Sajica Cichlid -75 Gallon Set Up

[platy21]

I’ve been looking for Sajica cichlids for years and finally found an online store with some F2 Rio Paquita in stock. I have a 75 gallon tank that currently houses two scalarae angelfish, bristlenose, and five sterbai Cory’s. From my research Sajica are typically listed as a more peaceful Central American cichlid; unless they are breeding. I was hoping to get a trio of one male, two females but wanted to solicit opinions on suitability with my tank size and current stocking.

My water is very hard- pH 8.1 out of the tap, 12dKh, 7 GH. I’ve always kept South American cichlids but considering my water aligns with Central American, wanted to try something new. I know there are not many dither fish readily available in the hobby from the same geographic locations of Sajica but Colombian Tetra’s are the closest resemblance to a geographically correct tetra. Besides those, any recommendations on close geographic tank mates? Will the Sajica’s coexist with the current inhabitants?

 

[duanes]

You may be able to keep a trio in a 75, except when spawning.
I tried a quartet in a similar size tank, and when coming into spawning season, the male killed the other male, and female her rival female.
My suggestion would be to get a young group and grow them out, expecting attrition over time..
I think my problem was not having a large enough foot print.
This species size, is often understated, because in nature with bird predation they don't make it to full size.
But in the aquarium, without that predation pressure, males can get quite large.

At 6" my male was not thru growing, why I believe a 4 ft tank was a wimpy footprint.

Although the female never grew past about 4"or 5"

 

[platy21]

Those are incredible photos. I was hoping to order four or five fish to get the ratio I am looking for. They are advertised as 1-1.5” so currently very small. Do you think they would bother the angelfish, since they are a different body shape?

 

[duanes]

I have never tried to keep sajica with Angels, so no realistic experience in that regard.
But ...just knowing how robust and territorial sajica can be, if the sajica chose to, I expect Angels wouldn't stand a chance

 

[platy21]

Hmm, that will give me pause. I’d like to eventually set up a Central American biotope tank but it wouldn’t be anytime soon. From what I’ve read sajicas grow quickly, too.

 

[duanes]

You might have a year before they get testy if only 1.2 to 2" now.

 

[platy21]

In that case I may try it, and worst case scenario move the angels to my 90 gallon.

Also debating dither fish. Was thinking either green swordtails or short fin Molly’s, if I could find them. Or Columbian tetra’s.

 

[Hybridfish7]

I'd go mollies, or colombian tetras. Fish that occur alongside sajica in the wild:

hemieleotris latifasciata (substitute with either crossocheilus, rhinichthys atratulatus, or neolebias)
hyphessobrycon savagei (substitute with hyphessobrycon colombianus)
poecilia gillii/mexicana (substitute with any sphenops type poecilia)
fonchiiichthys (substitute with the fatter rineloricaria)
hemiancistrus aspidolepis (substitute with ancistrus)
bryconamericanus terrabaensis (substitute with hyphessobrycon anisitsi)
sicydium (substitute with etheostoma or other stiphodon/sicydium/sicyopus type gobies)

Most of these cannot be found in the hobby, so I've provided substitutes to provide the same look. Bryconamericanus occur in the thousands alongside sajica, it's very strange and surprising to see fish occur with the density of a school of sardines, except in a rocky central american stream. Crossocheilus would provide more of a similar look to hemioleotris, since they do the same "sit on the floor propped up by pectoral fins" behavior, but any generic long slender brown fish with a black stripe running down its body will do.

 

[platy21]

Thank you, that’s very helpful! There seems to be more information readily available on South America biotopes as compared with Central American. Rainbow cichlids are also endemic to the same habitat as Sajica, correct? Does anyone have any resources on the Rio Paquita? The Sajica I found are labeled as F2 from Rip Paquita, but there isn’t much information I can find online on that particular river system.

I plan on rescaping the tank to incorporate more wood and rock and create caves. Ideally I will attempt to create several areas where the Sajica can stake out their territory. The tank is haphazardly overgrown with jungle val at the moment so I will trim that back and keep it and see what happens.

 

[duanes]

In a tank that size, I would not try to incorporate another species of cichlid as adults, just not enough territory.
You could probably grow out multispinossa and sajica as juvies, but once the sajica hit maturity, the Herotilapia would probably not hold up.
Stick to the geographically correct dithers mentioned above.
I have also kept multispinossa and they would be a good match for a 75, but are not robust enough to hang with sajica.

I started withe large group in a similar size tank, and ended up with half dozen pairs.

When my son went off to college I moved them to a 400 gallon kiddy pool in his bedroom, which they divided the pool up into spawning territories.


In nature during breeding season, multispinossa fan out onto flooded grass lands to spawn, which is why I put the into the large shallow pool to simulate a sort of natural space.