what do you think of this stock for my BIG tank?

[seedubs1]

Here's the plan:

400-500 gallon tank (8 foot by 36-48" footprint) filtered by a 100 gallon DIY sump.

1-2 managuense (possible pair?)
Pair of Festae
3 Amphilophus Lyonsi
1 GT
possibly my JD and mayan
Possibly a TSN if I can get a 48" wide tank. If not, a Jurunese or TIG.

What does everyone think of the stock? I've got a 100 gallon tank that I can use to take any fish that aren't working out. But I'm really aiming for a tank where I'm not going to have to worry a ton about dead fish. So would this be over stocked, understocked, just right.....?

And what's your opinion of my choices?

 

[JC09]

ive had breeding jags kill everythign in a tank before. if you get a pair of festaes or jags the other fish better watch out

 

[seedubs1]

Do you think that even in a tank that big, a breeding pair would be a problem? If so, I'll likely just do one of each for the Festae and Mota's. And likely do something else in their place.

And any insite into keeping larger cat's with these territorial cichlids?

 

[fishman09]

id do a dovii or umbee pair all alone. but if you want kind of a community id do a jag pair lyonsi pair and male festae who will prolly be the ruler of the tank and like 3 pairs of cons and mayve another larger cichlid. just grow them up together and give multiple spawning and hiding spots

 

[smitty03281964]

Here we go again with blanket statements about what a fish will do. I have a breeding pair of jags in a 180 gal tank with 6 other jags and I have no problems and my fish spawn all the time. There is no guarantee it will or will not work. But with a tank that size I think you have a great chance with success with those fish.

 

[alexpie001]

given the history of large tropical, aggressive cichlids it is not advisable to house multiple breeding pairs together, however there are exceptions, you just have to be willing to take the risk....

 

[seedubs1]

I did think about doing a dovii in this tank. I've always wanted to do that.

I don't want to do a pair of dovii in there though because when they spawn, I wouldnt be able to have anything else at all in that tank.

So what if I did a single big male dovii.....what else could be in there with him?
Would a male dovii tolerate a few lyonsi (maybe 5 or so as they don't get real big, and hopefully wouldn't be viewed as a threat or food if grown out with the dovii) and a jur cat?
What about a trimac or Midas (I take it the dovii would kill these as they get big and would be viewed as a threat).

I really do like this idea of a big bad dovii with a few smaller cichlids and a big cat too. But is it do-able with the dovii?

 

[seedubs1]

And just to be clear, I know there are risks with any of these set ups. That comes with keeping cichlids. This is more of a "is this way out of line to house these fish together". Everyone knows that there are exceptions to the rule with these types and every once in a while you get a real mean or a real nice one. But I'm talking n general, will these combinations work.

Let's not turn this thread into a discussion on "all cichlids have different personalities". We already know that.

 

[VRWC]

Here we go again with blanket statements about what a fish will do. I have a breeding pair of jags in a 180 gal tank with 6 other jags and I have no problems and my fish spawn all the time. There is no guarantee it will or will not work. But with a tank that size I think you have a great chance with success with those fish.

What was the blanket statement? Youre talking about 1 persons response speaking on PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. Thats what youve done to counter the previous posters post. The ignorance from your statements is so ironic. ie: you think it WILL work because it worked for you yet his statement is "blanket" because in his experience it didnt work.

Odds are against it working...mathematically...but by all means, how about give some info on your setup, why it will work, how stunted/ripped up your 8 jags are in a 180 etc, so the OP knows what "worked" for you. That would be more helpful to him/her.

 

[cacichlids]

But I'm really aiming for a tank where I'm not going to have to worry a ton about dead fish

Then forget the pairs.

I don't understand why people insist on breeding aggressive cichlids in community setups and expect their tankmates to do well.

Tank size does almost nothing for breeding aggression... A breeding pair of convicts can be happy in a 20 gal tank for a long time but if you put them in a 55 gal tank they will gladly take the extra space. Fish aren't smart enough to think "well I can live in 20 gal so I'll tolerate some tankmates in the remaining 35 gals" lol they still see tankmates as a threat and will try their best to get rid of it. I once read that some large cichlids (i.e. Dovii, Jag) will defend a territory that extends far well beyond the tank limits and that's the reason why they go insane when you approach the tank, they're not "greeting you"... they're trying to chase you away. In nature some of these species have territories much larger than any tank can provide.