Buddy for a Female Red Terror... Texas Cichlid?

[Serpentine]

Got a group of 6 little M. festae that I am raising up to 4 to 4.5 inches... about the time I can sex them and they start getting medieval on each other. Then the males and extra females get sold off. I am planning to keep 1 or perhaps 2 of the girls but don't have the will or the setup to breed RTs. I know my limitations right now. I *think* there are 2 males and 4 females but will have to wait and see.

However I would like to have a male companion for a female just to get to see her show off her pretty colors.

I was thinking along the lines of a true blue Texas cichlid, H. bartoni. I think the milder green H. carpintis would die a premature death. A red Texas cichlid would also be on the table and perhaps more effective at getting a response due to his own color (?) However IIRC the red Texas is some kind of cross with an Amphoplilus species and a Flowerhorn. That might be too much fish.

The idea is to put them together young and allow them to grow up with each other.

Otherwise I could throw in a second female RT but I think they'll fight and doubt they'd display colors for each other.

Insights?

 

[Stephen St.Clair]

I'd go with a male Red Texas. The majority of them are sterile. No unwanted breeding issues. As long as you buy all as juveniles, and allow them to grow up together, aggression will likely be manageable.
Unless you buy from a private breeder, don't expect the Red Texas to fade into the advertised red and white pattern.
I have two unfaded Red Texas males. No big deal, both are still really nice looking.

 

[kewpiefishypewpie]

The size of the tank is a major factor here regarding compatibility.

 

[duanes]

Any male Heroine cichlid will either try to breed with your festae female, or beat her to death. Males do not buddy.
You might get away with a female Herichthys, because in nature most females cichlids will shoal, as a group until ready to breed.
Males have only one thing on their mind, and unless that occurs, he has no use for her.
In the video below are large groups of female uropthalmus (and a few subordinate males, not strong enough to hold territory), the alpha males have large territories (caves, rock formations) about 500 gallons square, and even in the space of millions of gallons, will beat any females senseless if she doesn't want to spawn, and gets close.
Note all the torn fins, and scars in the video.
Azul imovie edit

 

[RD.]

I think Duane summed things up nicely. lol

 

[Serpentine]

Ah, female it is!

Thank you.

 

[GTS]

Ah, female it is!

Thank you.

What size tank are we talking about? I have known female festae to cause trouble in tanks that were even eight feet long (that particular specimen was extremely aggressive)...A Female Red Terror would outgrow a female Bartoni or Carprintis. If the tank is too small, it could end badly. At the same time, I have found that a fully mature female festae is capable of holding her own in tank of large CA bruisers, which include male cichlids (in the case I speak of the non-festae male cichlids were a few chanchos and trimacs.)

 

[Serpentine]

Yeah, after observing my tiny festae eagerly clobbering each other over a pellet (there were others to choose from but apparently that was the "best" pellet) I decided that Gollum the Jack Dempsey would be in way over his head. I am quite attached to Gollum, who has started performing what appear to be greeting dances, following me around the tank and taking pellets or smacked houseflies from my fingers. Who knew there was such a good use for those pesky flies?

We're talking a 90 gallon while young, moving up if necessary when they start getting more size on them. We'd probably have to pick it up in Denver, Billings or Minneapolis as I can't find any larger tanks in my area (The Official Boondocks, western South Dakota). I'm thinking 150 for one female festae and one roommate of around the same size? Or will a 90 be OK with just the two and still provide good quality of life?

I actually was sold on the idea of getting a female Texas cichlid of one stripe or another until I gave it some more thought and considered the size difference. I don't want the festae getting pounded to a pulp but also am not crazy about sending another fish to its doom.

I do have the luxury of picking the least demented female from the lot of 6 WC M. festae babies I'm growing up to 4 inches or so before I sell off the rest.

I found both a juvenile H. cyanoguttatus and a Red Texas at the store and picked them up. Looking at them harder, I suspect them to be males but they are little guys so I could be wrong about that. They look very nice. I am sure that the Red Texas is as advertised. Not as sure about the H. cyanoguttatus but he's a bit on the blue and blotchy / irregularly marked side for H. carpintis, though that too is possible. I know H. carpintis gets sold under other names.

This is--quite obviously--my first foray into bigger cichlids. Up to this point it's been other tropicals and oddballs, inverts, dwarf cichlids, electric blue acaras, smaller eartheaters and angels. I am trying to do right by the big lunkers. So... advice from the wiser and more experienced is welcome.