parachromis in community setting?

[headbanger_jib]

i had just dumped 3x4" jags in my ca/sa comm tank
but i have 5 cubans and a few salvinis and a few cons and 2 Os and 2 FHs, a texas, and a GT in there
MY O keeps all of 'em in check

 

[Bderick67]

Lol, but that doesn't mean that it was a better way than to grow them out together.Just saying, growing them out together always works better than throwing them in together as adults and hoping that they'll knit.

How can you say always click on my 180g link in my sig

With small fish in a large tank they will establish territories. As the fish grow the will defend and expand these territories. Eventually the need to reduce stock will happen.

I'm not going to argue which is better, but I will tell you there is now way that the stock in my 180g could have been raised from 2" without fatalities.

 

[crisper]

Yeah i keep my jag with 2 oscars,2 veijas,a blackbelt and synisplum,1 jd and 1 salvini.

 

[Fish on Fire]

How can you say always click on my 180g link in my sig

With small fish in a large tank they will establish territories. As the fish grow the will defend and expand these territories. Eventually the need to reduce stock will happen.

I'm not going to argue which is better, but I will tell you there is now way that the stock in my 180g could have been raised from 2" without fatalities.

I can say always cause it's true. Plus, with your tank, you have no decor whatsoever, so they can't establish territories without any markers. Also, with how you did your 180, it's pretty much the same thing that is done with an African cichlid set up, just overstocked with so many targets that not one fish will take all of the punishment. If he wanted to pack 5-7 more fish in there, then sure he can throw them in as adults and expect them to live. But idk if he wants to go with the Jap style tank that is packed with multiple monsters that would, in reality, need that 180 all to themselves. What happens when your red terror hits 16"+ and decides not to be nice anymore? Granted, the males tend to be more accepting than the females, up to a certain size that is. Only reason why you have had no casualties is because there are just too many fish in the tank for them to single out one fish. Idk about you, but keeping New World cichlids in a set up very similar to the overstocked African cichlid tanks, kills the personality of the New World cichlids.

 

[twhittle]

While throwing them in as adults can work, the best way is to raise them all together. There are always exceptions to that, but in terms of a percentage you optimize your chances by growing them out together.

 

[shamrock]

I agree with Fish on Fire-you would have a better chance if you grow them together-but it doesn't gurantee success-personally I used to be very conservative when it came to stocking-I literally had 3-4 cichlids and that was it in a 240 gallon tank-Now I overstock but not to the point that the fish don't have room to swim and they lose their personality-I have seen some tanks that are so overstocked it looks gross and I have seen tanks that are slightly overstocked and the set up looks nice-And much like Fish on Fire I get upset when people say just stock CA/SA like you would an African tank.

 

[High City Rida]

I say Jags work best and then Tigers any size at any time as long as it's compatiable with what you have already size wise. I don't care for the others except for Dovii and well eventually they will be by themseleves unless you put them with Cichlids there size or bigger that can hang on for the aggression ride.

As for raising them together it's personal chioce but you dont necessarly have to raise them together persay. But it helps. But in no way can you gage if the fish you have had all of this time isn't going to decide one day that well this is my tank! So tial and error seems to be the order of the day with more aggressive cichlids.

 

[shamrock]

high city rida-we'll stated!