Yep, my female nic was a b&*ch, killed her sibling and went on to terrorise everything else in the tank, including severums, aureus, geophagus and this was in a 125g tank, however, they arent all like that, so its like any other cichlid, some are peaceful and some can be real rogues.
Single Cichlids Rather Than Pairs
- Thread starter scouse_andy
- Start date
OP
OP
scouse_andy
Fishaholic
Thanks for the reassurance. I will be going with a female nicaraguan, 1 rotkeil, 5 rainbow cichlids, 10 columbian tetras and a medium sized plec then. 
Just got to keep an eye out for the nicaraguan now, tempted to go for a young adult as the juvies do look very drab.
Just got to keep an eye out for the nicaraguan now, tempted to go for a young adult as the juvies do look very drab.
njstockley
Fishaholic
andy
im in north london. my nic is about 2.5" atm and to be brutally honest is quite a plain looking fish. will get the pics up very soon. her eyes still look a bit big for her body. as for sexing, i read a bit on the internet (of course) and got some good advice (at least i think so) when i went to look at her. of course i know the second i get pics up it will either be wrong species or sex!
jds are great and mine is so dopey. i was worried firstly about holding it in my community whilst i wait for the stats to stabilise in the big tank, and also in with the sev, but its so busy showing off when it sees me near the tank that im not sure it has seen any of the other fish in there! as for the sev...such a great looking fish from juvi to adulthood. and again oblivious to any other fish in the tank - but still "monitoring closely" (my way of excusing staring at my tank for hours every day).
hopefully have these guys in the new tank over the weekend, and cant wait. i dont like looking at a big empty tank!
good luck on the hunt for the female nic. worth the effort IMO. what plec are you going for in there?
nick
im in north london. my nic is about 2.5" atm and to be brutally honest is quite a plain looking fish. will get the pics up very soon. her eyes still look a bit big for her body. as for sexing, i read a bit on the internet (of course) and got some good advice (at least i think so) when i went to look at her. of course i know the second i get pics up it will either be wrong species or sex!
jds are great and mine is so dopey. i was worried firstly about holding it in my community whilst i wait for the stats to stabilise in the big tank, and also in with the sev, but its so busy showing off when it sees me near the tank that im not sure it has seen any of the other fish in there! as for the sev...such a great looking fish from juvi to adulthood. and again oblivious to any other fish in the tank - but still "monitoring closely" (my way of excusing staring at my tank for hours every day).
hopefully have these guys in the new tank over the weekend, and cant wait. i dont like looking at a big empty tank!
good luck on the hunt for the female nic. worth the effort IMO. what plec are you going for in there?
nick
OP
OP
scouse_andy
Fishaholic
Looking forward to seeing some pics sometime soon. My tank appears to be cycling very slowly so it will be a while until there are any fish in there.
Much happier with the idea of a female nicaraguan than a single ellioti and I know a group of rainbows will look great once they've coloured up - a bit like the sev they can look quite drab as juvies.
As for the plec, I have only just started looking. Will go for max 10 inches - something with a bit of colour but not too delicate. I'll probably find a few L numbers I'd be happy with in my mind and then wait for one to show up in an LFS or rehome from somebody on a forum as to aim for a particular L number and hope to find it could involve a long wait. I'd be happy for any suggestions. I like the L310 Rusty Plec, had one once before and he was a real character. Most plecs you'd hardly ever see in my tank so I'll have to choose carefully.
Much happier with the idea of a female nicaraguan than a single ellioti and I know a group of rainbows will look great once they've coloured up - a bit like the sev they can look quite drab as juvies.
As for the plec, I have only just started looking. Will go for max 10 inches - something with a bit of colour but not too delicate. I'll probably find a few L numbers I'd be happy with in my mind and then wait for one to show up in an LFS or rehome from somebody on a forum as to aim for a particular L number and hope to find it could involve a long wait. I'd be happy for any suggestions. I like the L310 Rusty Plec, had one once before and he was a real character. Most plecs you'd hardly ever see in my tank so I'll have to choose carefully.
