Wanted: Suggestions On Fairly Large, Fairly Peaceful Cichid

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RipSlider

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Hello all.

I wonder if I can get some suggestions from you regarding some of the options I'm thinking about for my tank.

Tank is getting completely re-built and re-stocked. It is a fairly tall 1,100 liter tank, so I can take some fairly large fish. However, I don;t like agressive species, and I want to plan a fairly peaceful community tank.

The idea at the moment is:

6-8 medium to fairly large new world cichlids
1 large shoal of either Odessa barbs, Red line torpedo barbs or Congo tetra's ( all of which are fairly large fish ) shoal will be between 20-30 fish
1 group of Brochis Britskii catfish on the bottom ( Imagine a 4-5" cory ).

The question I have is "Which cichlids would you suggest"

Ideally, I would like a single species, although different colour morphs or sub species are fine. However, I guess I could have a few different species, with a pair of each, but would prefer not to.

Current thoughts are:

1) Discus, although they don't really "do" it for me, and I will be working away from home regulalrly in the week, so can only be certain of being able to do a single water change

2) Urau

3) Severum - like these a lot but have read they can be a bit grumpy, and best kept in pairs only

4) Blue Acra - Also like these a lot, but understand they can be a bit grumpy in groups

5) Festivals - love these fish, but wouldn't mind something a little bigger.


Any thoughts, comments etc on these choices, or any other options, would be very gratefully recieved.

Thanks

Steve
 
#2, I was thinking of getting these sometime in the future as a breeding project. Not very common any more, at least around here.

I like your catfish selection BTW! :good: My only concern would be how they would handle the higher temps fish such as discus would require.
 
Hey, what are the dimensions of your tank?

you say that certain fish such as acaras and severums "can be a bit grumpy in groups" well in a 1100 litre tank, provided it is a regular long tank and not a weird custom shape, you shouldn't have too many problems with a small group, although you must appreciate that with all cichlids you will see some form of aggression been shown once in a while.

You could have a look at Nicaraguence, they can show some very nice colours and can get to around 8 to 10". Also they are considered one of the more peaceful cichlids. (my avator hows my 5" nic, at no where near his full colour)
 
Tank is shorter and higher than expected. It's 29 inches high, and a little short of 6 and 1/2 feet long. Big mistake getting such a deep tank, as it can be a pain to clean.

Had a trip to the LFS today and saw the chap who consistently gives me good advice. His preference was for Sev's or Frontosa's, but that's only because he is a frontosa fanatic.

His other suggestion was a group of blue acara's, which I've always understood to be fairly agressive, but he has a shoal of 9 at home and he's not had any problems at all with them.

I know they're dull, but I do keep thinking of Festivals, just becuase I know from experience they're really peaceful and do well in a group. Not quite the size and level of interest I was hoping for though.

Steve
 
by festivals, I take it you mean festivums Mesonatua festivus.
don't underestimate them they are stunning as adults and have great characters.
even better but much harder to find are blue festivums Mesonatua insignis

my second choice would be severums, which now come in a great many colours
using selective breeding processes (not dyed fish).

I too have a tall tank (30" of water) and amongst the fish in there is an adult festivum and red severum.
 
by festivals, I take it you mean festivums Mesonatua festivus.
don't underestimate them they are stunning as adults and have great characters.
even better but much harder to find are blue festivums Mesonatua insignis

my second choice would be severums, which now come in a great many colours
using selective breeding processes (not dyed fish).

I too have a tall tank (30" of water) and amongst the fish in there is an adult festivum and red severum.


I prefer severums over festivums but i think both would be ideal for your needs. Maybe the severum a little more cause they're a bit bigger
 
I'm a Fontosa fan, but remember....those are African, not New World...but I would love one or two myself. They are considered to be the Oscar of the African world.

I love the Cory choice, by the way. :) I'm a huge cory fan. ;)

I would go with number 2 or 5 myself.
 
id go with severums and festivums. and also id suggest black skirt tetras, their a great, hardy fish. mine are so active and they have grown so much since i bought them a couple weeks ago.
 
OK,

Lets say I settle with Severums and Fesival's.

What kind of numbers of each will be OK? I know that festivals love to shoal, so I'm thinking 5 of these.

And then perhaps 5 severums. Or are they like discus, and prefer bigger groups?

Steve
 

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