How big is your intermedia?

[mrrobxc]

Something else I might mention here is originally I wanted to do a community around my bass with them being the main focal point. I tried many fish with limited success like a large brycon (constantly harassed by bass), large tiger striped silver dollars(1 eaten, the rest trashed in a group of 7), lenticulata pikes (constantly warring with bass over the entire tank). Also, once I got rid of the pikes, I no longer needed the cover for them. I pulled a large stump out of my tank about 2 weeks after the pikes were removed and my bass actually settled down quite a bit. I know this is counterintuitive to keeping most cichlids, but mine went from hesitantly watching me when viewing them to actively seeking me out afterwards. Their attitude changed almost overnight. I wondered if intermedia might be more of an open water predator?

This made me reconsider how I keep these fish. I now understand why people keep them with limited to no decor. To me a bare tank is too boring, so I opted for a simpler layout with no sharp edges.

That's the other thing, when my fish were in grow mode, they would jet all over the tank to hit food or run from me or one another. They sustained injuries from sharper points of wood pieces (so far all healed but not fun to watch) I had in with them. For this reason if I were to grow out another batch I would keep the tank simple and make an extra effort to avoid possible injury prone decor.

Just my 2 cents

All great points. Thank you lunsforj . My wood structure is mainly at the back an more a background than anything but I’ll be mindful of the sharp points. I agree that cichla are not structure oriented and are more pelagic in nature. My 535 will have wood in the back 10-12” and the remaining 36” depth will be open for he orinos and intermedia.

tcav88 , Thomas, you may want to reconsider the lents given lunsforj ’s experiences.

 

[tcav88]

mrrobxc I love taking risks, well wee what happens, maybe I'll have better luck with them with more space. If anything I can just put them in the 180s if it doesn't work out

 

[mrrobxc]

mrrobxc I love taking risks, well wee what happens, maybe I'll have better luck with them with more space. If anything I can just put them in the 180s if it doesn't work out

I’m woth you. I gamble all the time.

I hit on soft 17

 

[lunsforj]

Also a gambling man here. That is why I added the just my 2 cents at the end. I quit giving advice in absolutes, when it come to fish husbadry, a long time ago.

With the lenticulata, I would say it was a judgement call. I wanted either the bass or the pikes to breed. With both of them in there, I just didn't see that happening. Neither group were really acting as ditheres to the other either. More like just constant annoyances with the occasional extreme splashing from chasing and fighting with each other. In the end, I wanted to see more natural behaviors from my fish.

 

[mrrobxc]

Also a gambling man here. That is why I added the just my 2 cents at the end. I quit giving advice in absolutes, when it come to fish husbadry, a long time ago.

With the lenticulata, I would say it was a judgement call. I wanted either the bass or the pikes to breed. With both of them in there, I just didn't see that happening. Neither group were really acting as ditheres to the other either. More like just constant annoyances with the occasional extreme splashing from chasing and fighting with each other. In the end, I wanted to see more natural behaviors from my fish.

I appreciate all the insight. I was thinking of some satanoperca but won’t attempt given your experiences.

I’ll keep the sveni with the kels and keep a close eye on them. Multispinosa are much calmer than lents so they should work. I’ll have to update once I have them all together.

 

[tcav88]

Also a gambling man here. That is why I added the just my 2 cents at the end. I quit giving advice in absolutes, when it come to fish husbadry, a long time ago.

With the lenticulata, I would say it was a judgement call. I wanted either the bass or the pikes to breed. With both of them in there, I just didn't see that happening. Neither group were really acting as ditheres to the other either. More like just constant annoyances with the occasional extreme splashing from chasing and fighting with each other. In the end, I wanted to see more natural behaviors from my fish.

I wonder if I add some heros if they would co-exist better

 

[mrrobxc]

I wonder if I add some heros if they would co-exist better

I wouldn’t know since Ivet never had full grown bass.

 

[lunsforj]

Probably hard to say. Originally I had my lentics with a pair of chocolates(which they hated) and a "pair" of true parrots. The pikes and the parrots didn't really mind each other. I got rid of the chocolates for said reason and the parrots because, along with the bass, I was developing a rather monochromatic theme.

 

[lunsforj]

In hindsight, I wish I'd kept the chocolates for my bass tank. I think they were about just the right speed. I also think parrots and pikes might make a good combo. The parrots are more like a vieja in attitude and don't get pushed around by much.

 

[tcav88]

In hindsight, I wish I'd kept the chocolates for my bass tank. I think they were about just the right speed. I also think parrots and pikes might make a good combo. The parrots are more like a vieja in attitude and don't get pushed around by much.

did your parrots ever develope hith? Heard they're really prone to it