Hows this combination

[scratanut]

End of this year am gonna get a 65 gallon 48x18x18 tank, I presently have a 4.5" convict and a 4" salvini to go in it, apart from these I am planning to get the following fishes,
cichlids:
Firemouth-1
texas -1
severum-1
red jewel-1

others:
Common pleco-1 or 2
tiger barbs 15-20 (for the schooling action displayed by them)
I will acquire all the cichlids at 2-4" sizes, I will also add the tiger barbs before adding cichlids, can barbs survive along with the cichlids if kept in large number? Is it possible to keep all the above given cichlids together, I doubt whether I can keep texas, coz it'll grow too large and territorial, texas can be dropped for any other mid sized cichlid suitable for the group. This is going to be a non breeding showtank with a lot of rocks and a few hardy plants. Suggestions are invited.

 

[ewok]

i wouldnt put the severum inside.
jewels can get pretty nasty so you might want to watch it.
but that's a lot of bio load in a 65gallon, especially with all those tiger barbs.

if i were you i would get 12 tiger barbs (or maybe look into aussie rainbow fish) and get the texas (try and get an escondido if possible), red jewel and the salvini and keep it at that.

 

[andyourblueblood]

wow! overstocked like me i see! hoooorahhh!!! good for you! i would do it! with the exception of the jewel and tigers. do a s.a or c.a. in place of the jewel and some larger tetras in place of the barbs. keep it american! and to that i will drink a beer!

 

[scratanut]

tiger barbs are one of the important ingredients, coz theyl look awesome always schooling around, frightened by cichlids, having them in large numbers can prevent them from being eaten, like what I've seen in this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rjfxFN9oMM&mode=user&search=

 

[scratanut]

Are jewels aggressive? they always lost to my malawi cichlids.

How good will be a fluidized bed filter for this tank, with mechanical filtration too, I've heard FBFs can take a lot of bioload.

 

[Mystix212]

I would go with the:
Convict
Salvini
9-12 Tiger Barbs
Severum (Same sex as convict)
Firemouth (Same sex as convict)
Common Plec.

Having a good canister filter along with a good HOB filter is all that you will need. Maybe a Rena XP3 (Canister) + AquaClear 110 (HOB Filter).

 

[scratanut]

I would go with the:
Convict
Salvini
9-12 Tiger Barbs
Severum (Same sex as convict)
Firemouth (Same sex as convict)
Common Plec.

This will be much better
But why did you suggest Firemouth and severum of same sex as convict?

 

[davidefc]

i would say your good with out the severum and the common plecos......there s**t machines so get a bristlenose insted or something small

 

[Binohendrix]

I think i should put the sev in the mix. Awsome fish. Gets big and can be agressive sometimes. I woudnt worry about the jewel. They're dangerous only when they are breeding.

 

[scratanut]

If I keep tiger barbs with midsized cichlids, what are the chances that they thrive? I like the shoaling action of fishes, so in order to keep the tiger barbs shoaling i need to add a bully so that who chases and scares them, not so big that the barbs are being killed and eaten. So i would go with all the above stated fishes except texas.

Is it a definite that all the dithers are killed even in a community of midsized cichlids?

The second thing is that the convict and salvini are a breeding pair now, so can this be a problem to others? though they'll be the last ones to go in the tank.