Red Devils

[sevs]

At the Petland in my town they have a octagonal display aquarium stocked with two stingrays, two silver arrowanas, a clown knife, and a breeding pair of red devils. I asked the guy about the red devils because I thought they killed their tankmates but the guy said they actually were quite peaceful and even defended the stingrays from the arrowanas. Is that normal?

 

[Synirr]

I've heard of large cichlids like red devils and oscars getting attached to certain tankmates and protecting them, especially if they were raised with them, but I'm not sure how often it happens... I'd say that their red devils are more the exception than the rule, and if they haven't been in the tank long, just give them time... they'll get around to killing everything eventually

 

[xXMrBonesXx]

i've read with red devils that if you keep them in a big enough tank they're somewhat docile

though, never had the experience, mine cowers now when it sees me, im hoping its just a phase

 

[freddyk]

Big enough tank always fixes problems. Most cichlids are not so much outwardly aggressive as territorial and problems rise from too many fish in too small a tank (except the common fish-store style tank, where all different fish are stuffed into an undersized tank, so it's either a truce or everyone loses). Still I agree, it's often a matter of time. Plus, just because they live together doesn't mean some of the inhabitants aren't stressed out.

 

[Jason_S]

I used to have a midas in a very overstocked (I was still new to the hobby at the time) 75 gallon tank with several other cichlids. Of those other cichlids there was a blood parrot and a pair of convicts. Now keep in mind the largest cichlid was maybe 4" at this time. Anyway, the male convict liked to bully around the blood parrot, and everytime the blood parrot turned to swim away here came the midas to the rescue. The midas would chase off the male convict and stay by the parrot for a few minutes.

of course as the others have said, things change as fish get older. A couple months later the same thing would happen, but by this time the midas would chase of the male convict and then chase the blood parrot around. It wasn't long before I started taking some fish back to the lfs.

Anyway, in anything under 125 gallons it will be very, very difficult to get a midas or red devil to accept any tankmates...especially once the midas or devil gets to around 6-8" or so.