Stocking Advice

[tenohfive]

I'm shopping for a Rena Aqualife 120 at the moment - 4ft/370L. I've currently got an adult Sajica and a juvenile Rainbow cichlid, plus 5 pim pictus in my 180L setup. When I do get the new tank I've a couple of additions I'd like to make but I'm after advice on if I can get away with them:

Firstly I want a Sev (or more than one if possible, but I suspect that's unlikely.) I have wanted to keep Sev's for years and am looking to buy reasonably young, ideally from a private breeder. I know a lot depends on personality but I'm reasonably confident I'll get away with a Sev.

Second I'd like to add a Nicaraguan Cichlid. This one I'm less sure about - I gather they can be rather aggressive.

Am I likely to be able to get away with the above? And is there anything else I should consider?

 

[hamfist]

Personally, I'd only go with one sev. I have tried many, many times (in big tanks)to get sevs living peacefully with each other and, in my experience, have only succeeded once, when a certain male and female took a liking to each other.
You are right that nics can be aggressive annoying little @rseholes. I would stay away from them.
Other possible cichlids you could try are angelfish, festivum, A.heckelii, keyholes, bolivian ram etc. Even though most cichlids spend a fair amount of time near the bottom, I would avoid out and out bottom feeders like geos, as the bottom of your tank would be in danger of getting rather overcrowded with your catfish as well.
When going for a cichlid community, I always get just one specimen from each species. Things are usually so much more peaceful that way.
Another recomendation I would make is that you add all the fish, including any new ones at the same time into the new bigger tank. Even one day in a tank can build up quite a territorial feeling from certain cichlids, making them much more aggressive to any newcomers.

 

[tenohfive]

Most of the above amount to dwarves, and whilst I'm happy keeping dwarves in other tanks this is going to be my main tank and as such my pride and joy. I want to have big (ish) colourful fish - but within reason. I'm willing to take a gamble on personalities of fish, but only if theres a possibility of it working out - and would do so knowing that if I have to rehome fish that's not an issue. I guess I'm trying to say I've got an idea of how I want the tank to be, but recognise it might not work out quite as well as I hope and am open minded about what I eventually end up with.

Thanks for the tip about adding at the same time, if I can't get them all at once I'll set up holding tanks until they're all there - after the amount of rescaping I did trying to convince a Sajica, Ellioti and Acara to get along that sounds very sensible.

Anyone else got any thoughts?

 

[Davo86]

I'm sure you know my opinion on Nics, IMO they are one of the most underrated cichlids out there, never had a problem with mine and would highly recommend attempting them in your setup. And compared to other cichlids species definitely do not deserve the title of annoying and aggressive,

Personally I would stick with your initial stocking (4 cichlids + 5 cats) You've got nothing delicate in there so even if you do get a feisty individual (which all four specimens could potentially turn out to be) you shouldn't have a major issue IMO

 

[tenohfive]

Cheers Davo, I'm inclined to go down that route. Any more than 4 cichlids I considered optimistic from the start.

 

[Timmy_Bee]

are you planning on removing 2 if 2 pair up? beucase that might be an idea. Or even get 5 Sevs and wait for a pair.
Just be aware that obviously an 'active' pair might result in more fish for you to re-home...

I've only had Sev's for a few months, but mine are really growing on me. stunning fish.
Are you thinking of green, gold, rottie or red spot?

 

[tenohfive]

I can't decide...every time I make a decision I see a stunning photo of one of the other varieties. Provisionally though I'm veering toward rotkeils.

 

[minnnt]

I can't decide...every time I make a decision I see a stunning photo of one of the other varieties. Provisionally though I'm veering toward rotkeils.

 

[hamfist]

Don't forget to take a look at chocolate cichlids. They go very well with sevs, and have just as much character. You could certainly keep a choc, a sev and some smaller stuff in that tank.

 

[tenohfive]

I hadn't thought about chocolates, if the Sev/Sajica/Rainbow/Nicaraguan combo doesn't work out I'd definately consider them, although I don't think I've come across any in the flesh yet.

Any other options if the Nic turns out to be too much of a handful?

 

[tenohfive]

It's probably a very bad thing that my mind is working this way (from my bank managers perspective at least) but theoretically if I were to keep the old tank (180L) with the existing Sajica and Rainbow in there, what else could I get away with in the new tank? Assuming I went for a Sev and a Nic (I've had my heart set on both for a long time) - would I have many other options?

 

[Davo86]

With a Sev/Nic combo, next on my list would be an acara of some sort, although other contenders would definitely be a good sized EBJD, or as said a Chocolate


away from cichlids you could go for anything from Polypterus, a few botias maybe, a Rainbow shark, either Golden Panchax or ABF for the top, some large colombian or Buenos Airies tetras as dithers or maybe a few Hoplos

 

[tenohfive]

The possibility of an EBJD is definately a good thing - they're one of the few fish SWMBO has seen that she seemed to actually fall for.

Right! Off to come up with ways to subtly put the idea in her head that the front room would look great with two tanks....

 

[minnnt]

Where abouts are you mate? My LFS has Chocolates in, but i'm in Notts so don't know if that is too far for you or not?

 

[tenohfive]

I'm in Bedfordshire but the only place I buy fish from is Wildwoods - I've yet to find anywhere else within an hours drive that consistently give good advice and have such good quality stock. They're showing as having some Chocolates in stock at the moment and I'll be heading down there come payday for some GBR's for a community tank, so I'll have a nosy then.