75 gallon Firemouth species only Tank

[FiremouthGem]

They arrived today! Everyone was slowly acclimated and introduced into the 75, i got 6 to see if any pair up, any extra males and or loners i will trade in for credit (hopefully at my local LFS). Watching water parameters closely and for any signs of harmful aggression/bullying. Offered a small bit of food and they ate for me. Removed any food that was not touched to keep the water clear after about ten minutes, there wasn’t much left after they ate.

 

[FiremouthGem]

sorry for the cruddy pics I was using my cellphone!

 

[FiremouthGem]

biggest one I believe is to the right and center middle one of the trio +swordtail female in the above picture. I’ve seen it flare it’s gill plates a few times now.going to grab a dark background but leave the sides open so i can monitor the area behind the claypots.

 

[Deadeye]

They look great!

 

[FiremouthGem]

On top of doing maintenance is there something other then the plecos, swordtails and the firemouths themselves is there anything i can put in that will help out with keeping the bottom clean of food?

 

[Deadeye]

Raphael cats are very cichlid friendly, wonderful cleaners too. Other options are cories, Hoplo, or synos. If you want you can also pick up a feeder crayfish. It’s nice and cheap so you don’t have to worry about it becoming an expensive lunch, and they are very good cleaners.

 

[FiremouthGem]

Crayfish are restricted here in Pa, plus i dont want them going after my swordtails, looking at a couple of Synodontis nigriventris maybe? Heard firemouths harrass corys. May move the swords upstairs to the community tank.

 

[FiremouthGem]

actually looking at hoplos and they are nice looking fish with just the right size to it.

 

[FiremouthGem]

The firemouth crew are not eating so much anymore, did a 45% water change, fed a bit, and chewed/spat everything out. Going to siphon the area clean again. Probably still getting used to the aquarium. none of the above seem to work out with the group I got going in the aquarium. 6 firemouths, 6 swordtails + fry, and 4 young blue eyed bushynose plecos. I can always move the Bushynose and the swords to the fry tank or the 55 upstairs which would open up for catfish, hoplos are expensive I have found out as well and MTS probably not a good idea seeing how rapidly they multiply, learned my lesson in the past with the 55 and snails. any other suggestions and possibilities?.

 

[duanes]

When you consider that the genus Thorichthys (fire mouths) are the Mexican equivalent to the South American Geophagines (earth eaters), using any other bottom feeders are really not needed in their tanks . Their normal feeding technique is to take in mouth fulls of the sandy substrate where they are found, to extract edibles from it.
Although it seems the large size of your gravel pieces may prevent them from doing that natural activity until they are larger.
I usually prefer to use natural size sand as substrate in any earth eating cichlid tank, be they Thorichthys and Cribroheros from Central America, Geophagines from South America, or the African earth eaters like Fossorochrmis or Taeniolethrinops.
Central American Cribrheros below