Smiles!

[Dieses Madchen]

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

This is true. Right now as we speak my hubs is at home cleaning sand to get the 55g and 65g up and going. I am also scouting for a 200g as I would like the Severums to be in the reccomended group of 4. My poor basement.....there will be no room with all the fish.

I am also going to the LFS to reclaim my GT the escaped lol.

As far as the Jewel, should they be completely alone, or just as a species. I was curious if I moved her to my 65g, would she get along with her own kind so I could get her a friend?

My next question is, as most fish turn aggresive as adults, how fast to GTs grow? The one they are holding for me is only about 1.5-2inches long right now. Just trying to guage how long I have to find me a 200g.


I appreciate everyones input. The guy at the LFS that sold me these little guys is a hobbyist, and told me that they could go together. The GTs and the severums were actually on in the same tank, but they are all very small juvies, which I am assuming is why they get along so well right now. I am very much considering all the input and trying to find a way to make the tank happy, as I really don't want to get rid of any of these 4. So I guess another tank is a must.

Def. want a 200g for the Sevs though, as they prefer a small group. Need alot of tank for that much fish lol

 

[Wills]

Have to admit never heard of Severums being kept in groups? Be interested to see the source of that info as I have always been of the understanding that they work singularly or in pairs - though large groups work in large tanks though its not a requirement?

For large tanks you cant really go wrong with a 6x2x2 - 4 or 5 Severums would work nice - plus space for more and if your GT is behaved no reason why they cant join them.

If you have a 55 and a 65 as well it could an idea to mix your Jewel with similarly aggressive small cichlids like Convicts, Salvini, Neets might work, and there are other riverine African Cichlids that are of similar temperments if you can find any of the smaller Tilapia that could work okay. With fast schoolers and tough catfish you could still have a resonably rounded tank.

I would not disregard the shop owners thoughts as this mix could work but I just think there are better combinations of cichlids that you could have gone for.

With regards cichlid growth rates and attitudes and sexual maturity I find that every 6 months upto about 2 years old springs new mood swings and behavior problems so its quite unpredictable - just something you have to be aware could happen.

Wills

 

[Dieses Madchen]

I read that a pair is okay, but a group of four is best (small group).

In regards to having African cichlids in with the Jewel, I was under the impression you cannot mix African cichlids and SA cichlids....

I will definitely keep an eye out for aggressive behavior. I am enjoying the fact that I have so many large empty tanks lol. Makes it so I don't have to take fish back to the store lol. I am pretty attached to that Jewel. I don't think anyone could pry her away. I would find a way to keep her, even if I ran out and bought another tank lol. I know, I'm cheesy.

But I really do appreciate all the advice, and I will do my best to make things right for the fish, as I do have their interests at heart.

 

[Wills]

Jewels are from Africa, just not from one of the Rift Lakes which you are correct in thinking can not be mixed with American Cichlids but there are a hand full of what are known as Riverine African Cichlids like your Jewel, Kribensis are in this group as are the Blockheads and quite a few others though many are not well represented in the hobby.

I am genuinely interested where you got the info on Severums from, they are one of my favorite fish so when I hear of info on them I dont know about I really really want to learn from it.

Totally understand your feelings for the Jewel - I am the same with my female Nicaraguan, 100% never letting her go even if it means second tank or rehoming all my other fish Its just great you are in a position to dedicate the space and effort to these fish I have the effort just not the space lol.

This certainly looks like the start of a brilliant cichlid collection

Wills

 

[Dieses Madchen]

Jewels are from Africa, just not from one of the Rift Lakes which you are correct in thinking can not be mixed with American Cichlids but there are a hand full of what are known as Riverine African Cichlids like your Jewel, Kribensis are in this group as are the Blockheads and quite a few others though many are not well represented in the hobby.

I am genuinely interested where you got the info on Severums from, they are one of my favorite fish so when I hear of info on them I dont know about I really really want to learn from it.

Totally understand your feelings for the Jewel - I am the same with my female Nicaraguan, 100% never letting her go even if it means second tank or rehoming all my other fish Its just great you are in a position to dedicate the space and effort to these fish I have the effort just not the space lol.

