Dilemma - RD&Tankmates or RTM?

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k0330887

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 27, 2009
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UK
I have a 180 gallon 6ft tank. In it are pair of adult RD, pair of semi-adult RTM, spare male and female RTM, 2 convicts and 1 Texas.

My dilemma is to keep the RD's and stock with semi-aggressive cichlids. Or keep the RTM and keep just the pair in the tank.

The RTM pair are only 4" or so, but very territorial and becoming the top-dogs in the tank. The RD's about 12" are very docile, wouldnt/havent ever hurt a fly, zero aggression (honestly).

The RTMs are more beautiful and interesting, but the possibility of stocking the RDs with tankmates is tempting.

The RDs have been kept with Severums most of their lives, and I kept them with Sevs and Chocolate Cichlid at first.

The RDs like to hide and aren't as confident/outgoing as 1 would expect but still entertaining.

I get the feeling as the RTM grow they'll want the tank to themselves.

What would you do?
 
I'd go with the community, because it allows for more fish, but that is not including the fact that the RD might at some point get aggressive
 
I think I would also keep the RD's and keep the community set up.

Its kind of funny but my Midas is pretty easy going just like your RD's, I too am contemplating some tankmates maybe a Severum or an eartheater. Its hard to say because he is only 4.25" and he could change pretty quick.

I did notice your RD's are 12" and not showing aggression; at that point I think if they were going to be mean, they would be already.
 
my 9" female midas is doing fine with a 4" GT and 6 bichirs from about 3-4" upwards in the tank in my sig, the GT was about 2.5" when i put it in. she hated the cons i tried to put in and hid from them. they are going into a 5x2x2 in january if its delivered on time so my midas can reach her full potential and im adding more bichir species and either a freddy or loisellei.

so you can have good luck with midas although i dont know if its because tubby is a female that means she acts more politely or if its because i tried tankmates almost immediately.
 
Thanks for your replies. I'm taking the advice given and will 'attempt' to make a community for the RDs. They're fully grown and get pushed around by anything moderately aggressive but are quite interactive with ppl. So will keep more placid tankmates with them.

The dilemma now is now to keep the RTM pair or the Festae juveniles (now 2-2.5").

I have 15 festae growing out in a 100g tank, waiting for them to pair up and then rehome the rest. I am aware I'll need a bigger tank at some stage, but at the same time by reputation they are slow growing. There is a plan to get a 240 or bigger at some stage, so the Festae could have the 180 when that happens.

Thing is the RTM pair are stunners, well-bonded, female slightly bigger then the male, all very promising. With the Festae no pairs have yet emerged, and from what I've heard pairs of Festae arent necessarily L/T (what is?lol), but love the adult look and wanted them before I wanted RTMs.

So its either sell the 4" RTM pair and 2 spares...or sell the 15 festae...what would you do if you had never kept either?

Both seem to be rare to get hold off in this part of the world.
 
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