GShorty1981
Fish Herder
Watch out on the Rainbow Cichlids, they can be nasty, i had a Male dominate a tank of other CA's, much like a adult male convict, he caused lots of scrapes on the other fish, I noticed Star4 has got a bolshy one to.
Definitly wouldnt keep more than 1, if they breed they will cause chaos in a 240L
I also found a female Nic can be pretty nasty to conspecifics also, i kept a 6" Female a few years ago and she would fight like crazy with my 7" Male Green Terror. (her starting the fights non stop and i had to get rid of her in the end)
Definitly wouldnt keep more than 1, if they breed they will cause chaos in a 240L
I also found a female Nic can be pretty nasty to conspecifics also, i kept a 6" Female a few years ago and she would fight like crazy with my 7" Male Green Terror. (her starting the fights non stop and i had to get rid of her in the end)
OP
OP
scouse_andy
Fishaholic
I read about Star's rainbow bullying his new tank mates but have heard from lots of others that they are relatively peaceful. Same with the female nicaraguan, I think that you can find an example of any cichlid you care to mention bossing a tank if you look hard enough.
I'm naturally quite a cautious person and I feel that in stocking this tank, if I eliminated all the species that I've read about that could be a problem I'd be left with a shoal of tetra so I've got to take some risk somewhere.
I guess I really just have to be more flexible and see the nature of the fish when they're settled into the tank and go from there. If it comes to it and things aren't working I can pass fish on to other people on here or LFS and then consider a different option within the constraints of the other fish that will be in the tank at that point.
OP
OP
scouse_andy
Fishaholic
Been doing some more thinking and reading up on my stocking over the last few days - not a lot else to do fishwise as the cycle appears to be going very slowly!
Popped into a new LFS on the way home from work today and saw some really nice Threadfin Acara and pictus/flagtail catfish
A new possibilty is:
1 x rotkeil
10 x Colubian OR Buenos Aires Tetra
1 x Threadfin Acara OR Geophagus Sp Redhead
4-5 x Pictus / Flagtail Catfish
I have read up on Threadfin Acara and can see that these are often agressive (especially to conspecifics) but I'm tempted to give it a go. Would this or the tapajos work as a 2nd centrepiece along with the rottie?
Saw Buenos Aires Tetra and notice they get a bit bigger than columbians, does anyone have experience of these as dither?
As much as I enjoyed keeping plecs the last time, I'm not sure I'd see a lot of a plec in this tank and I'm loathe to spend £20-25+ on something colourful that never shows itself or gets bullied and I barely see.
I really liked the look of the flagtails and know they are pretty rare - would probably have bought them there and then if the tank was cycled but also really like the look of the pictus and think either of these would add a lot more activity to the bottom than a plec.
What do you think?
Popped into a new LFS on the way home from work today and saw some really nice Threadfin Acara and pictus/flagtail catfish
A new possibilty is:
1 x rotkeil
10 x Colubian OR Buenos Aires Tetra
1 x Threadfin Acara OR Geophagus Sp Redhead
4-5 x Pictus / Flagtail Catfish
I have read up on Threadfin Acara and can see that these are often agressive (especially to conspecifics) but I'm tempted to give it a go. Would this or the tapajos work as a 2nd centrepiece along with the rottie?
Saw Buenos Aires Tetra and notice they get a bit bigger than columbians, does anyone have experience of these as dither?
As much as I enjoyed keeping plecs the last time, I'm not sure I'd see a lot of a plec in this tank and I'm loathe to spend £20-25+ on something colourful that never shows itself or gets bullied and I barely see.
I really liked the look of the flagtails and know they are pretty rare - would probably have bought them there and then if the tank was cycled but also really like the look of the pictus and think either of these would add a lot more activity to the bottom than a plec.
What do you think?
Davo86
Cichlids, Catfish and Oddballs
Buenos Airies are quite a strong willed feisty Tetra species so would be just as good if not better, Mine were fine with the cichlids,
Threadfin Acaras are usually much more territorial bordering on aggressive than anything you have previously mentioned, It might work but tbh I haven't come across many happy endings where these are concerned. Geophagus Tapajos could work in a group but are definitely not one I would recommend keeping alone, and with there adult size of 5-6" you could afford to keep a small group.