This certainly looks like the start of a brilliant cichlid collection

Wills

Thank you,and I am really glad that I posted this so that I can hear from people more experienced than I. It's good to know where I am going wrong lol. I got my Terror today, and he is actually guarding the sevs from the jewel right now. I am making haste with the 65g as I saw her nip at my gold sev. She will be moved by the end of the night. The terror is acting like a body guard.

I cannot seem to find the link to where I read about the severums. Maybe I misread? I know two is ideal for sure. Everything indicates pairs it seems.

 

[minnnt]

From my experience of keeping Sevs 2 can be a pain unless a proper mated mated pair. My Gold hates my Green and does nothing but chase it all day...

GT's are notoriously aggressive, but you stand a chance of them getting along as you have got them all at young ages so will get to grow up with each other, and as mentioned, you have a few tanks to move them out to if things go belly up (not literally!)

Told you the Jewel would be boss!

 

[Dieses Madchen]

From my experience of keeping Sevs 2 can be a pain unless a proper mated mated pair. My Gold hates my Green and does nothing but chase it all day...

GT's are notoriously aggressive, but you stand a chance of them getting along as you have got them all at young ages so will get to grow up with each other, and as mentioned, you have a few tanks to move them out to if things go belly up (not literally!)

Told you the Jewel would be boss!

Oh believe me, I took your words very seriously and monitored. I am setting up another tank as we speak!

But I cannot give her up.

Is there anything that you know of that she CAN be with? I don't want her to be alone, but I don't want her eating my fish either.

 

[minnnt]

Flowerhorn? Buttie? Red Devil?

Only other thing i would trust with her is a male, but then you WILL get fry... and you will find them very hard to move on due to their reputation.

 

[CrazyCichlaMomma]

the only thing i know of the jewels will live peacefully with is other jewels.. and that's not often peaceful, but you'll get a tank full of fish, they spawn often once you get a mated pair. have lots of hiding places, huts and rocks with holes and such.

i did have some synodontis petricola catfish in my jewel tank, and the jewels pretty much left them alone as long as they catfish didn't get into their stuff. you need more than 6 synodontis catfish though, they get lonely. but they are awesome little catfish, and far tougher than they look.

Jewel cichlids are african cichlids and they won't get along with the GT (notice i didn't even say maybe). if you're going to set up another tank anyway, make it a 90 or 100 gallon tank and put your GT in it, with the severums, but i think you might need more severums. and maybe even a few more GT, wait till two have paired off and then take the others back to the LFS. i personally like the silber saum "true" GT's better than the gold saum GT's, but they are VERY difficult to find in the hobby.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

the only thing i know of the jewels will live peacefully with is other jewels.. and that's not often peaceful, but you'll get a tank full of fish, they spawn often once you get a mated pair. have lots of hiding places, huts and rocks with holes and such,

Jewel cichlids are african cichlids and they won't get along with the GT (notice i didn't even say maybe). if you're going to set up another tank anyway, make it a 90 or 100 gallon tank and put your GT in it, with the severums, but i think you might need more severums. and maybe even a few more GT, wait till two have paired off and then take the others back to the LFS. i personally like the silber saum "true" GT's better than the gold saum GT's, but they are VERY difficult to find in the hobby.

I will be looking into a second hand tank, preferable 150-200g. The largest I have is 75g, but as of right not, the GT is 1.5 inch and the sevs are about an inch each. So I know I have a couple of months to find one. I usually find good tanks on craigslist for rather cheap. The LFS had the jewels listed under SA cichlids, so that was my bad. I just put in a temp divider till I get the other tank up.

I am moving the jewel to a 65g tanks, and giving the 75 for now to the GT and sevs.

The only one I really wanted was the GT lol. But my hubs loved the way the jewel looked, as well as the severums. We were under the impression they were compatible.....nope.

But like I said, I really like the jewel, so I am making means to keep her.

 

[MBOU]

Cichlids are such a hard one, no one experience will be completely the same...

But I found with severums as juvies that it didnt matter if they were kept as a group ora pair, they would always bee narky with each other.

