Male umbee tank mates

[Jonathann04769]

I have a young male umbee I just moved to a 300 gallon, he’s around 5.5 inches and starting to show some nice colour. I have another smaller male in there that is being bullied and I’m going to have to sell but is there any tank mates for him? I was thinking maybe a female festae or female dovii, maybe a pair of convicts or some Bala sharks and maybe even a catfish of some sort. Thanks

 

[Serpentine]

None.

If it was me I wouldn't put anything in with an Umbee, unless it was a female Umbee and I had a strong divider handy if things went south.

 

[Jonathann04769]

None.

If it was me I wouldn't put anything in with an Umbee, unless it was a female Umbee and I had a strong divider handy if things went south.

Right now he is quite small and in a 300 gallon, the tank is so empty it looks like how 1 neon tetra inside a 100 gallon tank. I want some sort of tank mate and since he is young right now I thought it would be the best time. Could I put anything in there?

 

[duanes]

I agree with Serpentine, none at all (well maybe a female Umbi that he has vetted).
Very soon that 300 gal is going to seem small, and no other fish (especially other cichlids) will bw allowed to live.

 

[duanes]

I realize to a human, in a house, a 300 gallon tank seems large, but it is only a fraction of the area an Umi would patrol in nature, and in that natural territory an Umbi would take exception to any cichlid interlopers, chasing them out.
In the confines of 300 gallons there is not enough room for any cichlid to escape.
I have been to the rio Magdalena system in Colombia, where Umbi are common.
Below are some photos of that area, where they live.

 

[Jonathann04769]

That does make a lot of sense but there has to be some sorte of dither fish or something I can put in there or even a catfish because he is very very skittish

 

[Jonathann04769]

A little off topic but I have another 300 sitting right beside it, what could I get away with in there without a umbee. Maybe a male jaguar as the boss and some female festae and a pair of convicts and and a male tiger motaguensis or something

 

[Jexnell]

That does make a lot of sense but there has to be some sorte of dither fish or something I can put in there or even a catfish because he is very very skittish

You can put in some tall bodied tetras or barbs, just gonna have to keep an eye on them. At some point they will turn into meals on the go. Can also go with some surface plants fake or real to provide cover.

 

[Jonathann04769]

You can put in some tall bodied tetras or barbs, just gonna have to keep an eye on them. At some point they will turn into meals on the go. Can also go with some surface plants fake or real to provide cover.

Something like tinfoil barns or bala sharks correct?

 

[Jexnell]

The barbs or like blackskirt tetras, bleeding hearts, the taller bodied ones, or SD'S but they are more spendy if they become snacks overnight.

I get where you are coming from, giant tank one fish....
I tried many different fish with my Amphilophus, and none fared any better than the other.
Pink tailed Chalceus
Lima shovel nose catfish
Four lined Pims
Flagtail
Royal pleco
Spanner barbs
Other cichlids
All were tormented, chased, fought with or outright killed and eaten.

That's the thing with these big aggressive cichlids, if we want to keep them we must adjust to what it needs and not what we want.

It took me the last two years to learn this the hard way and about $700 dollars in fish given away for free.....