Kewpie's Pewpie err Fish

Gourami Swami

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+1 on sticking with the heteros. Haitensis are awesome but the feeling of growing a group of fish out from babies together, and getting them into a nice big tank, is even better.
And It would be a beautiful setup with some swordtails. Maybe goodeids if you can find them, I have four and like them better than my swords. Very active CA dithers.
 
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kewpiefishypewpie

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Yeah I'm definitely going to stick with them. The dominant male of my group has been looking ridiculously good lately. magpie magpie I actually have the Polleni and Hets all together again as I had to get rid of my 90 gallon.

I'm one to keep my tanks geographically correct but the Polleni and Hets get along really, really well and they look awesome together. Going to have to make an exception.

I'm thinking I'm just going to buy as big a tank as I can, opens up more possibilities in the future.
 

magpie

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I'd love to have Polleni with Hets! So even when everyone is getting frisky they don't beat up on each other? That's great to hear. I've read the Polleni do best with cichlids that look quite different and the Hets seem to meet that.

I really don't care all that much about being geographically correct either. :)

Thanks for the pics.
 
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kewpiefishypewpie

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I'd love to have Polleni with Hets! So even when everyone is getting frisky they don't beat up on each other? That's great to hear. I've read the Polleni do best with cichlids that look quite different and the Hets seem to meet that.

I really don't care all that much about being geographically correct either. :)

Thanks for the pics.
Yeah those pictures don't even do him justice, he's a gorgeous fish. I had a heater malfunction, the better kind where the heater just doesn't work. Ever since then and adding the Hets my Polleni haven't been too frisky with each other. The Oligacanthus, pictured with the Polleni, and the Hets do not get along at all. My poor girls :( They're essentially a Thorichthys species, I really should have more in there with them.
 
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jaws7777

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magpie magpie the male was never confirmed as ita still small. Im assuming its amle based on growth rate and attitude compare to the 10 hets it came with
 
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kewpiefishypewpie

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Stanzzzz7 Stanzzzz7 Toiletcar Toiletcar Gourami Swami Gourami Swami

I'm going to be purchasing a larger tank soon, I'm thinking a 6x2x2 180. Stock will be exclusively CA. I have six heterospilus, two panamensis and a JD. I may keep all the heteros, in that case I would say the tank is stocked and call it a day. But I'm thinking I may just keep a couple so I can have some more species of fish.

What would y'all recommend? I was thinking a school of thorichthys would be very cool. Or perhaps one Synspilum, in which case I would obviously have to seriously cut back stock. Maybe one synspilum, 2-3 female Heteros, the panamensis and JD? And possibly some live bearers?
 

Gourami Swami

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Awesome, 180 is a great size. I think you will enjoy having the extra space to fill.
As far as that stocking, it is definitely do-able depending on the temperament of the synspilum. I have found them to be pretty mild, but I have heard of them being terrors as well, and since the heteros will have somewhat similar coloration, he may not be fond of them. Also, if you have a male synspilum and female heterospilus, there will be the possibility of hybridization.
I would say it is worth a shot, just be prepared with a divider if the synspilum doesn't play nice.
Personally, I like having larger groups of fish, so I would probably stick with the stock you have now and add some livebearers. If you were to shave down to one or two heteros, I'd say the group of thoricthys would be cool, as long as your panamensis aren't hyper aggro (thoricthys don't do well in lip-locking matches).
Perhaps a nice large Robertsoni? Pretty mild, larger than the panamensis, and will bring blue coloration to the mix.
 

kewpiefishypewpie

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Awesome, 180 is a great size. I think you will enjoy having the extra space to fill.
As far as that stocking, it is definitely do-able depending on the temperament of the synspilum. I have found them to be pretty mild, but I have heard of them being terrors as well, and since the heteros will have somewhat similar coloration, he may not be fond of them. Also, if you have a male synspilum and female heterospilus, there will be the possibility of hybridization.
I would say it is worth a shot, just be prepared with a divider if the synspilum doesn't play nice.
Personally, I like having larger groups of fish, so I would probably stick with the stock you have now and add some livebearers. If you were to shave down to one or two heteros, I'd say the group of thoricthys would be cool, as long as your panamensis aren't hyper aggro (thoricthys don't do well in lip-locking matches).
Perhaps a nice large Robertsoni? Pretty mild, larger than the panamensis, and will bring blue coloration to the mix.
Well my JD will be going in the tank so I'll have plenty of blue. I'm not really gun ho on the syn either just trying to see if there's anything else interesting I could stock the tank with.
 

Stanzzzz7

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It boils down to personal taste and experimentation of what will work and what won't.
For me,keeping all the heterospilus together would be a definite. (as long as they all keep getting on)
I would also want a decent sized shoal of swordtails just to add more activity and another dynamic to the tank.They will also provide more action higher up the water column.
If you want swordtails you may need drop the JD as it may eat them.
Personally I would do the heterospilus, swordtails and add a group of meeki and leave it at that.
If you do stock it this way I for one would be quite jealous. I love hetros and really miss keeping thorichthys.
Regarding synspilum /melanura, once fully grown they are big and I felt my 7x2x2 was a little small for my full grown male. I think with the heterospilus it would be a little cramped.
Good luck.
 
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