Semi-aggressive medium sized pike?

[BigO6687]

I'm looking for a pike to go with an oscar, true parrot cichlid, silver aro, a pack of loaches, juvy cichla, some polys, and a few GEOS

Is there a pike that fits the bill?

 

[robmcd]

Any saxitillis pike should do.

 

[Peanut_Power]

How bigs your tank?

You gotta be careful with the loaches and geos. Loaches have potential of being eaten unless they are large, but the pikes or the pbass. For the geos they will probably get picked on and have their fins torn. Just have to be careful which pikes you get.

Crenicichla sveni would be great one though. They are common and fairly easy to get. Gorgeous also, especially when kept as a mated pair.

 

[BigO6687]

Any saxitillis pike should do.

looks alright, but might get a little too big.

How bigs your tank?

You gotta be careful with the loaches and geos. Loaches have potential of being eaten unless they are large, but the pikes or the pbass. For the geos they will probably get picked on and have their fins torn. Just have to be careful which pikes you get.

Crenicichla sveni would be great one though. They are common and fairly easy to get. Gorgeous also, especially when kept as a mated pair.

Its going to be a 180. I'm getting the planning down for when I actually set it up. I was originally going to go salt, but I'm saving that for another time.

the fish would be rehomed or upgraded to a larger tank when necessary due to aggression, or if they grow too large i.e. cichla, aros, etc.

Tank setup would be black background, sand substrate, driftwood, and fake as well as floating plants
Filtration would probably be a sump, and a big canister/hob/etc.
Would also be on a constant drip system.

I thought botiine loaches were safe due to the "stilettos" that emerge when they are in danger:

Im kinda worried about the geos, I think they'll be altifrons. As for c. sveni, i like it it reminds me a lot of a salvini.

 

[Peanut_Power]

You'd be surprised what a pike will try to down. The barbs on the loaches help, but don't eliminate the threat. They've been known to try to eat plecos, and various cats as well. Size does matter.

With the fish you mentioned you wouldn't want to go with anything smaller than a Saxatilis group pike, like Rob mentioned. Crenicichla sveni, Crenicichla anthurus, Crenicichla saxatilis, Crenicichla lepidota, Crenicichla alta, Crenicichla proteus, and Crenicichla lucius are just a few of the many that are randomly available.

Crenicichla sveni and Crenicichla lucius seem to be the ones that are most often available.

Generally Saxatilis group pikes are more laid back towards nonpike fish as compared to the Lugubris group pikes, so the Geos might be fine after all. If you were just doing Geos and no other larger predators in there, dwarf pikes like Crenicichla regani, Crenicichla notophthalmus, or Crenicichla compressiceps would be GREAT candidates.

 

[BigO6687]

You'd be surprised what a pike will try to down. The barbs on the loaches help, but don't eliminate the threat. They've been known to try to eat plecos, and various cats as well. Size does matter.

With the fish you mentioned you wouldn't want to go with anything smaller than a Saxatilis group pike, like Rob mentioned. Crenicichla sveni, Crenicichla anthurus, Crenicichla saxatilis, Crenicichla lepidota, Crenicichla alta, Crenicichla proteus, and Crenicichla lucius are just a few of the many that are randomly available.

Crenicichla sveni and Crenicichla lucius seem to be the ones that are most often available.

Generally Saxatilis group pikes are more laid back towards nonpike fish as compared to the Lugubris group pikes, so the Geos might be fine after all. If you were just doing Geos and no other larger predators in there, dwarf pikes like Crenicichla regani, Crenicichla notophthalmus, or Crenicichla compressiceps would be GREAT candidates.

Damn @ the pleco thing. I really need to learn more about them. I actually liked the colors of the dwarf pikes much better than those of the saxatilis group. I could consider nixing the the pbass and lower jawed polys if need be, but I guess I'll just wait it out and see what my lfs's have.

 

[ryansmith83]

I'm learning that pikes seem to enjoy testing boundaries, much like my psittacus. I have some tiny C. regani that I got last week. I put them in a 55 gallon with some 5 - 6" Krobia and the regani immediately started sneaking up on them and tearing up their fins. The Krobia are now paranoid. I moved the regani into another 55 with some rainbow cichlid grow-outs which are much faster-moving and a bit feistier than the Krobia, and so far they are doing wonderfully. So if you do decide to just do Geos with some dwarves, you may be okay since the Geos are pretty active. I think slow-moving, shy fish tend to pique the pikes' curiosity and they can't resist a peck.

 

[BigO6687]

I'm learning that pikes seem to enjoy testing boundaries, much like my psittacus. I have some tiny C. regani that I got last week. I put them in a 55 gallon with some 5 - 6" Krobia and the regani immediately started sneaking up on them and tearing up their fins. The Krobia are now paranoid. I moved the regani into another 55 with some rainbow cichlid grow-outs which are much faster-moving and a bit feistier than the Krobia, and so far they are doing wonderfully. So if you do decide to just do Geos with some dwarves, you may be okay since the Geos are pretty active. I think slow-moving, shy fish tend to pique the pikes' curiosity and they can't resist a peck.

Hahaah, thats funny, they seem pretty intelligent, I'm looking forward to getting em.

 

[VRWC]

I have some tiny C. regani that I got last week.

Hey Ryan...do you know where I can get some dwarf pike from online? Id love to get some C. regani myself and cant find any vendors with any. Thanks!

 

[Peanut_Power]

He got his from Snookn21 (John). Check aquabid, they are offered more often than you realize.

I think MTN PIKE also has some for sale on his forum. After that you're just hit and miss as to who has what.