the personality in these big predatory fish tend to vary quite a bit! i guy know has a (relativlely)shy Dovii..
And looking at how my parachromis behave they tend to take the kids for a walk in the tank. I think my male would have a hard time backing down during mating and rearing and learning not to jaw lock with a puffer(needless to write what would follow), so i think Fahaka is incompatible with this kind of cichlid.
Staying with a Fahaka just for bit more... MBUNA!
I reckon this could happen! bear(not grizzly, i'z b non-native engerish speaker) with me for a sek.. I decorate my tanks with A LOT of rocks! seen from above i place the rockwork in a "m" shape, with the back of the tank on top of the m shape with the bottom of the m shape almost reaching the front glas of the tank(I'd LOOOVE to have a deeper tank!). The top 1/3 is left for swimming, and seen from the side the rocks slope back the higher they get(dunno if i description is adequite). It kinda makes "courtyards" where the fish cant se each other in the neighbouring courtyards, also it makes A LOT of hiding places for juvaniles and grown ups that the Fahaka cant reach. Should the Fahaka get a mbuna once in a while its ok, they breed like hell and they cost me 2 bucks a fish for juvies. Fahaka stays stimulated, i can watch it hunt, i still have all the social entrigue of the cichlid com,unity
... (i'm thinking demasoni, labs and estherea)..
Mbu, think this might work, the Mbu might deter the cichlids from ever trying to start a fight and is less aggressive then the Fahaka.. I'd give the cichlids a big cave/nest in one end of the tank and make a sort of cage around it, where the Mbu is to wide bodied to get in. It would still be possible to have a mbuna community along all of the background, and the Mbu might keep the big cichlids in check a bit, so they dont eat to many of the community cichlids(assuming id go for a predatory pair, i probably would, this might very well be self delussion but its kinda like they seem more personable)). AWSOME! but.. but but but, I'd NEVER attempt this in anything less the 4-5000 liters, and i have 750
I'm not gonna try a smaller brakich water type, aint no salt going in this non-reef of mine!(damn i miss my triggers, toby's, puffers, i cant leave a reef for my wife to look after when im not around, so freshwater...), so whats left Colomesus asellus? to small not to be oscar food? I've been reading greedyly on the puffer forum, I'm smarter now! so i'm just left with more questions then i started with... anything? tell me i have overlooked a viable freshwater candidate for my setup?(p. mota/hali hybrid, rivulatus, dempsey, pair of each and a lone oscar, JD's gonna go next time for rooms sake) I'm not willing to give up on my monogamous predatory cichlids just yet :S
I never wrote the following and will deny it's existance! There is the option of Fahaka mayham tank!
Here in Denmark we have quite a bit of giva away fish in the community, yesterday i gave a 6 inch nimbochromis livingstonii female coz she needed a new home and couldent wait for some to give me 10 bucks for her while she lived in a way to smal box.. Ur already getting my drift
(join the darkside! we have hungry Fahakas
)... So give the fish lots of survival options by giving them the before described rockwork and just picking up all the freebees, battle royale...
And thx for the advise for now, if i start i thread at the puffer forum i'll post a link here, you guys at MFK are just my first go-to-guys
