Cute little guy, or gal?

[fishguy1978]

Thanks for the answers both of you; bit weird that a lot of articles say they will chomp down plants. I wonder if it matters which type or if the articles are just copying each others incorrectly. What is the smallest fish you would keep with an adult without fear it would try to eat it? Would it go after 4 inch zebra loaches? 2-3 inch cory? I suppose cardinals are a definite no-no. What about serpae tetra or cherry barbs?

I tried adult swordtails with mine and the male found them to be tasty snacks. I wouldn’t try anything smaller. I have a group of 5 G pyrosephalus that were housed with them.
I also kept them in a planted 220g. C wendetii and spirallus, Anubis and Java fern. The male did clear a pit and destroyed a lot of c wendetii in the process. I never have seen them eating the plants though.
I love chocolates!!

 

[esoxlucius]

What is the smallest fish you would keep with an adult without fear it would try to eat it?

Plants are one thing, small fish are a different story altogether!

I foolishly thought that my mild mannered little choc wouldn't touch my other fish when it was in my 180 com tank.....until I caught her red handed with an Odessa barb in her mouth!

Don't trust them with small fish! And don't forget, chocs can grow up to 12" in favourable conditions. A fish that size has quite a mouth on it, so what size fish are they capable of taking?

One thing I will say though. My choc is now in my 360 com tank. The smallest fish I have in their are my red tailed barbs (Discherodontus Ashmeadi). They are about 5", but fast and active constantly. My choc couldn't even catch them if she tried, but if she could, maybe I'd see their numbers dwindle.

 

[jake37]

I tried adult swordtails with mine and the male found them to be tasty snacks. I wouldn’t try anything smaller. I have a group of 5 G pyrosephalus that were housed with them.
I also kept them in a planted 220g. C wendetii and spirallus, Anubis and Java fern. The male did clear a pit and destroyed a lot of c wendetii in the process. I never have seen them eating the plants though.
I love chocolates!!View attachment 1523895View attachment 1523896View attachment 1523897View attachment 1523898View attachment 1523899

Do you think they would eat female swordtails which are bulkier than males. Mind you i do not intend to keep swordtails - just getting a feeling. My intended stocking for the 540 was as follows:
10 clown loaches 20 zebra loaches 5 yoyo loaches
4 chocolate - reduced to 2 when sexed
maybe 1 flagtail prochilodus
4-6 laeracara speices (probalby curviceps or aguaria)
8 krobia xinguensis
some random pleco
maybe 10-20 hemiodus gracilis
target temp 78 target tds 70-90 (i can control the tds from 0 to 130)
maybe 30 serpae (not a good idea iwth the chocolate)
maybe 10-15 anostums (if i can find them affordable)

 

[fishguy1978]

Do you think they would eat female swordtails which are bulkier than males. Mind you i do not intend to keep swordtails - just getting a feeling. My intended stocking for the 540 was as follows:
10 clown loaches 20 zebra loaches 5 yoyo loaches
4 chocolate - reduced to 2 when sexed
maybe 1 flagtail prochilodus
4-6 laeracara speices (probalby curviceps or aguaria)
8 krobia xinguensis
some random pleco
maybe 10-20 hemiodus gracilis
target temp 78 target tds 70-90 (i can control the tds from 0 to 130)
maybe 30 serpae (not a good idea iwth the chocolate)
maybe 10-15 anostums (if i can find them affordable)

Yes, tried it too.

 

[jake37]

Yes, tried it too.

I guess that mean the hemiodus gracilis are a bad idea - at least when the chocolate get larger. The zebra loaches are only 4 inches so they might also be at risk but not sure....

 

[fishguy1978]

I guess that mean the hemiodus gracilis are a bad idea - at least when the chocolate get larger. The zebra loaches are only 4 inches so they might also be at risk but not sure....

Probably. I would think anything of swordtail size or smaller would be lunch.