Green/red terrors with silver dollars?

[BPags52]

I bought some common several dollars last month, intending them to be dithers for peacock bass. I've recently accepted that my tank is too small for pbass (6ft 125g). So I'm trying to figure out what I want to add now.

Current stock 125g:
7 2"-3" silver dollars
5 3"-3 1/2" red hook silver dollars
1 L-264 pleco (will be adding 2-3 more pleco next month).
1 4-5" Lima Shovelnose Catfish.

One of the ideas I've been tossing around recently is 3 green terrors and 3 red terrors (would be juveniles at about 2"-3"). Would these go together fine with my current stock? Is it a bad idea to mix green/red terrors?

 

[Jason_S]

most likely no...red terrors <festae> grow very large and are very aggressive. the silver dollars might be ok because they're quick and the plecos, if you're lucky, will get ignored but there's no guaruntee.

If you want festae then I'd devote the tank to them.

as for green terrors, these aren't nearly as aggressive usually. I would go with maybe one Green terror and a severum or something else fairly passive but that has lots of color.

 

[BPags52]

Was hoping the silver dollars (dithers) would make the festae less aggressive...

So I guess you can't mix 'em...darn.

As for green terrors, its not a good idea to have more than 1? A 'group' of 3 would be aggressive towards each other?

 

[shamrock]

I think your fine if the Festae is female-however they grow slow and the Lima might eat it.
As a matter of fact if it was me I would get rid of the Lima and add a Festae-even a male.

 

[Jason_S]

if you keep more than one you're running the risk of winding up with a pair. a pair will be exponentially more aggressive than a single specimen. you might be able to get away with one green terror and one red terror if they're both bought small and raised together. If you do that, then personally I'd add a 3rd cichlid, something in the medium aggression range...maybe a synspilum, severum..something that would not pose a threat to the festae...it would be important to make sure the 3 are the same sex/gender though.

 

[uncwnells]

I have a 9-10" male festae in with 3 silver dollars, a albino choc. pleco, a severum, and a couple cats in a 125, the do just fine. The festae does hate the severum.

Also, I am not sure if anyone above has ever kept festae, but ime the females are far more aggressive than the males.

 

[D-Train]

I agree females tend to me more aggressive than males with this species. Skip the lima shovelnose, it will have a big ass bioload and keeping your tank in tip top shape with that fish and the others you've suggested would be pretty hard. That and it will outgrow that tank most likely, I do believe they can hit 20" and your 125 is not I dont think.

As for the festae, if you get rid of the lima, you can easily keep a couple in there. The SD's will calm them and give them something to "play" with. GT's are much more laid back and would be a more peaceful option.

 

[BPags52]

Well...I hadn't really planned to get rid of the Lima. I got it last month when I was still planning on peacock bass. I got the Lima after seeing alot of people on MFK say they are slow growers...but I can tell its already getting bigger. I like the Lima...don't want to get rid of it Once it does outgrow the tank I'll find a new home for it

At what size can you properly tell if festae's are male or female?

lol...I was kind of hoping one of the juvies I previously mentioned getting would end up a pair (for better color displays)...I hadn't thought of how much more aggressive they'll become...

Now I'm not sure what I want to do ><

 

[phobull]

i got 4 reds in a 6ft with a lot of Africans
fonnys
geos
hornet tiaplia
red tail GG
Ghost knife
flower horns

They all live happoily ^^;

How can u tell what is male and female for the reds?

 

[shamrock]

Yeah but how large are they now?