School/Shoal Recommendations?

[VenusFly]

Hey all,

I'm in the process of stocking a 125gallon tank. My plan is to use it to grow out severum and Jack Dempsey/EBJDs. I want to know what kind of schooling or what shoal of fish would work out with these cichlids/what would be large enough to avoid their aggression. I like bright colours, but I'll consider anything. I'm thinking of doing Raphaels for the bottom.

Thanks in advance!

 

[duanes]

In nature in the Cenotes of Mexico, JDs are surrounded by live bearers like sail fin molies and Gambusia, swordtails are another option. Plenty of line bred color morphs of all those available
Video below of JDs in nature.
Eden2
Of course these are usually hard water species like the JDs, living in neutral to high pH water around 8.
Severums on the other hand, are a soft water species (pH below 7, sometimes as low as 5), and surrounded by tetras as schooling fish.
Depending on your tap water, there are plenty of neutral and hard water tetras available (Buenos Aires tetras, Colombian Tetras) any of those from west of the Andes and north into Central America, and many soft water tetras from east of the Andes available.

 

[tlindsey]

Hey all,

I'm in the process of stocking a 125gallon tank. My plan is to use it to grow out severum and Jack Dempsey/EBJDs. I want to know what kind of schooling or what shoal of fish would work out with these cichlids/what would be large enough to avoid their aggression. I like bright colours, but I'll consider anything. I'm thinking of doing Raphaels for the bottom.

Thanks in advance!

Welcome aboard

The Columbian Tetra would be the most colorful of the tetra specie Duane suggested.

 

[celebrist]

I concur with the above posters, I have columbian and Buenos Aires tetras with my jack and they look good together

 

[AKBlueJacks]

I am also interested in this question as I will be looking for the same on my 180. What about a shoal of Denison Barbs?

 

[tlindsey]

I am also interested in this question as I will be looking for the same on my 180. What about a shoal of Denison Barbs?

The combination may work. Have a friend who has them in with EBA's.

 

[AKBlueJacks]

I’ll be looking for some that compliment a 180 full of electric blues and platinums.

 

[duanes]

When I choose a dither fish (I usually like geographically correct species, but that's just me).
If this is a display tank, I wouldn't want the dither fish to distract form the main focus (e.g. your JDs)
I prefer usually less colorful species, to be there, but not hog the spotlight.
If I were to use swordtails or mollies (again geographically correct for JDs) I'd want the natural color variant like X mayae, or helleri., or P velifora

 

[james99]

I like larger barbs like filament and mascera barbs. Both have nice colors and grow to a decent size.

 

[celebrist]

I’ll be looking for some that compliment a 180 full of electric blues and platinums.

I love my roselines but they aren't in with cichlids so I can't say how they would do