Im getting back into the hobby. I've been out of it for about 2 years. I sold all my tanks. I used to be really into cichlids and had a 120 gallon aquarium and a bunch of smaller ones. Im practically broke and am doing a super cheap build got a really good deal on a 120 gallon on cregslist, 60 dollars plus my pellet gun that I don't use anymore. Me and my dad are going to build a stand and ill get some cheepo canisters and possibly an emperor 400 or something like that too. Ill figure out how to get enough for a cheap heater thats a name brand(I don't want to go to cheap on the heater, it could cost me my whole setup if something goes wrong) nether less I hate getting fish when they are babies. Cregslist has a lot of almost adult/adult cichlids like Oscars and jack Dempsey's and some uncommon ones like black belt cichlids and jaguars. Is it safe to put cichlids together like Oscars and jack Dempsey's and possibly Midas/black belt cichlids ect together when they are adults?
putting adult cichlids together
- Thread starter ExoticFish64
- Start date
It's a coin toss and because it's a coin toss it's not really "safe".
All you can do is keep on eye on them and have a divider ready.
Another thing you can is not add something that's typically super aggressive, like a Midas or jag, with something that's typically a bit more passive like an Oscar.
All you can do is keep on eye on them and have a divider ready.
Another thing you can is not add something that's typically super aggressive, like a Midas or jag, with something that's typically a bit more passive like an Oscar.
Yeah you can try it but like ehh said you never know if they will get along. There are better odds of them getting along when they are raised together, but still, it works out almost as much. Your success will more likely weigh more on how aggressive they are as well as which sex. Way better chances of putting together an oscar and a JD than by putting a black belt or midas with anything.
ye but I used to have Oscars and they were ehh. I might want to go with the ones ive never had like jaguar and Midas. If I put some other fish in the tank like large catfish would they be good "distraction fish" so the heat and aggression is spread out?
I'd be really surprised if an adult jag and an adult midas were to get along in a 120. I also think the tank is too small for those two fish to be housed in together.
a "distraction fish" in tank like that quickly becomes a "punching bag fish"... please don't do that lol.
a "distraction fish" in tank like that quickly becomes a "punching bag fish"... please don't do that lol.
You may want to consider the "why" people are selling these large cichlids.
Yes, it could be because their tank is too small, and the fish have outgrown it, or in all probability, it may be because these fish became hyper aggressive in the their current tanks, killing everything the cichlids were housed with.
Now this may happen totally different in your tank, for you, but most cichlids are territorial, and unless you put all of them in together, all at once, whatever you put in first, could take over the tank as its territory, killing anything you add later.
Most adult cichlids will claim a 4ft by 4ft square area, if left to their own devices.
Yes, it could be because their tank is too small, and the fish have outgrown it, or in all probability, it may be because these fish became hyper aggressive in the their current tanks, killing everything the cichlids were housed with.
Now this may happen totally different in your tank, for you, but most cichlids are territorial, and unless you put all of them in together, all at once, whatever you put in first, could take over the tank as its territory, killing anything you add later.
Most adult cichlids will claim a 4ft by 4ft square area, if left to their own devices.
With a bigger tank....maybe. A120/125 is not a big tank to an adult Jag, adult Midas, adult Blackbelt.
You'd have a LOT better chance of success with juvies.
You'd have a VERY high chance of success with smaller species in that tank. Get 10 Sajica, or 10 H. Labridens, breed them. Look at Bartoni, breed those.
Jag's and Midas--I don't know.
You'd have a LOT better chance of success with juvies.
You'd have a VERY high chance of success with smaller species in that tank. Get 10 Sajica, or 10 H. Labridens, breed them. Look at Bartoni, breed those.
Jag's and Midas--I don't know.
Ragin cajun is on the money saying a 125 is really not large enough for large cichlids.
I realize most people think it is sufficient, but when you consider the space 1 cichlid pair uses in nature as a territory to spawn in (usually around 250 gal size square area), putting multiple species in that size tank for breedingis pushing your luck.
And I agree more modest size cichlids like sajica, or bartoni are more apropos, especially in a colony situation.
Nosferatu bartoni
Cryptoheros sajica
or C nanoluteus
or even some of the Theraps species if you want to provide strong current, below T lentoginosus
I realize most people think it is sufficient, but when you consider the space 1 cichlid pair uses in nature as a territory to spawn in (usually around 250 gal size square area), putting multiple species in that size tank for breedingis pushing your luck.
And I agree more modest size cichlids like sajica, or bartoni are more apropos, especially in a colony situation.
Nosferatu bartoni
Cryptoheros sajica
or C nanoluteus
or even some of the Theraps species if you want to provide strong current, below T lentoginosus
