210 Mainly SA and CA Cichlid Display Help Choose

[Rainbowshrink]

Hi Everyone,

I am an experienced African Cichlid keeper making his way over to New Worlds. I am looking to start a tank with fish in the 3-4" range and have them grow up together. I am also going to throw in a few oddballs. Let me know your thoughts...

Here is a list:

6 brown knife fish
Pair of Jack Dempseys
Pair of Electric blue Acara
Geo Brasil. (1)
Acar Heckelli (1)
Caq Myersi (1)
Heros Notatus (1)
H. efasciatus (1)
Archo Centratchus (1)
Hyp Nicaguensis (1)
P. Managguensis (1)
V. Melanura (1)
T. Salvini (1)

1 or 2 plecos

3-4 Myleus Sp.

Thoughts or input would be appreciated. Tank pic attached. No fish purchased yet.

Best,

Andy

 

[Buphy]

Great looking tank! My initial thoughts on stocking... Brown knives are gonna have trouble getting food. Also I'd drop the jag. If you get a male eventually he's gonna make snacks out of the smaller ones.

 

[Rainbowshrink]

Thanks Buphy. If I drop the smaller fish like the Acaras, could I keep the Jag?

 

[LogiBear]

Wont try to help here my brain is a bit fried... Just following along to see what you choose

Although i will say, JDs, Jags, and Salvinis are all mean fish. They might be a hassle with some of the Souths...?

And from experience... Salvinis really can be horrific. Like little yellow dovii

 

[Buphy]

Thanks Buphy. If I drop the smaller fish like the Acaras, could I keep the Jag?

Potentially, but I think you'll find you'll have a much better experience if you follow Logibear's advice (sort of) and drop the CA. While mixing SA/CA works better than mixing one of the type with African rift lake cichlids, there is a general temperament differences between the 2. CA is generally where your "big bad ass" cichlids come from, where as SA you get much more peaceful (relatively speaking) fish.

An edit to this; Not trying to say that CA cichlids are bad a bad choice, particularly given the tank size, but generally you'll have better luck with a cichlid "community" with SA cichlid.

 

[Rainbowshrink]

Thanks for the info. I will stick to SA and add some other geo-type species. Will post when I am done! Going to order from Jeff Rapps in a week or so!

 

[adamsfishes]

Thanks for the info. I will stick to SA and add some other geo-type species. Will post when I am done! Going to order from Jeff Rapps in a week or so!

Sticking with one or the other is wise. For an SA community, I'd look at some these to start off:
Crencichla zebrina
Wild-type Oscar
Green Terror male
Threadfin Acara
Blue Acaras
Bolivian Rams
Biotodoma Cupido
Chocolate Cichlid
Green Phantom pleco
Red Terror female (maybe)

If I was going to "cheat", I'd do a school of Roseline "sharks" because they are beautiful and look like a SA fish to me anyway, kind of like a bigger/better pencilfish.

 

[Rainbowshrink]

Awesome! Thanks!

 

[virgil2090]

agree with a SA community tank, many choices: severums,chocolates,acaras,geos.i just added an electric blue acara to my 90 SA community and he was accepted within days.oh and if your tank(which looks great) doesnt have any fish now, i would add some kind of school to keep your bacteria from crashing

 

[Rainbowshrink]

agree with a SA community tank, many choices: severums,chocolates,acaras,geos.i just added an electric blue acara to my 90 SA community and he was accepted within days.oh and if your tank(which looks great) doesnt have any fish now, i would add some kind of school to keep your bacteria from crashing