75 gallon pike.

[Chad55]

Been out of the game for a few years. I am currently setting up a 75 gallon with a 20 gallon sump filter pumping around 500ish GPH. I want to get a (or a couple) really colorful but fun pikes for it. I cant even remember where to start looking or doing research. I would love suggestions, info, places to look/buy anything would be great!.Thank you

Chad

 

[mrrobxc]

Buy a group of youngsters from the saxatilis group. Saxatilis young can be rough on eachother so provide PLENTY of hiding places like pvc tubes until the fish pair off.

You can also do a pair of the smaller Lugribus pikes. They get along great as juvies but will get rough on eachother as they hut puberty. This is more of a gamble since lugubris pikes are robust fish that produce lots of waste.

Lastly, you can do a group of dwarfs. If you do regani, you can get a small group and let them settle into a pair or a trio. If you do compressiceps, they are very high in conspecific aggression so limit them to a pair.

 

[Chad55]

Oh I like the idea of a trio or pair of dwarfs. Do you think a 75 would be large enough to keep other CA/SA cichlids also without them getting beat on too badly? I am planning almost half a tank of slate and hopefully I will be able to find some nice driftwood too. I would really like to have about a dozen Cory cats a sajica and maybe one or two other like sized cichlids. The bio load should not be an issue with the 20 gallon sump.

 

[mrrobxc]

Cory would work. Dwarf pikes are peaceful with heterospecifics. I would recommend sticking with S. American. Guinacara would make a nice substitute for the sajica. Any cichlid from 2 to 6 inches would work. Heck, even a severum would work.

 

[Chad55]

Any reason in specific you think CA cichlids wont work? I had a sajica back in the day that I never got to grow out and I REALLY would like to try another one.

Chad

 

[mrrobxc]

You can mix them with the compressiceps since they are a more neutral water fish. The regani and nophthalmus need softer water. Sajicas are hard water fish.

If you really want the sajica, get the crenicichla compressiceps. A few vendors have them for sale online. Try wetspot, freshwater exotics, and aquabid for them.

 

[Chad55]

Would it be difficult to keep multiple compressiceps?

 

[jamntoast]

dunno about compressiceps, but I have a (more less) unidentified pike from the sax group with a handful of guianacara and they get along great in a 90g which has about the same foot print as a 75 just taller. he spends most time in the lower mid tank area hunting around. it is still smaller though 3-4" but very little aggression

 

[mrrobxc]

Compressiceps have very high conspecific aggression. In my 150, I kept a group of 4 and they hated eachother. I'd limit to a trio.