Angel fish and Festivum cichlid?
- Thread starter Loves severums
- Start date
Both groups of wild festivums I've kept (M. acora and M. festivus) have been aggressive toward tankmates. The M. acora attacked my 6" discus when the festivums themselves were only about 2.5" in size. My M. festivus are currently living in a 150 gallon with four large Peruvian scalare angels and they have torn the angels' fins and pecked at their foreheads.
With both groups of festivums, I notice that they attack the forehead region of their tankmates where the body meets the first hard rays of the dorsal fin. They've done this consistently with angels, discus, and severums.
For now they seem to be doing okay together in the large tank because it gives the angels room to move out of the way. The festivums don't actively chase or seek out the angels to attack them, but if the angel is in close proximity the festivum will quickly dart and attack.
I originally bought the festivums because I heard they were peaceful community cichlids like keyholes, but I've actually found them more aggressive than the severums I've been keeping them with. They definitely dominate my 150 gallon tank and they're still only 3" or so.
HTH.
Ryan
With both groups of festivums, I notice that they attack the forehead region of their tankmates where the body meets the first hard rays of the dorsal fin. They've done this consistently with angels, discus, and severums.
For now they seem to be doing okay together in the large tank because it gives the angels room to move out of the way. The festivums don't actively chase or seek out the angels to attack them, but if the angel is in close proximity the festivum will quickly dart and attack.
I originally bought the festivums because I heard they were peaceful community cichlids like keyholes, but I've actually found them more aggressive than the severums I've been keeping them with. They definitely dominate my 150 gallon tank and they're still only 3" or so.
HTH.
Ryan
I've kept them together in tanks smaller than that. Individual personalities of both angels and festivum vary.
I currently have a breeding pair of festivums in a 40g breeder with some bolivian rams (a pair and some others) and other peaceful south americans.
I currently have a breeding pair of festivums in a 40g breeder with some bolivian rams (a pair and some others) and other peaceful south americans.
I actually have a M. acora with 2 angelfish as well as the firemouth and rams and have not had any problems until recently. At one point I had 3 angelfish. One of them died about a week ago, obviously from being attacked. I think the reason for this is that it was a calico and the similar color may have triggered him sometime during the night. Most festivums will not tolerate one another unless paired. I feel he may have killed him because of a case of mistaken identity. Thats just a theory though. 
For the most part Ive had the festivum and black veil angel together for more than a year and a half with no problems. and this just seems to be an isolated incident. Just dont go with simialr colored tank mates.
For the most part Ive had the festivum and black veil angel together for more than a year and a half with no problems. and this just seems to be an isolated incident. Just dont go with simialr colored tank mates.
I have 2, not sure if they are acora or festivus (is it hard to tell?). They're with some jurupari and bichirs and a knife; they ignore everyone but they occasionally chase each other. No damage, just the occasional short chase.