Red devil tankmates?

[mwilson]

I have a red devil approx 12". he definately a glass banger! right now hes on a 75gal all by himself. soon i'll be moving him to a 220 gal. i'd like to add some tankmates. he's always been by himself and i'm not sure which type to cichlid to start with. i'm planning on a SA tank. do any fish i get have to be approx. his size or could i get away with some smaller like a 6" jag. ofcoarse i know i'm speaking in broad generalizations. sorry for the cell phone pic

 

[instantthc]

if he has been solitary all his life start with a pleco or 5 w/ that tank. cichlids need the tanks enviroment to change. move plants logs driftwood w/e u have. feed nething u get plenty along with ur monster GL

 

[RD.]

If he's already a glass banger, you may find it difficult keeping anything with him, even in a 220. I have my 10" male midas/RD in a 125 by himself, due to the fact that he has destroyed anything that I have attempted to add to his tank. Big fish, little fish, plecos, you name it, nothing has survived a night in his tank.

IMO your best bet for success would be setting up the 220, add some tank mates with similar adult aggression levels as your RD (I would make sure that they are at least 8" or so), then once they become somewhat established add your RD.

It might work out, it might not ......

 

[Nabbig2]

Jaguar cichlidcs

 

[Fish on Fire]

Here's a good plan, or what I would do anyways.

Find the largest male jaguar I can.

Find the largest vieja that I can.

Find the largest red terrors that I can.

And throw them all in at the same time with an almost bare bottom tank. Lol, but really, add other fish in first before adding that beast. You can try the african style like I suggested and pack it with so many large fish that not one fish gets picked on all of the time. Spread out the aggression.

 

[AMG]

Good suggestions so far. I agree with getting a new tank established with fish before adding him in. Best of luck getting that Midas some tank mates.

 

[mwilson]

thanks for the suggestions. he's been in with an african about 4", a pleco and two small convicts for a short time now, they have survived but i'm not sure if that is just because he cant get to them they stay hidden most of the time.

 

[Red Devil]

What i have found is any situation can work with a red devil/midas because until you try it you will not know... some real headbangers become gentle sweet fish with added tankmates...and some are instantly attacking everything regardless of size if it moves...i have three RD's and all are different personalities... one i was able to mix in with Oscars,Black belts and Large Venustus and from day one all is well and that was a year or so ago..the Oscars will brawl with each other..the BB's have their spats... Venustus runs the whole tank...and the RD{female} is passive and minds her own business... the other RD i have took so much abuse from oscar that finally he beat the oscar up...so in that case he just ran out of patience..i moved the oscar.. but he is still in with large african cichlid and they are buddies.. and then the last RD i have should never be in any tank with any other fish.... he is pure aggression...

 

[Dmaan.]

a friend of mine who just lost all his fish due to a chem in the city water
had a 14" midas and it was tear apart his caves and move the drift wood lol.

i'd prefer nothing with a large devil/midas.

 

[Red Devil]

a friend of mine who just lost all his fish due to a chem in the city water
had a 14" midas and it was tear apart his caves and move the drift wood lol.

i'd prefer nothing with a large devil/midas.

Thats definitly the safer way to go...