Can I add one more?

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Longimanus

Longimanus

Candiru
MFK Member
Feb 19, 2009
405
19
48
BC, Canada
120 gallon tank 4x2x2 tank is planted

2 parrot cichlids (5" and 3")
1 firemouth 5"
3 blue rams
3 small angelfish
1 pearl gourami
1 fantail goldfish
5 Giant Danios
2 tetras that came with the tank, not sure what they are, pandas maybe
3 Siamese Algae eaters
7 Bristlenose plecos
1 L200
2 L201

Now I have a chance to pick up a 10" Megalodoris Uranoscopus (irwini), I understand these grow very slowly once they hit this size, and I was thinking of picking it up and keeping it for a few years until it got too big then rehome it. (There are lots of local monster keepers, I know I could find it a home)

My tank is well filtered, I am running 2 Filstar XP3's and an FX5 on the tank. Weekly or more water changes, lots of plants and wood.

Is adding a Megalodoris totally pushing it? If it would push my bioload to unstable limits I would not consider it.

Here is a video of the current inhabitants (have since added two more large pieces of wood)

 
I would worry more about agression tward the more peaceful fish in your tank. As it is, you will more then likely have issues with the parrots and fm once they mature.
 
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I am lucky in that I have a very placid firemouth, so hopefully they will continue to be okay. I know it could change, but they have been co-existing very peacefully for a long time, even when the parrots have eggs.
 
Do you mean that the irwini can be aggressive to smaller fish? I thought they were totally placid and didn't eat fish?
 
My view is you have some very aggressive fish in a tank with very passive fish. No matter what you do, that is going to become an issue somewhere.

Adding larger fish, however peaceful, has a chance to cause the tank dynamics to alter. Some territorial fish may suddenly feel they have too little space. I'm speculating here. Putting fish together and predicting behavior isn't science.

But you want to know if the Irwini can be in the tank. Yes, until it outgrows it.

I personally don't like putting a 10" fish that will in a few months be a 12" fish in a 24" wide tank, especially one that isn't so flexible, so for me, I'd say you shouldn't have him that long. Again, that's me. Some people would be fine doing that. I happen to adore those particular catfish and I want them to have lots of room even if it doesn't seem like they always use it.
 
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Thank you very much for the advice. I think I will pass on the irwini. I love the look, but I don't want to make a big mistake getting something that will outgrow my tank so fast.

As for my fish, none of my fish are aggressive, and I wouldn't call any of my fish species "very aggressive". Parrots and Firemouths are among the less aggressive cichlids. I know angels can become aggressive if they pair up, but if that happens I will change things around.

I would consider "very aggressive" cichlids to be Jaguars, flowerhorns, and dovi's etc. Mine are more.... pugnacious.

I've grown the firemouth since he was a baby, he's never been the dominant fish, and gets along with all the fish. I'm not so naive that I think that it can't change, but I'm hopefull that it won't.
 
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