Tankmates for Polys

dbcb314

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Jun 4, 2007
2,311
18
68
Tallahassee
I am just curious to see what you guys have kept with your polys. Upper and Lower Jaws. I am trying to think of some stocking ideas...

Both successfully and non-successfully please.

And if it seems like an odd combonation, please list the sizes. For example, if you put you successfully kept tiger barbs with an Endli, please tell us the size of the endli lol.


I have successfully kept with upper jaw species...

- Ctenopomas
- African Butterfly Fish
- African Knifefish
- Severums
- Other moderate tempered larger SA/CA Cichlids such as Oscars, Green Terrors, Snooks
- Fire Eel
- Royal Knifefish


The only fish I have tried and had mild issues with is L330 Watermelon Pleco. It seemed to want to bully the Poly's at time (feeding). Nothing to be too concerned about but every other fish I have put in with the ignored them 100%.
 

Dr.B

Bronze Tier VIP
MFK Member
Jul 28, 2012
3,594
649
700
Texas
Almost anything works with polys as long as it won't eat the poly and the poly won't eat it. All those should be ok with polys if they are at the right size. You may have some trouble down the road with some of the lower jaw polys and the first 3 on your list, but if you get them large and the polys at a smaller size it should work for a good amount of time.
 

lardieleftover

Candiru
MFK Member
Jan 9, 2014
255
11
48
san diego
I've had clown loachs and some bala sharks did well. Although beware bla sharks like to at rocks on accident, so sand is better substrate.

Had some tinfoil barbs with my Senegal who was about 8 inches, but they would out compete for food most of the time and get fat
 

baconmeupscotty

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 7, 2013
349
0
0
Kansas
I've got ctenopomas, rope fish, and a synodontis ocellifer with my upper jaws currently. Haven't had any problems although the large male cteno (5.5 inches) can be aggressive to the polys. Used to have an african brown knife which didn't work out; the senegal attacked it repeatedly so I had to rehome it. Also tried Congo tetras hoping they would be fast enough to survive in a heavily planted tank until they were full sized. They didn't last 2 weeks.


I definitely wouldn't try plecos with bichirs again. If they ever get the taste for slime coat they'll end up harassing, and in some instances, killing the bichirs to eat their slime coats.
 

Vanica

Gambusia
MFK Member
Mar 22, 2014
329
2
18
Alberta, Canada
I have a green terror, 2 small convicts (3" or so) a bristlenose pleco and 4 tiger barbs at the moment. Tiger barbs are around 2". My ornate is about 8" my female albino sen is about 9" and my male albino sen is a little under 6".
 

rodger

Polypterus
MFK Member
Apr 29, 2008
3,343
283
92
Kansas City
Dr. B MD PHD. is correct. If the poly can't eat it and vice versa you are good.
I had an 18" Endlicherii eat a 5" Distichodus Lusosso. My only other failures were a pleco slime eating incident and an ornate that kept biting the tail of a Beutti that got infected.

Sent from my SCH-S960L using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
 

swrdply400mrelay

Gambusia
MFK Member
May 13, 2012
208
4
16
Texas
Geophagus - Don't really out compete for food yet. They seemed to like to chew on pellets for awhile before taking another bite. Relatively slow eaters.


Pink Tail Chalceus - I feed pellets that sink only, so it eats as they go down but once they hit the bottom, it does not go for them.
 

Vanica

Gambusia
MFK Member
Mar 22, 2014
329
2
18
Alberta, Canada
I would think angels could work. As long as your UJ isn't full grown. But if they grew up together I don't see why not.
 
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