grammode vs. 5 spot jewel... compatible??

[Madness]

Very interesting thread. I stumbled on it while googleing about Grammodes. So this is my first time on MFK. I was looking up Grammodes cause I was curious about their size and temperament. I have a Calibrensis x Grammode hybrid that I purchased locally. It had been in my 135 for about a month when I decided to purchase a friend for it. I purchased a Grammode from a LFS. It was a bit under fed. At this time the hybrid was 4" and the Grammode was a tad larger. My hybrid had been real melo until I introduced the Grammy. Then my hybrid relentlessly pounded the Grammy. So I removed the Grammy and placed it in my recovery/sick tank, to fatten it up.

It has been 3 weeks and I am about to re-introduce the Grammy to the 135. They are both about 5" or more now. The Grammy is definitely eating well and looking better. I was not aware of how aggressive the Grammy can be. I know my Grammy hybrid is more of a, leave me alone and I will leave you alone, type of fish. But it is beautiful and doesn't get messed with. It does share the tank with a few larger fish and some the same size. I hope that there is a little less anger this time.

This is my hybrid, and I would hate to have the Grammy mess up its fins.

What do you think?

I was also thinking of getting a couple of 5 stars. Now I am not so sure..

 

[bull230k]

from what i'm seeing in my tank i think the grammode is much more aggressive than the 5 star. my grammode is 2/3 the size of the 5 star and is relentless. i'm still watching my tank hoping in the next couple days things mellow out. they are both awesome fish and i would love if they could co-exist.

 

[BC in SK]

from what i'm seeing in my tank i think the grammode is much more aggressive than the 5 star.

Could be, but it's not a fair comparison, whatsoever. The 5-star was introduced later and may not have had the chance to really establish itself.

I'll give a recent example , from one of my own tanks, of what can happen with introduction . About 3 weeks ago I moved a male Pseudeotropheus crabo (bumble bee) into my 180 gal. It's been tolerated and pretty much ignored by most of the fish, all of except my male blue gourami, who is pretty much bottom of the pecking order in this tank. Innitially the gourami, chased and chased the bumble bee. 3 weeks now, and the gourami is still boss over the bumble bee A number of times the bumble bee has attempted to stand up to the gourami, but the fights are always very breif because one of the larger fishes (CA cichlids) always comes by, and the bumble bee is scared of getting reprimended by one of the larger fishes, for acting tough in their prescence. Bear in mind the bumble bee is longer and heavier then the gourami and also the fact that mbuna are generally amongst the quickest fish to establish themselves.

From this example I could conclude that the blue gourami is the tougher and more aggressive fish then then the the P. crabo,
But of course I know it's just a matter of time before the tables turn. A male blue gourami is a tough fish for a non-cichlid, but isn't even in the same league as male mbuna. I'm actually rather shocked that after 3 weeks, the gourami will still chase the bumble bee around, once in a while, but it is what it is

 

[Camphilophus]

I got $5 on the grammode. Guapote > african