Severums

[Discomafia]

One of the many reason I like this hobby is because of plants. I would like to plant my 33 gal. moderately, planning on 2-3 wpg the most + CO2. But I would like to get a lone severum for that tank, and would like to know if planting my tank is going to be a good idea? Not a lot, just some c.wendtii, pennywort, val, hygro and rotala indica.

I would also like to find any general info about these fish. I've done a few hours of research so far, and I'm constantly on the look out for any personal experience or thoughts owners have share to on severums.

Also, any suggestions on what else I could keep in there?

 

[Ben]

severums looooove to eat plants. the love to eat all the greens,well IME.so io dont think it would work

maybe try some dwarfs or apistos(probably the only cichlid that can live in a tank that size that wont eat the plants)

HTH

DD

 

[Vip]

DD is right sevs love plants................for dinner.

 

[Dwarfs]

My sev loved java fern and anubias, supposedly two of the least palatable (or worst tasting) FW plants. His tyank has no plants left

 

[Discomafia]

Thanks people, apparent I have to choose one or the either. What else do you all recommend? I just might go for a sev and forget about the plants, we'll see...

 

[the caretaker]

I have severums and they will eat you out of house and home but they are an incredible fish. so when they eat my plant I buy some more they are not too keen on elodea. they are really worth it!

 

[digital_run]

I agree with caretaker....they are a great fish with tons of personality...I'd highly recommend them if you can house them properly....I've tried many times to plant their tank with jave ferns that ive gotten from my existing fern...They never last more than a couple minutes before my sevs gobble them up.

 

[Discomafia]

I'd highly recommend them if you can house them properly....

What does this mean? What kind of things (caves, slate, rock, drift/bogwood) would I need? I need to lower my PH as its 7.0 now, what would you all recommend? For filtration I am going for an Aquaclear 200 (200 gph) plus a backup Regent Aquatech 5-15 (100 gph) in case anything goes wrong with the Aquaclear, which will give me 300 gph, meaning a turnover rate of nine times... That should be enough, I should think, for it to be considered overfiltered? What do you think?

 

[cometcattle]

IMO, you're not over-filtered for non-dwarf NW cichlids. I'd go for something bigger.

Here's what I will be running in the next few days when I finnish setting everything up:

5.5g - Top Fin 10, Eheim Liberty 100

3 X 10g - Aquaclear 200

20g (long) - Emperor 280, Penguin Bio-Wheel mini

29g - Eheim classic 2213

55g (cichlid tank) - Emperor 400, Aquaclear 500

 

[lucky62]

I'd highly recommend them if you can house them properly....

What does this mean? What kind of things (caves, slate, rock, drift/bogwood) would I need? I need to lower my PH as its 7.0 now, what would you all recommend? For filtration I am going for an Aquaclear 200 (200 gph) plus a backup Regent Aquatech 5-15 (100 gph) in case anything goes wrong with the Aquaclear, which will give me 300 gph, meaning a turnover rate of nine times... That should be enough, I should think, for it to be considered overfiltered? What do you think?

I think he mostly means a big enough tank , Sevs don't really hide much , this is true for the ones I've kept anyway . Caves and rocks work well as deco .

Your PH is fine for severums .

Weed wacker , lawn mower and lumber jack in one , So if you want plants ,severum will not work .


Maybe silk tied to something , they'll move it if they can , they almost always can

 

[fufanu360]

acually the recomended for sevs is 50G since they can get up to or past 10 inches they are GREAT fish though, i think a lone one in a 33 would be fine, it would be awsome but the plants would probably be gone in a while

 

[Discomafia]

Yea, I've been doing a lot of reading and they say that the min. tank size for a sev is a 50 or a 55 gal, but liveaquaria.com and the index here at TTF says 30 gallons.

One site said that for a pair of sevs the min. tank size is 55 gal., but I'm only going to be getting one sev. I've also read that they can reach 12" but only get up to 8 - 10" in captivity, is this info true sev. owners? I don't want to stunt my fish or anything, especially when I can easily get something else for the tank.

The guy I got the tank from however has no problems keeping a sev in mine, because he's going to sell me a sev from his existing collection... Do you all think that a 33 gal for a sev is enough? So far now I've removed all my plants except for the hygro and rotala indica. Still trying to find someone to buy it off me, or else I'll just get some credit for it at the lfs.

Plan on getting some driftwood for the right side of the tank, and prolly more slate and rocks for decor, but no idea where to place that. I will try to get a pic as soon as I can find a camera.

Cheers, and thanks for all the help so far. Please keep it coming.

 

[fufanu360]

yep i think he will be fine

 

[Discomafia]

What about tank decor? Any suggestions? And what else can I put in the tank? Planning on a bnose pleco or a suitable pleco for the tank, what do you all recommend? Could I get a few cories, or will the sev aggrevate them?

 

[Ben]

im not too sure about the corys but i have a some bnoses with my sevs and they work fine

for tank decor what about lots of rocks and driftwood?that would work fine

DD