Looking for a Pike Cichlid for my 75G

[averagehobbyist]

Hi I have been keeping cichlids for years and recently I have been hell bent on a pike cichlid. I currently have a 6-7" JD cichlid a 3-4" GT, 3 pictus catfish, the biggest of which is 5" (that just fight all the time) and some buenos ares tetras for dithers. So far the tank has gone perfectly, I have not had any fish deaths in about 8 months and that was one of the tetras and died from some unknown reason. The JD is the boss of the tank and was the original fish in the tank with all tank mates added after and he surprisingly has only disliked one fish I attempted to add which was (at the time) a male convict cichlid of slightly smaller stature to him. He is extremely docile and just pushes fish out of his "spot" in the tank and may chase for a total of 3 seconds if the GT tries to stay next to him too long.

So I went to my LFS and they had some lovely yellow colored pikes with black stripes and small spots on their head, they were labeled as pike cichlids and are about 2.5" long. I came back to the LFS and after speaking with the sales associate at the store I was assured that this was not a monstrous fish and would not grow much more than 10 inches maybe 12. It was the last one at the store so i scooped it up and brought it home. So like an idiot I decide to do my lengthy research AFTER I purchased the fish to ensure I got what the clerk told me I purchased.... on the contrary, judging from the juvenile marking on the fish I have come to the conclusion that it has to be part of the lugubris group. and most likely a Crenicichla aff. Lugubris Orinoco. I cannot keep this fish especially if I am correct on what it is.

So I am capturing this little guy to return to the store. So this leaves me with no pike cichlid for now. I am looking to replace it with a much more appropriate sized pike cichlid, maxing out around 12 inches. I am open to all suggestions, including not getting one at all in this set up if that is what is recommended. I have found it hard to find specific advice on this situation by just searching for the answer online. Thanks for any help

 

[Gourami Swami]

When your GT and JD are full grown, the 75 will be small already especially with the catfish as well, I would not add a 12" pike to that tank. Plus, a 12" pike will lilkely eat pictus cats.
In my opinion your tank is already full, if you plan on upgrading maybe could be a grow out. If you were hell bent on trying a pike I would go for a belly crawler, they stay smaller and are less aggressive.

 

[Deadliestviper7]

Your fish will already outgrow the tank you have

 

[kno4te]

Only thing to add is lugubris family can be aggressive from what I’ve read. Would suggest some pikes from the saxatalis group. Others members may have a different opinion but also to add onto Gourami Swami .

 

[averagehobbyist]

I am already looking to re-home the pictus catfish because they constantly fight, which has occasionally resulted in torn fins. I may wind up keeping just one of them or even getting rid of all three, and looking to replace those with a single pike cichlid. my thoughts were if I get a similar sized fish as the JD and GT yet totally different body shape it would not create too much disruption with the tank. I do have plans to purchase a 125G tank but that will be at least a year out, because I will be moving in January and I am not looking to deal with the hassle of moving tanks. All these fish would move to the 125 and I would possibly turn the 75G into a large nano tank.

 

[Rocksor]

I am already looking to re-home the pictus catfish because they constantly fight, which has occasionally resulted in torn fins. I may wind up keeping just one of them or even getting rid of all three, and looking to replace those with a single pike cichlid. my thoughts were if I get a similar sized fish as the JD and GT yet totally different body shape it would not create too much disruption with the tank. I do have plans to purchase a 125G tank but that will be at least a year out, because I will be moving in January and I am not looking to deal with the hassle of moving tanks. All these fish would move to the 125 and I would possibly turn the 75G into a large nano tank.

If you don't like torn fins, then I would remove either the green terror or jd, and just keep one cichlid for that 75g. Adding a pike won't help with reducing aggression in the 75g. A pike doesn't care about body shape if it is territorial. It will attack any fish that is 75% it's body mass because it perceives it as a competitor for food and space.

Wait until you get a 125 before you get the pike, of which either a belly crawler or saxatilis type may do fine with the other 2.

Personally for the 125, I would do a gt (i find them more personable that a JD), and 12+ buenos aires, and 12+ pictus.

 

[PhishMon84]

Pikes can peaceful with the right tank mates and space. I don’t think you have either.
Maybe plan for this tanks next life or rehome if you are dead set on piles.

Saxatalis group can sometimes go without a heater.
If you started with an empty 75 and got juveniles of a saxatlis group + juveniles of some like an auatroloheros species you could possibly mix.

But with it current stocking, you’d be wasting your money and causing harm
to your fish.

Maybe rehome the GT and get like 4 females JD’s?

 

[averagehobbyist]

If you don't like torn fins, then I would remove either the green terror or jd, and just keep one cichlid for that 75g. Adding a pike won't help with reducing aggression in the 75g. A pike doesn't care about body shape if it is territorial. It will attack any fish that is 75% it's body mass because it perceives it as a competitor for food and space.

Wait until you get a 125 before you get the pike, of which either a belly crawler or saxatilis type may do fine with the other 2.

Personally for the 125, I would do a gt (i find them more personable that a JD), and 12+ buenos aires, and 12+ pictus.

I have become very attached to my JD, it is the first cichlid I had bought in years, since i moved from Australia in 2012, now living in the states. I got him last year, so I have probably had him roughly 14-15 months. The issue with torn fins is not with the Cichlids at all, I have not seen any damage to either other than when I spooked them and the JD rammed into a rock. the torn fins have all been amongst the Pictus Catfish while they have been fighting amongst each other. I will postpone the Pike cichlid for another time, I got a little hasty in this purchase as I mentioned above.

 

[averagehobbyist]

Pikes can peaceful with the right tank mates and space. I don’t think you have either.
Maybe plan for this tanks next life or rehome if you are dead set on piles.

Saxatalis group can sometimes go without a heater.
If you started with an empty 75 and got juveniles of a saxatlis group + juveniles of some like an auatroloheros species you could possibly mix.

But with it current stocking, you’d be wasting your money and causing harm
to your fish.

Maybe rehome the GT and get like 4 females JD’s?

I have bred JD's once before, which was on accident... I was also 14 years old and was just buying fish because of fascination with no research and clearly over stocking fish back then.

my Male JD is a hefty boy (in my opinion) he is pretty thick and I would have to say pushing 7 inches could even be more, I tend to stay on the conservative side but I really haven't measured him or even attempted to. So my question is, how big would the female JD's have to be?

Thank you for your advice

 

[Gourami Swami]

I have bred JD's once before, which was on accident... I was also 14 years old and was just buying fish because of fascination with no research and clearly over stocking fish back then.

my Male JD is a hefty boy (in my opinion) he is pretty thick and I would have to say pushing 7 inches could even be more, I tend to stay on the conservative side but I really haven't measured him or even attempted to. So my question is, how big would the female JD's have to be?

Thank you for your advice

Smart on waiting for the pike, it would be do-able in a 125 for sure, I would wait for then.

JD females will become sexually mature and able to breed quite small, 3" or so. However the male may be abusive to such a smaller fish, hard to say depends on your male JD.