NEED ADVICE ON A FISH

[kydsexy]

so the 125 is all setup and the fish have been introduced. they are all happy.
stocklist:
7" blue channel catfish
6" jack dempsey
4" raphael catfish
6" common pleco

today i started feeding my combo of food. tubifex worm cubes--dry, cichlid flakes, blood worms and 1 algae wafer tonite. here's my issue. when the jack dempsey attacks the flakes and cube they break apart into tiny pieces that scatter around the tank. the raphael won't eat til tonite (only seen him eat once and he's been alive for about 6 years)

what fish can i add to this combo that won't be destructive or create too much waste. filtration is adequate. i just need someone to be happy in the tank. are there any fish that will swim IN the water column??? the jack just chills all over and the cats/plecos don't leave the bottom. thank you all. i'll add a few pix tonite.

 

[Cichlaholics Anonymous]

I'd remove the channel cat and add a 4-line pimelodus

 

[oscarcrazy]

I'd remove the channel cat and add a 4-line pimelodus

Yup, channel will eventually get to big.

If you want some midwater swimmers, add a shoal of silverdollars. They will help grab some of the small stuff before it hits the bottom and add movement to the tank.

 

[kydsexy]

MY CHANNEL ISN'T GOING ANYWHERE!!! he's my baby! and he has a future home in the backyard already. empty pond just sitting and waiting til he's big enough to move in.

i like the idea of silver dollars. will they be fine with the jack dempsey? and how many are we gonna call a school? and also what size of dollars?

 

[oscarcrazy]

You can get away with probably 8 or so in your tank. What size you get now depends on how mean your jd is. Look for them around 3+ inches.

Glad you have future plans for the channel, the 4-line pim or a few pictus would add some life to the bottom of the tank.

 

[kydsexy]

yeah. i love how much people care about the well being of fish on this site! woop woop MFK! but yeah he'll have a larger home someday. he's pretty active now and so is the pleco. the raphael is also but only sometimes. the jack isn't mean at all. he's actually a punk, he tried bullying the channel but failed miserably.


i think i might try 5 silver dollars to see how they fit in. excited!!

 

[Cichlaholics Anonymous]

why not add another cichlid, perhaps a Paratilapia polleni, one of the most personable and unique looking cichlids out there

 

[kydsexy]

i think polleni is the fish of the day?! i read about 4 or 5 posts in the past hour where people have recommended polleni's. i saw the one that just passed away. they look amazing. will they eat the small foods tho? and not compete with the jack?