the same old boring fish that everyone else has.

The Havant MA is a good branch for SA/CA cichlids usually. They tend to have various sevs, jags, synspilum, sajicas, 4 or 5 different types of eartheater, A.heckelli, uaru and a LOAD of dwarf and smaller SA/CA cichlids.

For suggestions for your 4x2x2, try this ...

your 3 x firemouths,

1 x sev (bigger than the FM's initially ideally)

1 x festivum (also ideally bigger than the FM's)

5 x Melanotaenia praecox

plus catfish of your choice, if that's your cup of tea.

Whatever you have in there, you could potentially have "issues" if the firemouths spawn, but you can deal with that as and when and if it happens.

 

[tr0p1cal]

yer i have been to the aqua jardin one a few times there i got 2 discus from them a while back.

im really not keen on festivums, i just never liked the look on them, do you think that could be replaced by a EBJD?

i think i will defo add a severum i just gotta find the one i like, my lfs has green and golds in.

 

[GShorty1981]

Firemouth's can mix with loads of different Cichlids, however not all of the Cichlids they can be mixed with can be mixed with each other....or they can, but with aggro.

You should go with all male Cichlids to prevent breeding and avoid con-specifics.

For example, a Geophagus Brasiliensis would go lovely in your tank along with Severums etc, however Brasiliensis and Firemouth's look very similar (except the Geo gets a lot bigger....and prettier) and they are very closely related, Firemouth's are Central Americas equivalent of eartheater's.

Go for stuff that is not to nasty that is different shapes.

If you are dead set on Firemouth's you could do this...

2 x Severum
1 x Firemouth (you could do more but they will breed)
1 x Rainbow Cichlid
1 x Convict
1 x Blue Acara
20 x Tiger Barbs

I would be cautious over mixing a EBJD with Firemouths after reading a story on mfk recently about a Firemouth biting the eyes out of the EBJD.

Howabout

2 x Severum (red and gold)
1 x EBJD
1 x Rainbow Cichlid
5 x Clown Loach
20 x Green Tiger Barbs

would be very colourful

or

1 x Green Terror
1 x Geo Brasiliensis
1 x Jack Dempsey
20 x Tiger Barbs

you have so many different possibilitys

 

[tr0p1cal]

2 x Severum
1 x Firemouth (you could do more but they will breed)
1 x Rainbow Cichlid
1 x Convict
1 x Blue Acara
20 x Tiger Barbs

this sounds pretty good, the convict is ok in there?