Baysnooks and GT

[Eric A]

Hi there.

I've been eyeing two GTs at the LFS for a while now, and i've decided I would like them, I know they will go with my other fish, because there agro as all hell. I'm just worryied about my baysnooks. They are the biggest in the tank but also the best tempered. They are about 5" Long now. They put up with convicts so I was thinking they could handle these. The GTs are about 2" each.

What do you think?

 

[le patron]

i think the snook can handle the gts if your tank is big enough

 

[thatcichlidguy]

The GTs will be snacks for the Snooks.Snooks can eat fish that would be too large for other cichlids to consume. Others will probably disagree , but I tend to follow the the rule that if something can fit in a cichlids mouth it will likely end up there. Snooks are predators and instinct has a funny way of over-riding personality when our fish get hungry.

how big is this tank, and what are you currently keeping ?

 

[Eric A]

Ha Ha LOL, if the snook get peckish, there has been 1" convicts in the tank for about 4 months. LOL. Thinking I might keep em now.

ATM the tank is a 20gal with stupid africans, but within 2 to 3 weeks my 55 will be cycled and all american cichlids will be going in it, plus a few if it is fine with you guys, but thats later. I am hoping the LFS will take the africans off my hands while I get the GTs.

 

[thatcichlidguy]

If you feel it's safe then go for it. just not something I would do , but then I wouldn't do a lot of things I've seen done on this site. I suppose you know those guys are gonna outgrow that 55g , and probably before you know it.
I'd think the LFS would take them. You might not get much for them , but they ought to be willing to take them off your hands.

 

[jgentry]

They might get along. If your not feeding feeders and the snooks haven't bothered the convicts they probably won't eat the GT's. But nothing is certain. Like mentioned above, your going to need a lot bigger tank then a 55g. The snook will get 16+ inches, and from your post it sounds like you have more then one of them. Your going to need at least a 125g for all of them in one tank.

Good luck

 

[pdbrady]

55? Eek! As said, 125 or larger, preferably larger. My ONE got cramped in a 135. Now with him in a 220, I can't see how he was ever happy in the 135. As far as the gt, I had the exact same combo. I added a 2-3" gt and jd with my 5-6" snook, they did fine. I later added 4 of his babies to the 220 when they were about 3-4", while he was 11"+. The smallest one did disappear but I don't know that it was the snook, but rather one of my ornates that was about 14" at the time. There's ALWAYS a chance of one eating another, especially with fish like snooks and their huge mouths, so it's never 100% either way.

 

[Cichla dude]

Yeah should be fine. Please post pics of your snooks please.

 

[Eric A]

Thanks every one.

LOL I realise males get to 18", but at 5" they are out-growing the 20. I got the 55gal for free so that gonna be it's home. I'm comfortable with putting him in there with my 2 baysnooks, the only thing I was worried about was aggression.

Yeah should be fine. Please post pics of your snooks please.

Avatar, and a few more. Last one is when they were very little, about 2-3".

 

[Eric A]

Okay.

So, say I do get these two, is there anything that I could do to make it better for the baysnook, convicts and GT. There is a Pictus catfish in the tank too, but he's not a threat to any fish.

At the moment the tank is set up more of an african tank, I need to change that right? Would plants be a good idea? They will only be in the tank for about 3 to 4 more weeks while my 55gal finishes cycling.