150g CA 'Community' Stocking Advice

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holidayinn

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 11, 2008
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London
Hi All

I have a 150ish gallon 6 foot tank which I want to devote to a CA community. Previously I had more of a SA comm, but this was to suit the stunning EBJD I had. The tank is in the busiest part of the house, and the EBJD is quite skittish so I have decided to rehome him and try a new setup.

Initially I was thinking of a breeding pair, but my 100 gallon has juvi unrelated RTMs and I'm hoping a pair emerges from them.

So, thinking of a comm for the 6 footer and have the following possibilities. Not including any Parachromis as the RTMs tick this box. So have made a list of the following, any you can add please do!!!

Red Devil/Midas
Jaguar
Texas Escondido
Oscar
GT
Salvini
Boccourti
Pearsei
V.Argentea
V.Regani
Festae

I have heard many stories about RD and Jags never working in a community, but then I have heard of times it has worked.

Thinking along the lines of a semi-aggressive comm (opt1) or a few v.agressive (opt2)

Option 1 - O, GT, Texas, Argentea, Bo
Option 2 - Jag, Midas, Festae

Any ideas, opinions, constructive criticism appreciated. Which would you go for? Would you go for something different? Criteria are colourful, confident, interactive fish.
 
Both the bocourti and the pearsei get to about 14-16", mine did in a 150 in @ 2 years. I found my 150 could hold 3 of either or of these 2 and that at that point thte tank was maxed out . I was doing water changes of about 30% every other day with the 3, and very heavy filtration. The 3 of either/or could down a half head of romaine per day.
Argentea hate other similar sized and silver fish, and in a tank as small as 150 gallons would probably kill the Texas types and the regani. I had a male argentea maybe 12" (after killing a few other argentea and a few regani), that had a 12" dovii and managuense backed into separate corners of a 150, the argentea had to have his own tank or it would have killed the 2 Parachromis.
Sorry to be such a downer, but you should know what to expect, at least from my experience.
 
Thanks duanes, yeah not really what I wanted to hear, but a valuable post and ur talking from experience. I will take it on board, so thank you for that. More I search about Argentea the more I find similar stories to yours, so out of the Vieja in 'theory' the Regani or a Synspilum would be a less aggresive bet?

It seems like a lottery, if a community will work or not. But I want to sensible and reasonable in my approach.

Anyone with a CA comm that has worked out reasonably well into maturity in a 6 foot tank?
 
I have found regani to be less aggressive (and at times almost timid), than other Vieja/Paratheraps types. I have never kept synspilum.
I have kept festae, Texas type, V bifaciatum and Parachromis together in a 150, and it worked for about a year, until the bifas started spawning. If you don't keep pairs, it sometimes can remain stable, especially if you start with young fish, and they grow up together. The problem comes in when you try to introduce new fish, and the established hierarchy is disturbed.
 
I would go with one of the Vieja.

I have a Vieja Fenestratus in a 150 with some silver dollars.
He looked like a mutt for a while, but has turned into a really pretty fish.
I had a texas with him for a while, but I had to move him because the Vieja began to get too aggressive. The Vieja does not bother the SD's.
 
If your going CA community then that rules out he festae,GT, and Oscar for a start.
So maybe a couple of vieja types and some smaller cichlids either thorichthys or cryptoheros

I would look here http://www.cichlidae.com/gallery/distribution.php
and pick a CA country click it and you will have list of cichlids which are found in that country and pick a few from that list.
eg.
Belize with:

exCichlasoma bocourti,Thorichthys meeki ,Cryptoheros spilurus ,exCichlasoma salvini

A 150g aint really big enough for a CA community with any of the big guys like jags and RD's it would be more suited to just a pair.
 
Thanks for the replies, please keep them coming!!

If I try a small (numbers) community I think I will definitely be getting a Vieja, either Regani or Synspillum, whichever I can get hold off.

Haha, yeah, cheers Edoc, I kind of forgot they were SA. I would still be tempted to try these depending on the CA's I choose. The temptation still is to go with a pair, but I hear stories of the male killing the female, so may be best to buy a few cichlids as Juvi's and as they grow alter the stocking depending on behaviour. Many thanks for the link tho, a valuable tool to assist me, just a shame that you have to pay to see the actual profiles :-(
 
I tried a CAs in a 155 bow, had a pair of Argentae, Bocourti, Synasphilum & one large sailfin pleco. Well each killed their mates or almost. They are 5-6" . I'm giving up tryin to do a community CA tank display. I also have Dovi, Pearsi, Blk belts & all are in diiferent tanks. Only have a Wild Pair of Ragani in a 94 gallon that are okay.

me
 
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