I have 3 festivums, 1 Severum and a buffalo head cichlid. I also have a hoplo catfish trying to get my hands on more but can't find them anywhere right now. I was hoping to have this stock in the future but I don't want to over stock or have to upgrade. I want to have 6 festivums, keep the one Severum and buffalohead. Have a group of five hoplos and possibly add three or five keyhole cichlids. Would this stock arrangement work?
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The issue I see is going to be festivum in a group. Festivum reach 6-8" and right around 5-6", they seem to get aggressive with tankmates when they are kept in groups. Many people report peaceful festivum when they are young or if kept singly, but a lot of the guys on here will tell you a group of sub-adult/adult festivum can be pretty rough.
An alternative to festivum are angelfish. They are not as rowdy, they are more colorful, they can still exist with all the fish you want/have, and they will also keep to the upper levels of the tank like festivum will. They also don't get as big (festivum can get bulky while angels stay a little thinner).
Also, the keyholes tend to be pretty mellow and having larger catfish around them all the time may cause them to stay hidden a lot. IME and IMO, keyholes should be the centerpiece fish or at least the largest fish in the aquarium if you really want to appreciate them.
Your bottom layer is pretty thick with the hoplos and the BHC. If you want an acara, look into maybe getting a couple blue acaras. Not as shy as keyholes and reach about the same ultimate size.
Here is my stocking suggestion based on tank space and temperaments:
Severum
4 festivum or 4-5 angels (less than four can result in them beating each other until there is only one left)
2-3 blue acaras
5 hoplos
BHC
That stock will max you out without the need to upgrade and you shouldn't have issues with aggression (though keep an eye on those festivum if you stick with them). And of course, each cichlid has their own personality, so just be prepared to rehome someone if they start trying to "off" the rest of the tank.
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