GREEN TERROR TANK MATES

[Tpepe321]

I have a Green Terror (gold saum), male about 7" looking to upgrade him to a 90G soon and trying to see if anything would go with him?
What have you kept with gold saums and how did it turn out?
If I can find a large size JD and / or convict, Vieja, large severum, geophagus, anything other than little dither fish ideally but open to any and all feedback

 

[justintheodd]

View attachment 1566981
I have a Green Terror (gold saum), male about 7" looking to upgrade him to a 90G soon and trying to see if anything would go with him?
What have you kept with gold saums and how did it turn out?
If I can find a large size JD and / or convict, Vieja, large severum, geophagus, anything other than little dither fish ideally but open to any and all feedback

I wouldn't go with the JD, or Vieja, because in a 90 gallon, one fish will almost certainly kill the other. I have had success with bichirs, all manner of catfish, convicts, and the severum or geos could very well work.

 

[justintheodd]

View attachment 1566981
I have a Green Terror (gold saum), male about 7" looking to upgrade him to a 90G soon and trying to see if anything would go with him?
What have you kept with gold saums and how did it turn out?
If I can find a large size JD and / or convict, Vieja, large severum, geophagus, anything other than little dither fish ideally but open to any and all feedback

also ( and this is just one piece drop in the ocean, so take this with a grain of salt) larger Haplochromine cichlids, like the livvinstonii, or Taiwan reefs. probably would go for those, but just saying.

 

[Roger Mcfish]

I'd leave him as a solo. 7 inches and he was grown out a solo tank fish, chances are in a 4ft tank, he'll any mates with him.

He might have a chance in a 6ft tank with a geophagus and severums for example. Is steer clear of vieja. Vieja of any kind get way too big for a 90 gallon. 90 gallon is a 75 gallon with a few more inches of height, so not a big difference. GT are big bullies and are bluff callers until it's time he meets his match on any fish that'll stand up to it and definitely doesn't stand a chance against a grown jack dempsey or any vieja.

 

[Roger Mcfish]

I'd leave him as a solo. 7 inches and he was grown out a solo tank fish, chances are in a 4ft tank, he'll any mates with him.

He might have a chance in a 6ft tank with a geophagus and severums for example. Is steer clear of vieja. Vieja of any kind get way too big for a 90 gallon. 90 gallon is a 75 gallon with a few more inches of height, so not a big difference. GT are big bullies and are bluff callers until it's time he meets his match on any fish that'll stand up to it and definitely doesn't stand a chance against a grown jack dempsey or any vieja. Could smaller speciies silver dollars.

 

[justintheodd]

I'd leave him as a solo. 7 inches and he was grown out a solo tank fish, chances are in a 4ft tank, he'll any mates with him.

He might have a chance in a 6ft tank with a geophagus and severums for example. Is steer clear of vieja. Vieja of any kind get way too big for a 90 gallon. 90 gallon is a 75 gallon with a few more inches of height, so not a big difference. GT are big bullies and are bluff callers until it's time he meets his match on any fish that'll stand up to it and definitely doesn't stand a chance against a grown jack dempsey or any vieja.

agreed, my gt stood up to an 8 inch Taiwan reefs at 4", reef backed down. tried it again later, Taiwan realized he was bluffing and rocked him

 

[Tpepe321]

I got him this size from a LFS about a month ago, they had him packed in with a few dozen green terrors, catfish, and datnoids. He's been in a temp tank with some smaller peaceful fish for over a month now and no fatalities.

Sounds like your concern is for the GT from the JD. My thought was a JD would be at risk from the GT.... Am I not correct or it could go either way. Never had a JD but I figured the JD would be less aggressive...

 

[justintheodd]

I got him this size from a LFS about a month ago, they had him packed in with a few dozen green terrors, catfish, and datnoids. He's been in a temp tank with some smaller peaceful fish for over a month now and no fatalities.

Sounds like your concern is for the GT from the JD. My thought was a JD would be at risk from the GT.... Am I not correct or it could go either way. Never had a JD but I figured the JD would be less aggressive...

JD's get bigger than GTs (8-10" vs 12-14") JD's aren't actually all that confrontational, but a GT certainly is. once the JD is provoked, he is the bigger fish and will likely beat up or kill the GT

 

[Tpepe321]

JD's get bigger than GTs (8-10" vs 12-14") JD's aren't actually all that confrontational, but a GT certainly is. once the JD is provoked, he is the bigger fish and will likely beat up or kill the GT

Again, first time with a GT and 0 experience keeping JD but good old google would disagree, along with every other forum I've read on JDs and GTs average captive size.

Per google:
"The gold saum, a color variation of the green terror cichlid (Andinoacara rivulatus), can reach a maximum size of 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) in captivity with proper care. A typical size is around 8 inches, though they can grow larger."

"Jack Dempseys, average around 6-10 inches (15-25 cm) in length in a captive environment, though males tend to be larger than females. Wild specimens can reach up to 10 inches (25 cm), but due to the constraints of typical home aquariums, they often remain slightly smaller, with some sources noting a maximum of around 8 inches for captive individuals. "

 

[Deadeye]

I recall seeing pictures of a confirmed 14 inch JD on this site - I wish I could find them again. It’s not common but it can happen.
Mine is about 9 and he isn’t very belligerent, but that’s also because he has no competition.
A jack and a green terror look very similar (especially if you’re a cichlid). That alone is grounds for the 2 to fight for dominance.
Both species really should be in a 6 foot tank, especially if you’re considering a cohab with any other cichlids.
How they’re housed in the store isn’t really a good benchmark for compatibility. Most often it’s overcrowded conditions and/or the fish aren’t there long enough to get aggressive with each other.
To echo what others have said, you will have a much better time keeping the solo gt with dithers.