Aggression levels of blue acara, firemouth, sajica, and festivum?

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Quo Vadis

Gambusia
MFK Member
Apr 12, 2014
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Wisconsin
I am planning my 155g stock list (29g sump), and right now it is going to have a school of Elephantnose fish, some kind of large eel (hopefully a smaller large eel like the favus eel) and a pair of Geophagus altifrons. It needs to be a fairly peaceful tank because of the ENs and eel.

I would like to do a few other peaceful cichlids, but I am hearing mixed things about aggression level, and how many you should keep. I know festivum are fairly peaceful as cichlids go, but I don't know how many I should keep. Some say keep one to avoid breeding aggression, some say keep many to make them more comfortable, some say a pair is not that bad. Suggestions?

I also like blue acaras, and firemouth, but I know they are more aggressive. However some people think they would do fine in this tank. Thoughts? Yes? No? If so how many? Would a singleton be less aggressive?

I also just fell in love with the sajica cichlid, and it sounds like they are fairly peaceful. Would a pair of them be ok in in this tank, or should I only keep one to avoid aggression?

In a tank this size would a few pairs of fairly peaceful cichlids be just fine?

Thanks! I have kept many smaller cichlids (rams, curviceps, kribs, etc.) but am new to the bigger cichlids, because my biggest tank previously was a 72g.
 
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I find the Geophagus altifrons complex do better in a group of 4 or more as opposed to being kept in pairs, as do most Geos. A shoal of same species Geos tends to keep intra-species aggression at none lethal level, but if just kept in pairs, a dominant individual can become quite psychotic.
 
Firemouths can be nasty but overall only bully things that take it. Mine is relatively low key but it also lives with a Managuense that could swallow it whole. As for the acara everyone I've had has been a relative angel and didn't start things, occasional chase from a certain area it liked but overall very peaceful

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I have a sajica in a 36 gallon tank, it killed all the other tankmates. Maybe it would've been less aggressive in a larger tank, I don't know but I wouldn't do it if going for a peaceful community.

Also, Uaru get pretty large so you may not have room for many other fish, or they could get territorial.


Also, as pointed out, don't do just 2 altifrons. If you do 4 though, they get pretty large and you might find them cramped. May want to investigate smaller geo species, there are many of them.
 
That is good to know about Geos preferring groups. Are there any Geophagus species that look like altifrons, are peaceful like them, but stay smaller?

So blue acaras are a possibility... and I think I am nixing uarus and firemouths.

Anyone else have any input on the sajica, especially in a bigger tank, or in a pair/group? I really like the look of them!

Also, festivum anyone? I know there actually two species sold as festivums, one getting larger than the other, which one is more peaceful? And should I keep a singleton, pair or group?
 
red head Tapajos don't get as big as altifrons
 
Do Uaru's do ok in pairs? What if I did a pair of them, and then a group of the red head tapajos?

Anyone have any other comments about festivum, sajica, or acaras?
 
After doing a little more reading, it sounds like most of the sajica aggression is form breeding pairs, or sometimes a lone male directing aggression at fish that look like females. So would a lone female likely be peaceful?
 
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