Cichlids And Compatability

[shaygreen11]

ok so i have a 500ltr tank... iv decided i want to make it a cichlid tank but i already have fish in it from my old tank... im going to rehome the fish that wont be compatable with the cichlids... can someone tell me which of my fish could stay...
 
atm i have...
 
*Synodontis Eupterus (squeeker)
*Opaline Guirami
*Golden Guirami
*2 Silver dollars
*2 Silver sharks
*Angel Fish
*2 Paradise Fish
*2 Tiger Barbs
*Golden Bristlenose Plec
*Twig Catfish
*Jewel Malawi Cichlid
*Rainbow Shark
 
 
the cichlids i am interested in are ... ( i dont want all of these. they are just some that have caught my eye so far) ..
 

*apistos
*parrot fish
*severum
*acarichthys
*geophagus
*texas
*jack dempsey
*pantano
 
which of these would be fine in my tank??
 
thankyou

 

 

[the_lock_man]

I'm going to move this thread to the cichlid section and hopefully it'll get some specialist interest shortly.

 

[shaygreen11]

thankyou

 

[Wills]

Hi

those lists are quite full of contrasts, you kind of have a few choices to make as to if you want a calmer cichlid tank or a bit more of a rough and tough tank. For example the Geos and Threadfin would have a tough time with the stronger cichlids and also would find some of the faster fish in there a bit problematic. Preferably I wouldnt mix these Cichlids with Gourami as well. 
 
The easiest thing is to probably suggest a few stocking lists

But first Ill just run through the cichlids you listed as to how they could work.
 
Apistos  -  potentially too small to work with most of the other fish mentioned
Parrot fish - not my personal favorite of fish but could work if this was one of the main requirements
Severum - great fish for this size tank and can work with tons of options

Acarichthys - same as Severum
Geophagus - good candidate for the tank if you have sand, just remember they are gregarious cichlids that appreciate being in groups.
Texas - could work but would be a tougher set up than the geos and sev
Jack dempsey - same as Texas
Pantano - Im not sure even 500 litres are big enough for these truly gentle giant - they get over 2 foot long and are built like a house!
 
Option 1
 
1 x Severum (any species or strain, go for a male though preferably)
1 x Acarichthys (stick to one, they can be quite species intolerant)
4 x Geophagus - I would probably go for Geophagus sp Tapajo Red Head as they are a smaller species of Geo and are generally stunning

All Geophagus are gregarious fish and always do best in groups, get them as youngsters and let them form a hierachy as they grow - they will also interact with the Threadfin who will probably end up at the top of the group

1 x Angel Fish - will fit nicely into the tank, how old are they? Im wondering if they could accept a friend/ mate?
1 x Synodontis Eupterus
1x BN Plec
1 x Twig Catfish - what kind of twig is this? Is it a Farlowella or is it a type of Whiptail like Sturisoma?
 
So that would be the peaceful tank, its quite similar to my tank I have a Severum and a Threadfin

and my tanks 512 liters. I would also still want to add a school of something - some kind of mid sized tetra would work great like Bleeding Heart Tetras or Flame Tetras - or you could look at some headstanders with them, though not Leporinus.
 
Option 2
 

1 x Texas
1 x Jack dempsey

1 x Synodontis Eupterus (squeeker)
6 x Silver dollars
15 x Tiger Barbs
1 x Rainbow Shark
 
Again there are probably more fish for this set up as well. But these are just starting points

If I have missed any of your favorites that you wanted to keep and/or get let me know and we can work up a list that will work for you and the fish

 
Hope thats helped
 
Wills

 

[shaygreen11]

thankyou the main ones id like to keep are
 
squeeker
twig catfish
rainbow shark
silver dollars
silver sharks
bn plec
 
i think the twig is a farlowella
 
the angel is young. from nose to tail it is about an inch and a half, it had a mate which sadly died
 
im looking for colour, a bit more size and still a variety of cichlids i dont want a species tank, but i do want fish where when people look they can say "wow" at every fish
 
any ideas would be great
what about oscars?

 

[Wills]

With Oscars its best to have the tank based around them where as at the moment the other fish are more important. I think the other fish you mentioned can work with that mix.
 
Although it is a big tank, Silver Sharks are just one of those fish that should not be in the hobby, they get huge are migratory fish and swarm in huge numbers - in a tank I would ideally want them in 700 litres plus - but unfortunately they are such a common fish this rarely (if ever) happens... They are also incredibly skitish fish (due to it not being possible to keep enough together to keep them calm) Its upto you but of the list there - those are the ones I would try to rehome - if you have a Maidenhead near you they are usually good at taking in big fish and rehoming them responsibly.
 
