Anyone had any luck keeping convicts with a Jaguar?

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Galactik

Polypterus
MFK Member
May 30, 2019
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I am currently growing out a male jaguar in a 125g (only fish). And I was wondering if there's anything I may be able to keep with him that will clean up the crumbs of the pellets from when he eats.

I was thinking of maybe convicts but I'm open for suggestions. I'm also ok with keeping him solo if its a bad idea.


He had a common pleco as a tankmate up until recently - never had any issues but the thing was incredibly wasteful.
 
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There is success keeping them with other large cichlids, but that requires at least 300 gallons.
Convicts would work well as dithers and to add extra life. Many would end up as feeders, but the dominant pair would probably coexist with the jag. Count on a very high convict mortality rate.
 
Hiding spots small enough for your female convict so the male doesn’t whack her hiding spots big enough for your male convict so your jag doesn’t whack him. Give the convicts about a 1/3 of the tank that has a good bit of vertical barriers like spider wood etc to make it hard for the jag to have much straight line striking distance the other 2/3s scape to taste with an eye towards open swimming room and a prominent piece of cover / ambush site for the guapote to associate with. Give Floating plants in abundance for the fry to hide in and the jag to hunt in. I did it in a 75 until the jag was 11” Ive done it with an Oscar ive done it with a big Texas. Cutteri work well in this regard as well and give a little different look.

a pair of prolific medium size cichlids with a guapote can be cool tank but only if your happy watching a fairly complete e oats gem at work. If you want to “save the babies” it’ll be stressful.
 
A jag confined to 2/3 of a 6 foot tank (4feet) is rather cramped for potentially large fish. You won't get the best growth from the jag by forcibly confining it (and not letting it into the last 2 feet of the tank). Dominant fish do best if given access to the full length of the tank. Keep it as a solo pet in a 125g. You can try more cichlids once you get an 8 foot + tank later on.
 
A jag confined to 2/3 of a 6 foot tank (4feet) is rather cramped for potentially large fish. You won't get the best growth from the jag by forcibly confining it (and not letting it into the last 2 feet of the tank). Dominant fish do best if given access to the full length of the tank. Keep it as a solo pet in a 125g. You can try more cichlids once you get an 8 foot + tank later on.

I see a definte difference between setting up one end of the tank so it’s less favorable for hunting/ more favorable for sheltering prey and confining your jag so it can’t use that end. You are attempting to replicate the confluence of a somewhat sheltered nursery area and the ambush zone at its boundary. AKA the place where these fish live out there lives.


It’s not really any different than effectively keeping swordtails with your convicts or Dempseys. Same thing.
 
I see a definte difference between setting up one end of the tank so it’s less favorable for hunting/ more favorable for sheltering prey and confining your jag so it can’t use that end. You are attempting to replicate the confluence of a somewhat sheltered nursery area and the ambush zone at its boundary. AKA the place where these fish live out there lives.


It’s not really any different than effectively keeping swordtails with your convicts or Dempseys. Same thing.

Big difference in the wild and the aquarium. The jag would have much more space than 4 feet for 10+ years. I like to see my big bruisers cruise the whole length of the tank rather than hover 24/7 in a 4 foot small space.
 
it would be a cool setup but I dont think it would work in real life unless you had a much bigger tank.
Most likely the convicts would either be cowering in cover once the jag gets big or would just get eaten the moment they drop their guard.
 
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