Severum Tank Mates

[LisaLQ]

I'm hopefully getting (yes another) 6ft x 2ft x 2ft tank for my sevs (currently have 3 tiny babies - two red shouldered and one gold, sadly lost the other gold shortly after buying him - dodgy LFS = crap fish carrying whitespot and fungus). They're currently in my Rio 300 and will be til they're all clear of probs...but anyway....

What tank mates can I get to go in with them? Fish going to be in there so far are:

3 x severums (although if two pair off and cause bother it'll only be two)
5 x clown loaches (ranging from 2-5")
1 x bristlenose
1 x flash plec
1 x rusty plec (although contemplating selling/rehoming him as he's bossing the shy fish about)
..and possibly one gibby.

The flash and bristlenose might go in my other big tank, but I'd prefer them not to (as the other big tank is my hubby's). My clown loaches might be sold on too as they rarely come out and despite their reputation are doing nothing about the minor snail population in my Rio I do love them though, so I'll probably keep them anyway.

As I have to clear this tank of probs first, and then there's chrimbo coming up, I probably wont be able to add anything til the New Year, but on the off chance I have some spare money - what should I look for?

Anything apart from silver dollars please. They'd scare the crap out of my sevs

 

[SamUK]

a blue acara would go in there nicely.


i jus got one recently and hes one of my fave fish.


only a few inches at the mo but already swims about with hercules whos a good 8" now.

only took him a couple of days before he was coming to the front of the tank at feeding time too so they seem pretty smart.


a Uaru would be kewl too. i keep meaning to get one but there a bit more expensive than normal at £25+


look a bit like sevs too if you like them.

 

[RadaR]

How about Myleus schomburgkii?

Myleus schomburgkii (Jardine 1841), the Disk Tetra. Northern South America. To five inches in length. Cond.s: pH 5-7, dH to 10, temp. 23-27

Bandit Cichlid (Guianacara sp.) would be good too.

 

[LisaLQ]

Thanks for the ideas, species noted and shall google them shortly

I am fairly limited now to where I can get my fish from. My LFS has turned out to be absolutely crap, I personally wont use them again for fish (although my hubby says it's just bad luck and probably will), and being on crutches with no car/driving license, basically my only other option is sending hubby out to Leeds or ordering from Trimar again.

I'd actually thought of an acara, Sam - lovely looking - what are their temperaments like? My baby sevs are incredibly shy - dont know whether that's because they're poorly atm?

Incidentally, we're going to have to treat them again for white spot as the recommended Protozin has done little to improve it, in fact those who were looking better have now got it back. Last day of treatment today, and I'm tempted start again at full dose despite the clown loaches being in there. I guess it's risk losing them, or lose the whole lot of them Fat lot of good a 6ft tank will do me with no fish to put in it!

 

[RadaR]

Ive never had any luck with Protozin. Bumping the temp up to 30 and adding a table spoon of aquarium salt for every 3 gallons has worked for me twice now. Gravel cleans and increasing aeration helps too.

 

[jayjay]

RadaR you need the added aeration because your upping the temp.

Great information on ich

Practically anything IME can be kept with severums, I keep rainbow cichlids, bichir, sajica, blue acara, kissing gourami's, paradise fish etc. with mine with no problems.

 

[LisaLQ]

I cant add the salt with having the clown loaches though, and plecs in there too. It's been a real kick up the bum to remind me why a quarantine tank is essential. I wont get new fish in without quarantining again.

Edited to add - I'll post on the emergencies board rather than take this off track, sorry!

 

[vancouver]

Festivum should get along with severums, as should keyholes if you get decent sized ones.

If you're looking for a schooling fish, I quite like rainbows.

I also keep a chocolate cichlid with my severums.

 

[LisaLQ]

Although I've also always wanted a chocolate cichlid, I've not ever seen them for sale locally - and am I right in thinking they poop more than oscars? Love 'em though, lovely fish

I was thinking about some rainbows - which would be best? I can get Boesmanni, Lacustris or Trifasciata from Trimar. Well, that's what they have in stock now, but I'm sure they'll be in stock in the future too.

Also, if I were to go for acaras and festivums, what would be the best combination - also considering stocking levels? One of each? An acara and a pair of festivums? Five rainbows, or more/less?

I think that will be my choices though - I love rainbows, and acaras and festivums are beautiful and I can get them on Trimar too Thanks folks

 

[vancouver]

The more rainbows the better.. Sometimes males can fight amongst themselves, so the more you have the better. I have 6, but had to move 1, because the dominant one in the crew kept trying to kill it. I'm assuming it's because it's also a male.

Festivum should be fine by themselves or with a mate.. acaras I really don't know about.

Chocolate cichlids shouldn't produce as much waste as an oscar.. mine doesn't at least.

 

[SamUK]

ooops.

i wrote this and posted it when it was meant to be a PM.

ignore please lol.