Severum advice

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
The fishless cycle is complete. We changed our minds and decided to go with an Angelfish/Lemon Tetra mix. I put some money down on a couple of pretty black Angels a couple weeks ago. Then I looked at the Rotkeils again. So now I have two black Angels and the subdominant Rot, which is the smallest of the three. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Thanks again for all the advice.
 
Back for a little more help...

The Rotkeil has established itself as the tank boss. There's no serious aggression towards other fish, but it does chase the Angels out of its way occasionally. The only real aggression problem I've had was Lemon Tetra fratricide. I returned the two aggressors to the LFS, but they killed/mauled 4 of their shoal. The Angels are clearly the stars of this tank. They're nearly inseparable at this point and are both very active, interactive with us, and outgoing.

The Rotkeil's a moody little snot -- one day he hides from everything, the next he's taking flake food from my fingers, but we like him. I thought about getting another 75 to move the Rotkeil to and stocking it with an EBA and Colombian or Congo Tetras. I'd replace the Rotkeil in this tank with a couple of Bolivian Rams or other dwarf cichlids. My wife suggested a 6' tank instead, which definitely expands my stocking options for another tank. Cool wife.

I hate looking at crowded SA/CA cichlid tanks, so I'd like a balance between an aquatic desert and an overcrowded water prison.

I'm looking for mid-size (under 12"), non-psycho cichlids as the big guys in the tank with tetras (or maybe barbs) to fill it out. Would the Rotkeil, an EBA and a Chocolate Cichlid work in a 125? I've read mixed things about the Chocolates, but the rest of the fish I've considered (Uarus & Geos mostly) seem to be best kept in groups or pairs, which I don't really want.

Thanks.
 
Your angels look nice.

Don't know about the chocolate and rotkeil, suspect it will depend on the individual fish. I'd normally expect the rotkeil and EBA to get along in most cases, especially if they go in a 125, but you probably know there can always be exceptions. I've also kept rotkeils with (wild) angels and they got along just fine for me-- along with some Tapajos red head geos, nice combination, really. Yours has a ways to go to color up, but rotkeils can be beauties once they do fully.

Not normally one to get into recommending food, especially unsolicited, and it's not the only food I like-- but my rotkeils loved and looked good on NLS, including Thera-A, they practically glowed on the stuff, especially in certain moods.
 
Thanks Neutrino. Those Angels surprised me with their personalities and overall activity. They're like a couple of little B-2 bombers flying around the tank when they get going.

The Rotkeil hasn't been picky, but I had a tough time getting all the fish to like the same food. I finally settled on NLS Optimum flakes with frozen brine shrimp twice a week and fast them on Fridays. Would small pellets also work for the Rotkeil? My only concern is that if it doesn't like them, they'll sink to the bottom and end up fouling the water.

I'll take a look at the Tapajos. My LFS owner is a big Geophagus fan and usually has a pretty good stock of them. I didn't realize that the Geos apparently don't place a huge bioload on the tank, so 5 or 6 would be ok. Since I'm going to go basic with the aquascape (no live plants or gravel...just pool filter sand, driftwood and rocks) they should be ok in that set-up. As much as I enjoy taking care of the fish in this tank, live plants have been a pain in the butt so far.
 
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