best cichlid community you ever had or still do
- Thread starter clayton1985
- Start date
When I first began keeping cichlids many years ago I was not as educated as I am now (so pack up your flame throwers people). My knowledge came from the sound advice of random employees at Petsmart when I went in to buy fish
. So I ended up with a Jaguar, Red Devil, a male and female Jack Dempsey, Tex, a pair of Cons, and a Pleco in a 120 gal. for about 3 years. I wouldn't think of doing something like that now. I also changed the water about once or twice every two months and fed feeders every week. The fish were huge even though their water wasn't always the clearest (go figure). That being said it was the best community of large cichlids that I have ever had . Surprisingly the aggression was minimal for a long time. Things went south after the Jag and the RD decided that they needed more space. You guys should know what happened after that. I have some pictures of that old tank. Sometimes I look at them and shake my head and laugh. What in the world was I thinking?! The best thing about that tragically overstocked and poorly maintained tank is that once it failed it forced me to hit the books and search the web about keeping American Cichlids. I learned a lot and continue to do so everyday. I basically have species tanks now but I am working on a new community set up.
. So I ended up with a Jaguar, Red Devil, a male and female Jack Dempsey, Tex, a pair of Cons, and a Pleco in a 120 gal. for about 3 years. I wouldn't think of doing something like that now. I also changed the water about once or twice every two months and fed feeders every week. The fish were huge even though their water wasn't always the clearest (go figure). That being said it was the best community of large cichlids that I have ever had . Surprisingly the aggression was minimal for a long time. Things went south after the Jag and the RD decided that they needed more space. You guys should know what happened after that. I have some pictures of that old tank. Sometimes I look at them and shake my head and laugh. What in the world was I thinking?! The best thing about that tragically overstocked and poorly maintained tank is that once it failed it forced me to hit the books and search the web about keeping American Cichlids. I learned a lot and continue to do so everyday. I basically have species tanks now but I am working on a new community set up.it's all good, i was just adding my personal experience to your current situation. i'm the same way and don't like an empty looking tank either. i have fifteen crappie atm, but i'm considering changing back to jaguars, or maybe festae and i'll do it the same way you are by starting with lots of fish when small and sell some off as they grow.
i used to keep an 125 gallon all male parachromis tank and it was the best community i ever had. a jag, a loisellei, a freddy and a mota and it was my favorite for almost three years until one day the motaguense lost it and killed all three other fish over night. that's when i sold him and went to native american fish.
My first SA tank. Not an aggressive tank, but i like it:
125 Gallon
1x Rotkeil Severum
1x Red Severum
1x Green Severum
3x Salvini
5x Silver dollar
125 Gallon
1x Rotkeil Severum
1x Red Severum
1x Green Severum
3x Salvini
5x Silver dollar
