Baby starry night in my community tank

[spitz006]

I’m hoping they aren’t too aggressive. It’s a pretty peaceful tank currently.

 

[bbortko]

Mine didn’t put up with any nonsense but never instigated anything either. Very rewarding fish to keep.

 

[james99]

Mine wasn't aggressive but he would eat tankates depending on size.

 

[duanes]

I first started keeping Paratilapia in the late 80s when they came to the US, and kept them on and off thru 2015.
In my tanks (none smaller than 6 ft) they have ignored and not bothered with dissimilar looking cichlids, or fish they can't swallow.
They tend to "not" to put up with other cichlids with similar blue markings and colors.
Keeping them with cichlids like Rocio (JDs) or Herichthys carpintus types, or Andinoacara (GTs) could be problematic because those with similar metallic spots and similar shape, could be seen as competitors. And in that sense Paratilapia are very territorial

Above, a Madagascan cichlid community with a 10-12" paratilapis. I had no problem keeping the dissimilar Paretropline cichlids.
Later I tried keeping 2 species of Paratilapia in a 400 gal pool, and as you can see, it did not work (below)

 

[spitz006]

In my tanks (none smaller than 6 ft) they have ignored and not bothered with dissimilar looking cichlids, or fish they can't swallow.
They tend to "not" to put up with other cichlids with similar blue markings and colors.
Keeping them with cichlids like Rocio (JDs) or Herichthys carpintus types, or Andinoacara (GTs) could be problematic because those with similar metallic spots and similar shape, could be seen as competitors. And in that sense Paratilapia are very territorial

good to know. I don’t plan on keeping any American cichlids with him at any point. Possibly non rift lake Africans or Asians at some point.