My 125 gallon new world cichlid setup

[Toby_H]

But the fish has lived for 8 years, so how unhealthy is it? How stunted is it? I've read where pacu will reach two feet in length in captivity but that's it.

The fish has the potential to live 30+ years... making it to 8 years old doesn't really say that much...

The fish has the potential to reach 36"+... making it to 20 doesn't really say that much...

As I said, in a 6' round 300 gal mine reached 22"+ in 18 months... that was with ample filtration, weekly water changes and a quality diet...

Several years ago Ripley's Aquarium in Myrtle Beach had a group of 8~10 in a 1,200 gal (approx 8' x 4' @ 5' deep) that were all in the 3' range. They decided to get rid of them because they were to skittish and constantly banged into the walls.

well whatever happens will happen.

ou are putting the fish in substandard conditions and then saying "whatever happens happens... That's not very responsible of you...


Welcome to the forum and I hope you spend the time reading quality sources and learning about your fish. I'm sure in time you'll learn what it takes to keep your fish as healthy as you can... best wishes...

 

[UTEP]

I keep both a pleco and cat in a 125 and haven't had any problems.

Just saying it can have problems-just cause it worked for you doesnt mean its the norm.

 

[UTEP]

Let me see if I can help. First off lets just stick to cichlids and maybe the Pleco and Catfish-for sure get rid of the Pacu and Stonefish.
With the Pleco and Cat-IMO I would only keep one-being that they are both bottom feeders and may fight at night. As far as the cichlids stick with only 1 per species-you dont want pairs in that size tank. So keep one-Jack Dempsey, Salvini, Green Terror, Oscar, and the Firemouth-I would ditch the BloodParrot-we dont need hybrids in there.
So here it is:
Either the Pleco or Catfish
Oscar, GT, Salvini, JD, and Firemouth-make sure you have a lot of caves or hiding spots-in a tank that size you should be fine!

Wow the OP didnt read a thing I wrote

 

[Experiment397]

ya like i said i have been keeping fish for a while but this is my biggest tank. i have run into trouble before and have had to sell fish and give them away. i hope to get a 300+ gallon tank in a couple years, like maybe 8-10. i think by then he will be ready for it. i don't meen to be ignorant but i do a lot of research on them but just don't have the experience you guys have. my most aggresive fish before was a red tail shark, so i am new to the big fish that are highly aggresive. i can still get rid of him if i have to. i am hoping to have some success with this, and have decieded to get 3 305 filters instead of two, will that cover it? sorry if i seem stupid but i am just confused

 

[cichlidfish]

ya like i said i have been keeping fish for a while but this is my biggest tank. i have run into trouble before and have had to sell fish and give them away. i hope to get a 300+ gallon tank in a couple years, like maybe 8-10. i think by then he will be ready for it. i don't meen to be ignorant but i do a lot of research on them but just don't have the experience you guys have. my most aggresive fish before was a red tail shark, so i am new to the big fish that are highly aggresive. i can still get rid of him if i have to. i am hoping to have some success with this, and have decieded to get 3 305 filters instead of two, will that cover it? sorry if i seem stupid but i am just confused

You aren't stupid, just miss informed. Why not trade that pacu for a nice school of silver dollars? pacus lose the red when the get larger and get kind of dull in color. Adult silver dollars are absolutely beautiful and fun to watch. Most silver dollars only get 6-8'' and they look similar to the pacu.

The filtration sounds good.

 

[Experiment397]

thank you so much, i will defintly consider that option. if he starts growing to fast i will trade him. in 1.5 years he has only grown 1/2 an inch, and everyone says in one year theirs got 6 inches bigger. i did some research and think he might be a hybrid of a silver dollar and a c. bidens or something he has traits of each. forgetting the pacu for a while anybody got anything to say on the other fish? will 1 salvini be ok? are their any other fish to look at instead of the oscar or rapheals cat?

 

[Experiment397]

hey i changed my profile pix to a pix of the pacu thing, anyone know what type he is? he looks different than the one at the petstore in the fact that the one at the store has more black on its fins and he is more of a red, in the pix he is dull cuase he was scared, normally his chest and front fins are blood red.

 

[nugpuffer]

That pic looks like a silver dollar for sure. Not sure of the variety - common silver dollar have red-trimmed fins. Definately not a Pacu.


NM. Just saw that you said it normally has red fins. So it is most likely a common silver dollar. I would suggest you get 3-5 more of them, as they are a schooling species and do better in groups. I have 6 in my 125 along with several CA/SA cichlids.

 

[Experiment397]

thank you so much that means i don't have to get rid of him, we where wondering since he doesn't look like the one at the store. that also explains his demeanor.

 

[Experiment397]

ok so even though he has the black edges on his tail fin and dorsal fin he is still a silver dollar? not that i don't believe you i am just wondering cuase all the pix of silver dollars i found don't have the black edges.