Compatibility

[Chockful O Phail]

I want to switch over from an oscar to an Argetentea pair. My concern is their compatibility with clown loaches and other fish. I was going to order a bunch of young ones and let them grow with my cl and pair up. My oscar has grown to have too much attitude and is picking on the other fish and my water is opposite of what most sa fish need so ca is where I'm heading now. Just want to be 80% sure that I can find a compatible fish because the clowns aren't going anywhere.

 

[Stanzzzz7]

Argentina are not known for their passive nature and in most cases will be more aggressive than an Oscar.
A lot of cichlids will ignore non cichlid tank mates but not always.
There is always a little bit of trial and error with c/a cichlids but Argentia can be nasty.
You are more likely to find veija melanura to be easier going in most cases.

 

[duanes]

I agree with Stanzzzz7, argentea are not a community cichlid, they are normally loners, and compared, make an oscars attitude or aggressiveness seem like wusses. An argentea would shred an oscar in a matter of minutes, and most other fish the same time.
They will be fine until about 5"-7", then they tend to kill anything they see.
I have had argentea pin dovii twice their length into top corners of 150-220 gal tanks

 

[Chockful O Phail]

Boo... I like melanura but the variance in their colors leaves me ??? My luck I'll get the dull ones unless I ordered some special strain and then Stanzzzz7 would write me a rap song. How about regani or hetrospilus?

 

[duanes]

I have found regani to be almost as aggressive as argentea with other cichlids. (don't have experience with non-cichlids)
I had a pair, and after the male killed the female in a 150gal,I gave it to a friend who put it in a 220. It would hide during the day, and at twilight come out to kill, it killed both his much larger Red Devil and Herichthys carpintus. It may have just been an anomaly, but other regani I've kept were the same, once they reached maturity. Young ones were always fine until that snap day. My first group were F1 from Don Conkel

Although I have not kept heterospillus, other people I know who have, say they are one of the least aggressive of the Vieja type.
I have also found V breidhori to be a less aggressive type. But I believe all Vieja need very large tanks when mature, more than 150gallons if in a community setting.
breidhori

 

[Chockful O Phail]

Thanks duanes , it's my 180 so I'll have to decide. Right now between fenestratus, melanura, and if I can find some heterospilus. I really think I'd like the argentea but not at the risk of my clowns.