can anyone reccomend?

[jasonmac978]

hi all

can anyone reccomend a cichlid that grows to 20cm, very colourful, swims around the top 2/3rds of the tank and is peaceful but can handle itself if the need be. would be good if it is quite preditory, just as it would be a theme in the tank. i suppose it could be bigger than 20cm but would then have to be VERY peaceful. this size means it wont get eaten but would have to be very peaceful as not to become a bully.

the plan is to put this cichlid in with a rainbow snakehead,sengal/delhzi bichir and a pike cichlid (see my pike thread), the tank is still in planning stages ATM

thanks-sorry for being so specific!
Matt

I don't think that this setup is possible. It sounds like you are going to have more fish than space. I am way overstocked (will be upgrading to a 125-150 us gallons within the next year), but there isn't a snakehead in the mix. You want a fish that "is quite predatory", and a fish that "have to be VERY peaceful". I think that if an upgrade isn't possible, I would go after some smaller fish, like firemouths, convicts, geos or rams. With smaller fish you and the fish will be happier. The snakehead will be the only (albeit cramped) fish in only a matter of time. We all want bigger tanks and bada** fish, but sometimes we need to play with the hand that is dealt. Good luck with your setup bro.

JM978

 

[fish boy in toronto]

rainbow snake heads i believe get only 7 inches max correct me ifi am wrong i would put a electric blue dempsy or maybe some nice geos or uaro

 

[jasonmac978]

I just read that they grow to 20cm or just about 8 inches. I still don't think that 50 gallons is enough for a 7-8 inch snakehead. Are the smaller rainbow variety less aggressive than there larger cousins? I don't think that an EBJD juvie could withstand the harassment of larger, more aggressive fish in such a small environment. This of course, is just my opinion.

JM978

 

[fishfreak317]

what kind of pike cichlid do you have?

also what is the footprint of that tank?

7-8" predatory fish is still gonna be quite aggressive probably.

adding juvie BD would be suicide. so pretty and blue just like prey!

 

[Matt181]

thanks guys for the help!!

i dont think the rainbow snakehead is anything like its other cousins lol!!

by peaceful yet preditory i meant something that is peacefull towards other fish but will go bananas for live food!!

i havent decided on a tank yet so i dont know the footprint but it will be about 50-55 USG

what are flowerhorns like? do dwarf arrowanas or gars exist?

thanks
Matt

 

[reptech]

fh will kill most other fish when bigger what about geos or a uaro maybe a sal

 

[killerfish]

rainbow snakeheads won't get over a foot and could be kept in a 50 gallon for a while they useually don't get over 8''-9'' and aren't even close to as aggressive as there larger relatives but still can be some what aggressive but most of the time they are pretty peaceful

preditory isn't the same as aggressive totally differnt really theres plenty of fish that are preditory and arn't aggressive bichirs for example are just that way but finding a cichlid like that is hard but there are some

and for the dwarf fish we can only dream of dwarf aros or gars there are a few fish that look like gars and act like them but no true gars for that size tank and really nothing that looks like a aro african butterfly fish act like aros but don't look like them they aren't as active alos but are kind of cool and are preditory but are small


but the only cichlids like that i can think of would be a female
caquetaia kraussii or caquetaia spectabilis males get larger then you listed except specrabilis which males of that specis don't get much bigger then the females the males get 8'' and females get around 6'' same with kraussii but males of that species get 12'' spectabilis is the more color full of the two


salvini look great but can be horrible little things they will stand down fish twice there size amazingly brave fish and there just as tuff proubly not a good choice for that tank but with larger fish or on its own its a increadible fish to keep

 

[Matt181]

thanks for the help guys

i've never heard of a sal, what is it?

thanks i have decided on a pike now. a 2-spot pike whether that changes anything or not. i dont really want 2 put geos in, they are sifters if i am correct and i am looking for a mid-top fish, shame it was a good idea and they are very colourful!! the uaru is looking like a good option.

killer fish, are those fish from africa, i've never heard of them lol but caquetaia spectabilis is my favorite. why is a salvini a bad option? it has a small size but a brave heart from what i gathered, exactly what i want lol

thanks for all the help guys.
Matt

 

[Matt181]

the tank will be about 1metre long at least 80cm. if it is 80cm it will be deeper. just thought id say so people have an idea of size.

thanks
Matt

 

[Matt181]

i have by no means decieded so keep your ideas flooding in but would severums go mad for live food or are they quite sedate? would uarus be a bit more manic?

thanks
Matt