Uh yeah, 45 breeder is uber small for an adult pair of almost any type of pike, especially Lugubris group pikes. Then trying to add other fish to the mix, no wonder they get pwned!
Pedro ~ You want at least 50 gals. per pike, so IDEALLY at least a 100gal tank. Wayne Leibel has bred Crenicichla marmorata in a 75gal., not sure if he got fry or not though. He didn't have any other fish in there though, and marms are generally a little bit less aggressive than lents. Technically you could try it in a 75gal, but that is absolutely the bare minimum. Bigger is better, although in a tank around 100gals you can control the parameters a little bit easier, so that might be ideal.
I've got my pair in a 300gal with several other pikes. They've definitely paired up and are showing some cool colors, but finding that trigger to get them to breed is rather tricky. Lugubris pikes are one of the toughest cichlids to try and spawn. Finding their spawning triggers is somewhat of a mystery. It might have to do with maturity though as tman pointed out. Not many people keep them until they are fully grown.
Hope that helps a little! Post some pictures up eh?
