New 6Ft Tank, Finally.

[Wills]

i will have to disagree with your disagreement as i have kept red heads quite happily with more aggresive cichlids for example a JD, a PAIR of convicts and there was no problem size wise they was all similar maybe give or take an inch.

most people disagree with putting the more aggressive cichlids with fairly peacful ones but each cichlid has its own personality so its hit and miss tbh.

Agreed all cichlids have personalities and if its worked for you great but you have to agree there are better suited cichlids to this tank and better suited Geos than the redheads. I can see how it would work with a JD and cons maybe but its the texas and the sal that I would worry about most with them.

 

[Liam50]

just been thinking about the possibility of keeping geophagus with an oscar (after keeping both, but not at the same time) i think you may be able to get away with it due to in my experience geophagus will rarely venture above the half way line in a tank whilst the oscar again in my experiance stays nearer the top i also believe that a geophagus would be able to get away from an oscar quite easily if needed to. but trying this you would have to be ready at an instant to remove either the geo's or the other agro fish.

i would recommend for bottom feeders a tough syno like a feather fin.

 

[Brunell4070]

Yeah, i'm not too sure if i want to try a few geo's yet or not.. They get pretty big, will require a group, and i will already have a few fish pushing the 10-12" mark. Are clown loaches out of the question, assuming i got them larger and before the cichlids?

As for a green terror i have definitely considered it, i may drop the oscar for one, i'm not too sure yet.. But aren't most vieja's usually super aggro's, usually best kept alone? I'll admit i know little about them.
What about a fish from the Parachromis family? Not a jaguar or dovii obviously, but aren't there some that only get to 6-10"?

 

[Brunell4070]

How about a RedHead Vieja, (Vieja synspila), or a TwoBand Vieja, (Vieja bifasciata). Both are very nice looking fish, and most info i am seeing on them describe them as aggressive but may be compatible in community CA/SA tanks.

 

[foley69]

if you was going for a veija then if you can get hold of one then a veija argentae (spelling?) would be great they IMO are the most stunning of the veija's and aretn that aggressive but i would reccomend getting all of your cichlids at a juvii size so they have enough space to grow up together and state their own territories.

 

[Brunell4070]

first of all, thanks foley for making me expand my horizons and look at more unique fish! haha. The Vieja Argentea looks brilliant, any idea how hard they are to obtain in the US? So, an updated stocklist now looks something like this

Vieja Argentea (if possible to obtain)
Possibly Oscar, still up in the air (or substitute with another vieja if possible?)
JD
Texas (what type should i get?) are red texas' found in the wild, or a result of lab work?
T-Bar Cichlid PAIR (Cryptoheros sajica)
6-8 Silver Dollars (or another dither suggestion? dont like G. danio's or tinfoil barbs)
3-4 bottom catfish, any types besides pictus or syno's to choose from?

How does this look?
I know there is a little more aggression than is the standard, but i have one hospital tank ready, and my lfs will take back any fish if needed.

 

[Wills]

I would avioid a pair of Sajicas they can be really nasty lots of reports around the net at the moment of them being really nasty. But other than that it sounds good to me.

For dithers I would go for your SDs but get 8 a big school is always a good thing. And for cats go for Synos any of the bigger ones would be good IMO

As for cichlids in the US you are very lucky as you have Jeff Rapps tangledupincichlids.com think of a fish any fish and he has it. He even ships to the UK but minimum order is £350 lols

Wills

 

[Brunell4070]

I would avioid a pair of Sajicas they can be really nasty lots of reports around the net at the moment of them being really nasty. But other than that it sounds good to me.

For dithers I would go for your SDs but get 8 a big school is always a good thing. And for cats go for Synos any of the bigger ones would be good IMO

As for cichlids in the US you are very lucky as you have Jeff Rapps tangledupincichlids.com think of a fish any fish and he has it. He even ships to the UK but minimum order is £350 lols

Wills

you heard t-bars are really nasty? I read they are definitely less aggressive than your typical convict pair, which IMO would do fine in that tank. I dont think any texas,JD, or vieja is in serious threat of a breeding pair of convicts in a 6ft tank. especially after the catfish eat the eggs : ). but other input with people who have had these fish would be appreciated!

you may definitely be right so i dont wanna get into anything bad.

 

[Wills]

I sometimes have a flick through the MFK forum and thats where I have found the reports of it, its not personal experience but I would say to be ready with it.

 

[Brunell4070]

So just picked up the fish tank. 450 for brand new tank, custom made pine stand and hood, 4 canister magnum filters, some HOB's, and some saltwater supplies i have no use for. Small picture, will try and upload a better one soon.

Going to get the sand and finish tonight.. Will two 50 pound bags of play sand fill a 125g? or should i get 3-4? Not really sure.

 

[holidayinn]

Pair of Sajica's can be aggressive when breeding. If there's enough space for them, they'll be fine.

Be careful with Vieja species though, they're on the upper-end of the aggressiveness scale IME. I've heard Argentea can be brutes, but worth a shot if all added as juvies.

 

[GShorty1981]

Vieja Argentea are probably the most common type around here, infact other than a full sized black belt, I have only ever seen Argenteas available! most of my local shops always have around 100 Juvis.

They6 are usually pretty cheap to, my one cost me £3.99 but even at 2" was a killer, i had it in a 100 gallon with a 4" Jack Dempsey, 5" Green Terror and a pair of Convicts, he killed the female Convict and kept all the others pushed to one corner of the tank.

The Male Argenteas are beautiful when fully grown, but very much a show piece fish, unless you have a huge tank.

The not so pretty females don't get as large or aggressive.....you can mix Argenteas with other fish, but it is very much trial and error...or try and hope.

Argenteas and Blackbelts are around the aggression of a Red Devil/Midas.

 

[dscort]

Brunell, you say your near a great lake... where abouts you located.. i have 2 argentea, and looking to keep only one, and have a buddy w/ a salvini and jd that need rehomed.....

 

[Brunell4070]

i am about 30 minutes from lake michigan. Southeast of chicago.