Green Terror Compatibility

[Deadeye]

green terrors should not be put with anything that look like them so no shiny blue fish and my green terror did not tolerate my macaw cichlid because they both have a black blotch in the center. the blue jack dempsey is a pretty fragile fish anyway. green terrors also should be the undisputed dominant fish. imo to get the most out of your tank you should get a 40 breeder move the terror in there and enjoy him for the magestic fish he is alone because that is how they thrive. even if people are telling you to put him with other aggressive cichlids you should not because the green terror cant have competition. a schooling fish that he cant eat would probably be your best bet like a congo tetra. mine gets along wonderfully with an oscar but my oscar is quite the gentle giant so you could try this but i dont know if itd work for you since the terror wouldve established the tank as his. something like a rocket gar or bichir might work well because they’re formidable predators that cichlids seem intimidated by but they aren’t aggressive towards the cichlids either. maybe geos would work for your terror. green terrors are really versatile and can go with allot theyre just high strung and can get jealous of another fish easily so if they deem a fish too colorful or too much competition they will kill it but they can definitely be kept with run of the mill community fish too.

Good advice, but a green terror needs a minimum of 75 gallons imo.

 

[djsaltynuts]

Good advice, but a green terror needs a minimum of 75 gallons imo.

i agree if it gets to be an 8”+ specimen but i feel like most of the green terrors i see dont get to a very impressive size

 

[duanes]

One of the reasons you don't see many large impressive GTs, is not that they don't get that way naturally. but because they are kept in too small tanks, with other cichlids where water quality easily degrades quite quickly, with high nitrates, and other metabolism byproducts.
If you want your GT to hit full potential, it would be best to skip adding any other cichlids, and only add non-edible dither fish like semi-large tetras, and do lots of water changes to keep nitrate low (below 10ppm). This not only applies to GTs, but all cichlids.
Even in nature this is often the case, take Andinoacara stalsbergi, it is the only endemic cichlid found in its habitat along the Peruvian coast.
Would you think with that knowledge, that it'd be a good candidate for a cichlid community tank?
Other cichlids that are similarly the only species found in their isolated habitats, are Mayaheros beanii, and Nandopsis haitiensus, and there are plenty of others.
With very few abnormal exceptions, these species are not made for cichlid communities.

 

[djsaltynuts]

One of the reasons you don't see many large impressive GTs, is not that they don't get that way naturally. but because they are kept in too small tanks, with other cichlids where water quality easily degrades quite quickly, with high nitrates, and other metabolism byproducts.
If you want your GT to hit full potential, it would be best to skip adding any other cichlids, and only add non-edible dither fish like semi-large tetras, and do lots of water changes to keep nitrate low (below 10ppm). This not only applies to GTs, but all cichlids.
Even in nature this is often the case, take Andinoacara stalsbergi, it is the only endemic cichlid found in its habitat along the Peruvian coast.
Would you think with that knowledge, that it'd be a good candidate for a cichlid community tank?
Other cichlids that are similarly the only species found in their isolated habitats, are Mayaheros beanii, and Nandopsis haitiensus, and there are plenty of others.
With very few abnormal exceptions, these species are not made for cichlid communities.

do you have a green terror? and if so how big is it? because i have yet to see a really big green terror who wasnt wild caught. ive seen some pushing 12” wild caught though. and i have a hard time believing its the tank mates holding their size back. water quality and tank size are of course always a factor.

 

[djsaltynuts]

This is a picture of the bugger right here. He was purchased as a Green Terror but I often hear people talk about lots actually being standard GT's, Royal GT's or close relatives of GT's. Anything about him stick out?

View attachment 1437079

View attachment 1437080

your fish is nowhere near its color potential it would be a completely different fish if you mixed in a darker sand with the light sand and gave him a black or really dark backdrop.

 

[duanes]

Cichlids are known to give off growth inhibiting hormones that effect other cichlids they are confined with.
I have experienced this with Paratilapia in a 150 gallon tank, where, with 2 males in a tank; only the alpha grew significantly,
and the other remained half size. But after the alpha died, the 2nd male doubled in size and changed shape, almost overnight
In nature because almost constant 100% water change, and thousands of gallons, these hormones are often insignificant, but in the confines of an aquarium where only a small amount of water is changed (on comparison), these hormones can suppress growth and other aspects of cichlid development.
Below is only one such study about the hormonal challenges that may occur.
There are other studies, but most are aimed at aquaculture for the growth of food fish.
Research on aquarium species, does not often qualify for the type investment needed.

Hormonal anticipation of territorial challenges in cichlid fish ...www.pnas.org › content
Although I've been keeping cichlids for about 5 decades, at the moment I do not have a GT, although I do keep its close cousin, Andinoacara coerleopunctatus, having two breeding pairs in a 180 gal tank.
To remove hormones and keep water quality high, I tend to do 30-40% minimum every other day.