Smiles!

[Dieses Madchen]

So my husband and I went to the LFS to look around. We bought a bunch more rocks for our 75g tank. Well, they had a large assortment of cichlids today and my husband just wanted them all. He especially caught on to the pretty Jewel that was in a tank all by herself. He started asking the LFS guy (who was also a hobbyist) about them, and told me he wanted to buy this fish. I let my hubby know that the tank was not cycled and therefore not ready for fish. Here's where it gets good.

Since it was the last fish in the tank, they gave me the established media

Added that with the media I have, we bought a total of 4 small fish

1 Jewel Cichlid, 1 Green Severum, 1 Gold Severum, 1 Green Terror (always wanted a green terror)

per everything I read, i am not getting anymore Jewels or Green Terrors, as everything I read indicates that these are best kept alone, as they get evil when breeding.

I do plan to add to the severums. But I am going to monitor the water to make absolute sure that the tank is adequetely cycled for these fish. I have the full filter from the Jewel tank at the lFS and 1/3 the media from a tank supporting 20 community fish.

The only part that I am confused on is i read that green terrors uproot plants on one website, and then I read on another that they need plants. Which is it, and which plants are good in the tank with these 4 fish?

Here are some pictures of the newcomers. My first ever cichlids. I do not have a picture of the green terror. I have to go back to the store to pick him up. At some point between the bucket to the little plastic bag, the hyper little guy jumped out! I called up there when i realized that there were only 3 fish in the bag. They had already rescued him and returned him to water. He is well and good lol.

 

[Hunterprey]

Nice fish! I just bought an 8-9 inch Green Severum myself. Kinda bosses my Blood Parrot, nothing too serious tho. They look nicer when they get bigger. Good luck with your new fishies!

 

[Dieses Madchen]

Nice fish! I just bought an 8-9 inch Green Severum myself. Kinda bosses my Blood Parrot, nothing too serious tho. They look nicer when they get bigger. Good luck with your new fishies!

Thank you. What kind of plants do you have for these guys? Or do you have a primarily rock based environment.

 

[Hunterprey]

I have some nice fake plants Im not sure about having plants for this fella. Whenever the plants move in a strange way, he chases them, bites it and try to tear it apart. Luckily its fake, I just attach the suction cup back to the glass after he pulls it off.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

Good to know. I have read mixed information. 4 website suggested plants, 3 said no lol. I have a LOT of rocks that I have arranged to form plenty of caves and hidey holes for them right now. I just cannot wait to get back to the LFS to reclaim my Green Terror. Sneaky little creature....jumping out of the bucket like that lol

 

[Hunterprey]

Prolly best to not have live plants seeing as mine attacks the fake plants with so much anger I missed the part about the Green Terror jumping out, haha hopefully the GT is OK. Im fairly new to Cichlids too. Had my BP for just a year, but Im starting to really like Cichlids they have quite a personality. Hopefully they all get along if I add an Oscar. Heres my Green Sev not the best picture tho

 

[Dieses Madchen]

Oh he is a beaut! My husband knew I always wanted a Green Terror, so we based the stocking off of that. When i saw the Jewel, I had to have her. Go figure that the only fish not in my tank is the one I REALLY wanted lol. But Like said, I am going back tomorrow to get him. They had about 20 juvies, so i will probably end up with a different one. The guy who was helping up really knows how to choose fish though, as he found the brightest one for me. Right now the jewel is the biggest. About 4 inches right now. The severums are about 2 inches apiece and the terror is about 2 inches.

I may add 2-3 more severums, but its only a 75 gallon If I have 5 sevs at 9 inches apiece that is already 45 inches of fish! I am trying to keep the stocking light as these are larger fish and each on is a centerpiece!

 

[minnnt]

Severums will devour any plants so bare that in mind. Also the jewel will probably still turn aggressive, they're evil!

Also, have you ever seen a fully grown sev? They're huge, 9" is an undertatement.

 

[Hunterprey]

Severums will devour any plants so bare that in mind. Also the jewel will probably still turn aggressive, they're evil!

Also, have you ever seen a fully grown sev? They're huge, 9" is an undertatement.

I wanted to add a Red Jewel Cichlid myself, but I heard theyre aggressive so I didnt bother. Plus I think they might just end up as a snack for my Polys.

I have a Green Sev around 9" how much bigger is he gonna get?

 

[minnnt]

Probably another 2-3" lol. They're like dinner plates when fully grown. Rotkeils usually stay a bit smaller.

Jewel cichlids are beautiful, can be very colourful, but best kept alone in their own tank imo. Their aggression is up there with the best of them. They can even survive a fully stocked Mbuna tank and often rule these too.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

I will keep that in mind. Even though the Jewel will be smallest fish in the tank?

This tank will be very mildly stocked, being as the fish in it are aggressive by nature. I am thinking of leaving it with the 4 that are in to make sure there is plenty of room to stake out territories. If that Jewel becomes evil, I will find her a new home.

I did research these fish and everything I found indicated that the Jewel was compatible with the green terror and sevs. (each of these three has very small compatibility lists lol)

 

[karin]

Yea once the sev's grow out you are really overstocked so keep an eye on filtration. Most recommend an absolute max of two heros eficasciatus for a 75 g. If well taken care of they can go upwards of 11 inches. Also, Green Terrors are terrors whether breeding or not. Often they need to be in tanks by themselves. You won't have any problems for a while but once they hit 5 inches, there are many stories of them "snapping" and going on killing sprees. They are really in a different class of aggression from the sevs. Keep a close eye and consider that the green terror may need the whole tank to himself. Also green terrors, while I believe they grow slowly, are large fish and many keep a single in a 75 g.

Good luck

 

[micko]

Always wanted a green terror. They're stunning.

Say goodbye to your plants though. Severum will eat plants quicker than silver dollars IME!

 

[Dieses Madchen]

I only have rocks at the moment lol.

 

[Wills]

Great looking fish, but I have to echo the others be careful with the Jewel and the GT both are really different to Severums in levels of aggression and both could easily demand the whole tank. Sometimes they are fine though but its more likely they will turn aggressive. At least you have an other tank that you could move any bullied fish to temporally while you work out what to do.

Wills