Different Fish To Add

[Mr Spoon]

Hi, i have a juwel rio 400 and want to add some different fish with my new world cichlids, i thought about a red tail black shark and a pleco, do you have any other suggestions that will mix in well. I definitely want to get some sort of pleco for eating algae.

filtration - fluval fx5 & 405
fish - Red Severum, Green Severum, Chocolate Cichlid, 2 Rainbow Cichlids, 4 Firemouth Cichlids

Thanks for any suggestions, spoon

Also will a blue Acara fit in with this group

 

[Wills]

I wouldnt add any more cichlids to that mix, thats 3 big 12 inch cichlids and 6 5-8 inch cichlids in there so quite a few there already, I know its a big tank but I think thats your territory limits there really.

As for other fish to consider, in that size tank most plecs would be fine in there personally I would stick to 8 inches max as any bigger and they start to impact on the filtration too much IMO. Did you have any in particular?

How about some headstanders of some kind? Marbled headstanders would be cool in there, hoplo catfish or pictus would be good as well. Maybe even a black ghost knife fish? I know minxyfish has mixed one with similar cichlids with good success..

Have you considered a school? Like of a big tetra like columbian tetras?

Wills

 

[Mr Spoon]

I wouldnt add any more cichlids to that mix, thats 3 big 12 inch cichlids and 6 5-8 inch cichlids in there so quite a few there already, I know its a big tank but I think thats your territory limits there really.

As for other fish to consider, in that size tank most plecs would be fine in there personally I would stick to 8 inches max as any bigger and they start to impact on the filtration too much IMO. Did you have any in particular?

How about some headstanders of some kind? Marbled headstanders would be cool in there, hoplo catfish or pictus would be good as well. Maybe even a black ghost knife fish? I know minxyfish has mixed one with similar cichlids with good success..

Have you considered a school? Like of a big tetra like columbian tetras?

Wills

Thanks for advice and suggestions , agree about territory limit on my cichlids. My lfs has some nice marbled head standers, i wanted some for my other rio 400 but decided against it because of my plants, but in this tank i only have plants on wood, so i guess they would leave them alone. I like pictus catfish, wow a ghost knife, i would never have considered one of those, will they get enough to eat with all those greedy cichlids in there as i thought they are very timid fish that are slow eaters?

About the pleco i was thinking about a gold spot pleco as i have one in my other rio 400 that keeps the tank algae free, on the other hand i could get a less common pleco like a green or adontis.

Not so interested in tetras for this tank.

 

[star4]

RTBS is great in a cichlid tank, I have one in mine, soon as a squabble starts he breaks it up. Personally I would go for a smaller plec if you have one, commons & gibbys get so big and create so much mess. (but I do love big plecs)

 

[Mr Spoon]

RTBS is great in a cichlid tank, I have one in mine, soon as a squabble starts he breaks it up. Personally I would go for a smaller plec if you have one, commons & gibbys get so big and create so much mess. (but I do love big plecs)

Your rtbs sounds great, i love rtbs's, i had one years ago that got quite big, they seem to swim more relaxed when they get bigger.

A smaller pleco will make sense, any recommendations?, not bristle noses as i have them in other tanks.

How about Synodontis catfish?

 

[Mr Spoon]

I got some Boesmani Rainbows and a rainbow shark to go with my cichlids. They are active fish and my cichlids seem more relaxed now and not hiding as much, it's as if the new fish swimming around has given my cichlids more confidence

 

[Wills]

Ah cool that sounds like some good tank mates Schooling fish will always improve cichlid confidence as it shows them the water is safe and the cichlids we keep are usually not top dog in a river and so use the mentality that if the "brainless" schooling zippy fish are out and about it must be safe for them to do it.