Housing agressive ones

[Savethemall]

Hi, im tring to collect info about housing of jack dempsi and Paraneetroplus hartwegi.
I want to hear your experience with those fish, and especialy about housing in tank of only jack dempsi or only paraneetroplus.So ill be happy to hear your exp and reccomendation about this, tank size decoration, etc. thank you!

 

[tlindsey]

Hi, im tring to collect info about housing of jack dempsi and Paraneetroplus hartwegi.
I want to hear your experience with those fish, and especialy about housing in tank of only jack dempsi or only paraneetroplus.So ill be happy to hear your exp and reccomendation about this, tank size decoration, etc. thank you!

Gourami Swami
Stanzzzz7
duanes

 

[duanes]

I wouldn't keep any species of Vieja (be it hartwegi or ????) in anything less than a 100 gal plus tank as an adult, and bigger is always better.
I also find using dither fish with them helps, since they are inept predators at best.
As far as JDs go, many people try to keep them in smallish tanks, but they seem to always then, just constantly hide out.
In larger tanks, (100 gal +) you can keep them with dither fish, which often brings them out in the open, and maybe use a harem situation of one or two males with multiple females.
I also find when keeping JDs with other cichlids, the JDs suffer a bit unless they can totally wipe the floor with them.
Below how they live in nature.
Note the amount of space, and companions in the video below.
Eden2

 

[Savethemall]

I wouldn't keep any species of Vieja (be it hartwegi or ????) in anything less than a 100 gal plus tank as an adult, and bigger is always better.
I also find using dither fish with them helps, since they are inept predators at best.
As far as JDs go, many people try to keep them in smallish tanks, but they seem to always then, just constantly hide out.
In larger tanks, (100 gal +) you can keep them with dither fish, which often brings them out in the open, and maybe use a harem situation of one or two males with multiple females.
I also find when keeping JDs with other cichlids, the JDs suffer a bit unless they can totally wipe the floor with them.
Below how they live in nature.
Note the amount of space, and companions in the video below.
Eden2

Im not thinking of putting them in a small tank, ive heared that in most cases even in a large tank if ill put 6 JD together they might kill eachother , what do you think? also what is the recomended decoration for them?
and about the vieja , the ame thing ,im trying to understand if its smart to house a few of them together in a big tank

 

[FastFisher5]

My Jack Dempsey is my favorite fish I've ever owned. Loves the caves and plenty of plants i put up for him. Overall the best decoration i found for him was floating plants

 

[Gourami Swami]

I haven't kept hartwegi, but have kept other similar species of vieja. As an adult, a 125 at least to house one properly with some dithers. If you wanted to try a group of vieja, I would recommend a very large tank in the 300 gallon range. These guys get very mean especially to other vieja. I had success keeping one with a community of cichlids that didn't look like him, and were smaller. But communities are a lot of work to get right, kind of a balancing act, and don't always work.

Jack dempseys I have kept a few of. They live in groups in the wild in cenotes, the problem is that in aquariums they don't really have room to live this way. So to house 6 of them without killing each other, you'd need a large tank. 180 might work.

Either tank would be awesome with a big group of livebearers. If you have the room I'd say go for the vieja, they are fun fish to keep

 

[Gourami Swami]

for either fish, lots of rocks and wood would be best decorations. We can't all be as good as this, but check out this video for inspiration.

 

[Stanzzzz7]

You can keep veija and JDs in groups providing you have the right size tank and the right sex ratios.
Harems are the way forward for this approach.
Personally I think a group of JDs consisting of 1 male and 3 to 4 females could work in a tank over 200 gallons.
You would need a lot of rock work and caves for hiding spots a sandy substrate and a group of sailfin mollies would make good tank mates.
Veija can also work in harems but I would suggest a tank of 200 to 300 gallons.

 

[Stanzzzz7]

for either fish, lots of rocks and wood would be best decorations. We can't all be as good as this, but check out this video for inspiration.

The tank in this video is 8x4 footprint and the fish were aggressive to each other.
This particular species is very aggressive and you may have more luck with hartwegi. The bigger the tank the more chance of success. The JD idea is generally a lot easier to achieve than the veija one.