That mix of fish, in the right numbers will work well with the first list I mentioned which is probably my favorite - but it depends on which of the cichlids you would want. Numbers wise for the fish listed I would look at something like. 
 
6 Silver Dollars
1 Featherfin Catfish
1 Rainbow Shark
1 BN Plec (or 2 if you want to find a mate)
1 Farlowella (be careful with these, they are incredibly hard to keep in tanks as most need a specific type of bacteria in their gut which they only get in the wild, however some do manage to adapt to life without it)
 
Which of the cichlids on the list where you really wanting?
 
Wills

 

[shaygreen11]

ok.... i have been researching... so here goes ( i shall start looking for a home for the 3 silver sharks i have, i didnt realise how much they shouldnt be in aquariums so i will try and find a good responsible home for them) 
 
the twig iv never had issues with it seems really happy (didnt know they needed bacteria )
 
sooo my friend has a tank which i am going to donate my fish too but keep some so this is what il be keeping...
 
 
squeeker
silver dollars
bn plec
jewel cichlid
rainbow shark
 
 
 
the cichlids i have decided i like best are...
 

oscar 
jack dempsy
convict
green terror
texas
aspistos 
 
so whats my options? lol 

 

[shaygreen11]

anymore help?

 

[star4]

Going on personal experience.
 
I would be worried about an oscar with a bn, unless its a very large one, my oscar tried to swallow a pictus cat.
 
JD should be ok with all of the above, my JD was lovely, when young they can be boisterous but mellow out when they get older.
 
Convict should be ok with all of the above - nice fish too, another option similar to the convict would be a green flier those would be fine.
 
GT - cant comment only kept them short periods until homes found.
 
Texas - not with silver dollars I am afraid, for some reason my texas would attack silver dollars.
 
Apisto's - not really with a squeeker, these are very boisterous fish and would stress apisto's too much and possibly conflict with the Jewel too.
 
Hope this helps

 

[shaygreen11]

yeah that helps greatly, with the size tank iv got what do you think would be the best stocklist to try and fit as many of the cichlids i like in? i can remove some of the originals to a friends tank if you dont think they would work, thankyou

 

[shaygreen11]

giraffe cichlid?

 

[AeonMapa]

Ok a few things before you start a cichlid tank. You should first learn how to categorize cichlids. Cichlids in each category generally do well with those from the same ones. First you need to sort them geographically. African and new world cichlids don't mix. That giraffe cichlid you mentioned needs harder water and higher Ph than most of the fish in your tank.
 
Next sort by temperament. Aggressive fish will bully and kill most other tankmates. Semi-aggressive will be territorial, but are mostly defensive fish that will fight back if they need to, and can be kept with most non-cichlids. Peaceful cichlids will mostly run and hide from  a fight. Bear in mind that all cichlids are territorial and problems will arise if they are not given enough space. The more aggressive cichlids need more space than the calmer ones. Also if you have a breeding pair, they will do everything to keep their spawn safe, peaceful species or not.
 
The texas cichlid and green terror fall firmly under the aggressive category. These fish can be quite dangerous to tankmates.
 
The Oscar, jack Dempsey and convicts are somewhere in between semi aggressive and aggressive. These fish are more than capable of handling themselves around aggressive cichlids.
 
In a tank your size, I would go for either a Green terror or a texas plus either a Oscar, Dempsey, or two MALE convicts (breeding convicts are very deadly and will soon overrun your tank). Also I will suggest a Severum which is a very peaceful fish that can handle itself quite well around aggressive tankmates
 
Apistos are tiny fish and have no place in that tank unless its as expensive live food.
 
Also remember that cichlids all have their own personality and some can be quite different from the species description. With all cichlids careful observation of the social ladder and quick interference if a problem arises is the best solution.
 
Good luck and I hope you enjoy whichever cichilds you choose!  

 

[shaygreen11]

so would this potentially work?
 
oscar
green terror
jack dempsey
severum
my featherfin catfish
and some large silver dollars?

 

[AeonMapa]

you may want to reduce the number of large cichlids to 3. Even though the tank can handle the bioload its really a matter of territory. I think any three of those four will be ok in your tank. I'd leave out the green terror to be extra sure.

 

[shaygreen11]

i really lie green terrors tho, my tank has a large footprint, plus wouldnt it be better having more so that they cant form territories?