Pictus should work ok provided the final stocking has nothing too aggressive, When I first added my Pims (P.Blochii) someone in my tank decided to bite off their barbels, but these soon grew up and touch wood have been ok since.
Flagtail Catfish could also work and I know Wills is planning to add some of these to his setup with his Nica, Sev and Geos
Threadfin Acaras are usually much more territorial bordering on aggressive than anything you have previously mentioned, It might work but tbh I haven't come across many happy endings where these are concerned. Geophagus Tapajos could work in a group but are definitely not one I would recommend keeping alone, and with there adult size of 5-6" you could afford to keep a small group.
Pictus should work ok provided the final stocking has nothing too aggressive, When I first added my Pims (P.Blochii) someone in my tank decided to bite off their barbels, but these soon grew up and touch wood have been ok since.
Flagtail Catfish could also work and I know Wills is planning to add some of these to his setup with his Nica, Sev and Geos
OP
OP
scouse_andy
Fishaholic
hmmm yeah, I think the Threadfin Acara would be risky - they do look so good though.
If I could get away with a group of Tapajos red, however, it is a bit of a no brainer.
How many Tapajos could I get in there with 1 rotkeil, 10 Colubian/Buenos Aires, 4-5 pictus or flagtails? Would 4 be ok?
I know geos can get involved in squabbles from what I've read - would 4 help to spread the aggression? I'd just have to hope they didn't pair up.
Also where in the tank do geos tend to occupy? The name eartheater always makes me think bottom but will they hang around mid-tank too?
If I could get away with a group of Tapajos red, however, it is a bit of a no brainer.
How many Tapajos could I get in there with 1 rotkeil, 10 Colubian/Buenos Aires, 4-5 pictus or flagtails? Would 4 be ok?
I know geos can get involved in squabbles from what I've read - would 4 help to spread the aggression? I'd just have to hope they didn't pair up.
Also where in the tank do geos tend to occupy? The name eartheater always makes me think bottom but will they hang around mid-tank too?
Rambo my rainbow is crazy!!! Other people I know with rainbows dont have problems. I suspect that they do better in a group rather than a single male. My threadfin however is no trouble at all. thats fish for you.
Davo86
Cichlids, Catfish and Oddballs
The Geos will be middle to bottom, and yeah I would say 4 should be fine,
Something I haven't seen mentioned is what substrate you are planning? Geos will appreciate either a very fine gravel (ideally no more than 3mm) or sand in order to allow them to show their natural behaviour.
Something I haven't seen mentioned is what substrate you are planning? Geos will appreciate either a very fine gravel (ideally no more than 3mm) or sand in order to allow them to show their natural behaviour.
OP
OP
scouse_andy
Fishaholic
yeah this is what I'm definitely finding and I haven't even put my first fish in the tank yet
- when I was keeping community fish a few years ago it was so much easier to plan stock. I do enjoy planning it all out and researching things though, there are so many possibilities.
OP
OP
scouse_andy
Fishaholic
I've got sand in there so that one is covered.
Really chuffed that I can go with 4 tapajos
hamfist
Fish Herder
Threadfins are only aggressive to conspecifics really in my experience. A singleton would be a great addition to any cichlid community IMO. They Can stick up for themselves but rarely start anything. Highly recommended ! Very confident fish generally too.
Davo's suggestion that things often end badly with them will, I suspect, always involve conspecific aggression.
But be aware that they do not thrive in hard, alkaline water.
OP
OP
scouse_andy
Fishaholic
Thanks for this, Hamfist. They did look absolutely gorgeous as juvies in the shop and I saw a couple of adults in videos on youtube and they looked even better. The hard alkaline water bit has put me off though.
Not to worry as I am very excited at the prospect of a group of tapajos geos in the tank. Just got to find some now. They are the one fish in my stocking plans that I am having trouble getting hold of. Anybody know anyone/anywhere selling?
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