I picked out a pair of red spot severums 2.5 years ago and as tiny juvies they went into a 340L tank with a young Arrowana and some discus and angels. They all got on great except the two severums, i dont know what it was but i was so bloomin convinved they were a male and female but they simply hated each other!

They were moved into a 440L tank where they were boss about 1.5 years ago and still they hated each other, there was still constant headbutting, food stealing, fin nipping, chasing... no real damage... so i persevered...

Only went and paired up to lay eggs recently the devils really playing hard to get that gal was!

But i always found it the same, you can lable cichlids and they will always surprise you... the only two species i wont ever touch again are Nandopsis Istlanum and Vieja Synspillum (or whatever they happen to have changed its name to this week) because they are completely psychopathic murders with no rhyme or reason, short of killing for the fun of it.

Jewels are a funny one, mostly they are mentalists but tbh, give her a chance, with cichlids you will ALWAYS have some barging about and the odd snide nip, they are like kids, if you seperate them from others they dont like as soon as they take a nip, it only encourages them that nipping makes the one they dont like go away. They arent stupid in the slightest!

Keep jewel in with malawis, never seen a more docile fish! Know for a fact she killed about 30 of her siblings and now she got a taste of her own medicine! Quiet as a mouse now!

 

[Dieses Madchen]

Cichlids are such a hard one, no one experience will be completely the same...

But I found with severums as juvies that it didnt matter if they were kept as a group ora pair, they would always bee narky with each other.

I picked out a pair of red spot severums 2.5 years ago and as tiny juvies they went into a 340L tank with a young Arrowana and some discus and angels. They all got on great except the two severums, i dont know what it was but i was so bloomin convinved they were a male and female but they simply hated each other!

They were moved into a 440L tank where they were boss about 1.5 years ago and still they hated each other, there was still constant headbutting, food stealing, fin nipping, chasing... no real damage... so i persevered...

Only went and paired up to lay eggs recently the devils really playing hard to get that gal was!

But i always found it the same, you can lable cichlids and they will always surprise you... the only two species i wont ever touch again are Nandopsis Istlanum and Vieja Synspillum (or whatever they happen to have changed its name to this week) because they are completely psychopathic murders with no rhyme or reason, short of killing for the fun of it.

Jewels are a funny one, mostly they are mentalists but tbh, give her a chance, with cichlids you will ALWAYS have some barging about and the odd snide nip, they are like kids, if you seperate them from others they dont like as soon as they take a nip, it only encourages them that nipping makes the one they dont like go away. They arent stupid in the slightest!

Keep jewel in with malawis, never seen a more docile fish! Know for a fact she killed about 30 of her siblings and now she got a taste of her own medicine! Quiet as a mouse now!

Yeah this one is quite mental lol. I do like her, but she has a bout an inch on the others so that worries me that she might actually do damage. But man, she is a stunner.

As for my severums, they don't leave each others side. Quite sure really. And the GT was playing pitbull against Jewel protecting the sevs. The fact that the sevs needed a body guard was what urged me to put a temp barrier.

We were thinking a malawi tank in the future. I might have to see about whether or not that could work. But I always have an extra tank lol.

But don't Jewels require different water parameters than the malawis? (I may be wrong)

Sorry for the questions, I seem to have quite a situation lol

 

[fishprotector]

My Jewel is fine with my other Cichlids. I have never seen it chase any of them. It normally just swims around next to my JD and eats a lot. Mind you, I bought it when it was less than an inch and it has been in my Cichlid tanks ever since.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

My Jewel is fine with my other Cichlids. I have never seen it chase any of them. It normally just swims around next to my JD and eats a lot. Mind you, I bought it when it was less than an inch and it has been in my Cichlid tanks ever since.

Yeah mine is a little on the bigger side lol. She was in a tank alone when I bought her. The GT and the sevs were in the same tank and they pal around with each other. Its weird lol

 

[Dieses Madchen]

So the jewel moved into her very own 55g tank today. I am researching possible tankmates. Everything I have read points to Haplochromis sp., less aggresive mbunas, and peacocks.....please experts, tell me if this research is right?

I ended up returning the green terror. I was worried that he could possibly turn aggresive to the severums and I really like the sevs. They are so darn cute.