First foray into american cichlids

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stillsirpaul

Exodon
MFK Member
Mar 17, 2021
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New Jersey
This is my first time keeping a new world cichlid tank so looking for some ideas/advice...

What i have:

3 Firemouths about 2" growing out in a 40 long with some tetras and a leopard frog pleco.

1 Green Terror about 1" growing out/quaranteened in a 20 gallon long for now.

Other fish I might like to add -- not all of them obviously, but curious what would likely or likely not work ( feel free to suggest others):

Threadfin acara
Blue acara
Severum
Salvini
Redhead tapajos

Would love to hear some stocking suggestions from the folks here, and also, I am curious whether there is any consensus as to whether a 120 gallon 4x2x2 or a standard 125 gallon would be better suited for this set up. For filtration I will be using an FX6 and an aquaclear 110 both of which I have ready to go.

Thanks

Also, since I know we love photos, a picture of my new baby green terror.

20210727_213002.jpg
 
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stillsirpaul said:
This is my first time keeping a new world cichlid tank so looking for some ideas/advice...

What i have:

3 Firemouths about 2" growing out in a 40 long with some tetras and a leopard frog pleco.

1 Green Terror about 1" growing out/quaranteened in a 20 gallon long for now.

Other fish I might like to add -- not all of them obviously, but curious what would likely or likely not work ( feel free to suggest others):

Threadfin acara
Blue acara
Severum
Salvini
Redhead tapajos

Would love to hear some stocking suggestions from the folks here, and also, I am curious whether there is any consensus as to whether a 120 gallon 4x2x2 or a standard 125 gallon would be better suited for this set up. For filtration I will be using an FX6 and an aquaclear 110 both of which I have ready to go.

Thanks

Also, since I know we love photos, a picture of my new baby green terror.

View attachment 1468847
Click to expand...

Space and compatibility is two of biggest factors with keeping Cichlids. Also consider temperature and type water they naturally come from being soft or hard . I personally would add 2 more Firemouth to the aquarium and not add the Green Terror. Wouldn't add anything on that list.
 
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Footprint is the most important for most new world cichlids so a 6’ tank is better than a 4’ tank IMO.

You have a mix of Central American and South American species on your list, and a mix of aggressive fish and fairly peaceful fish in each. For instance, a salvini is a nasty little fish for its size and would be better mixed with larger aggressive Centrals, whereas firemouths are more mellow.

Severums, geos, and acaras would in most cases do well together but I probably wouldn’t keep them with the green terror.

You’ll have to decide if you’d rather have CA or SA, and then which temperament you’re looking at. Personally I don’t think a 125 is large enough for an aggressive tank because most aggressive cichlids are large growing and the lack of space will make them more aggressive.
 
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stillsirpaul said:
This is my first time keeping a new world cichlid tank so looking for some ideas/advice...

What i have:

3 Firemouths about 2" growing out in a 40 long with some tetras and a leopard frog pleco.

1 Green Terror about 1" growing out/quaranteened in a 20 gallon long for now.

Other fish I might like to add -- not all of them obviously, but curious what would likely or likely not work ( feel free to suggest others):

Threadfin acara
Blue acara
Severum
Salvini
Redhead tapajos

Would love to hear some stocking suggestions from the folks here, and also, I am curious whether there is any consensus as to whether a 120 gallon 4x2x2 or a standard 125 gallon would be better suited for this set up. For filtration I will be using an FX6 and an aquaclear 110 both of which I have ready to go.

Thanks

Also, since I know we love photos, a picture of my new baby green terror.

View attachment 1468847
Click to expand...


You might already have a Salvini not a green terror. The fish in the picture doesn’t look like a baby green terror. It resembles a baby Salvini cichlid.
 
stillsirpaul said:
This is my first time keeping a new world cichlid tank so looking for some ideas/advice...

What i have:

3 Firemouths about 2" growing out in a 40 long with some tetras and a leopard frog pleco.

1 Green Terror about 1" growing out/quaranteened in a 20 gallon long for now.

Other fish I might like to add -- not all of them obviously, but curious what would likely or likely not work ( feel free to suggest others):

Threadfin acara
Blue acara
Severum
Salvini
Redhead tapajos

Would love to hear some stocking suggestions from the folks here, and also, I am curious whether there is any consensus as to whether a 120 gallon 4x2x2 or a standard 125 gallon would be better suited for this set up. For filtration I will be using an FX6 and an aquaclear 110 both of which I have ready to go.

Thanks

Also, since I know we love photos, a picture of my new baby green terror.

View attachment 1468847
Click to expand...

Baby Jack Dempsey.
 
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ryansmith83 said:
Footprint is the most important for most new world cichlids so a 6’ tank is better than a 4’ tank IMO.

You have a mix of Central American and South American species on your list, and a mix of aggressive fish and fairly peaceful fish in each. For instance, a salvini is a nasty little fish for its size and would be better mixed with larger aggressive Centrals, whereas firemouths are more mellow.

Severums, geos, and acaras would in most cases do well together but I probably wouldn’t keep them with the green terror.

You’ll have to decide if you’d rather have CA or SA, and then which temperament you’re looking at. Personally I don’t think a 125 is large enough for an aggressive tank because most aggressive cichlids are large growing and the lack of space will make them more aggressive.
Click to expand...
I agree with the above, mixing Central and South Americans in the same tank (especially a tank under 6 ft), is usually a disaster waiting to happen as they mature.
Central Americans have a generally much more heightened aggressive temperament.
It can also be problematic as Central Americans prefer harder water parameters than South Americans, that can at times be sensitive to preferred water parameters.
Take for example waters where severum and many S American Geo's are endemic.
3BABA2B7-64CB-4504-86D2-4B4E76BEB678_1_201_a.jpeg
And below waters where Mexican species like Salvini, JDs, and FMs are found.
62673977-EAE9-4136-8C21-C9CA1E43095A_1_201_a.jpeg
Note the differences in Total Hardness, and conductivity.
Success in a cichlid aquarium is often related to matching species with your tap water.
 
Im very grateful for all the overnight replies! It seems my first cichlid tank is off to a rocky start!

I looked at some juvenile cichlid photos and I agree that mine looks more JD than green terror and seems to have been mislabelled at my LFS. I will
probably get my stock from TUIC from now on. I don't think I have the heart to return it though. Perhaps I will end up with two new tanks, although I was only planning one more. This may or may not go over well with wifey.

Also thanks for the info regarding water parameters. My water is well water and i would say it is moderately hard but not extremely so. Ive kept a number of SA plecos over the years. Are SA cichlids not able to healthily adjust to a bit harder water if parameters are stable?

I saw one suggestion for a species tank above, but for this tank, I was really looking for multiple species.

Finally, differences in aggression is noted and not lost on me. Assuming my juvi is not a salvini, I will cross that one off. Would it be possible to get some stocking suggestions for a 120 or 125 that utilize some of the other fish on my list, and perhaps the firemouths and/or this juvi.

Thanks again
 
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