Small Haitiensis to divide or not?

[piscavore pisces]

After a couple years out the hobby I got the itch again. Setting up a 150 for hopefully a pair of Haitiensis. Going to get maybe a group of 8 hoping to get a pair out of them. For those of you who have successfully raised Haitiensis from a small size would you keep the group and let them pair up? Or would you divide them all in the tank until they're bigger before trying to have them all together and pair up? I only plan on keeping the pair. I pretty much believe bloat is due to stress so if not divided do you have the experience of only the strong survive or is it a case where everyone in the group got stressed and then died of bloat?

I plan on keeping them in 86F water with plenty of aeration and an auto water change system in the sump that will change about 25 gallons out daily.

 

[duanes]

I have raised many haitiensus, I killed the first 19 out 20, but hundreds lived after that.
First off they need warm temps, high 80s especially when young.
The link below shows what temps they live in, in nature.
Oh, Island in the Sun. The Dominican Republic by Alf Stalsberg ...
I also believe dividing them is a good idea, putting females in compartments between two males a good way to judge if they will be compatible or not.
I also believe putting a flower pot or some kind of cave where they can hide helps.
Lack of stress is the key, and just seeing a more alpha individual can stress out a subordinate one.
I found once they have successfully paired they can live years together if given a large enough tank, and a 6ft tank is probably minimum.
Once my pair bonded, they spawned a number of times and stayed very healthy until a long winter power outage dropped temps to low. They would never abide any other cichlids (or any other fish for that matter) except their own fry.

 

[piscavore pisces]

Duanes I'm glad you replied as your name came up a lot in searches I've done on the subject. I'll provide plenty of hiding spaces. How soon are you able to sex them? I'll probably be getting a group of 1-2 inchers.

 

[duanes]

Many are sexable at a small size, if there are different genders in the same tank. As soon as you see dark coloring the of the dorsal and body it "usually indicates female (but not always).
Mine first spawned when the female was @ 4"-5", and as you can see by the photo below, normal indicators like steep profile are "not" good clues

This photo (below) is also a dominant female, without a male in the tank. One of the reasons I think it is good to use a divider, the presence of multiple sexes in the same tanks, helps bring out gender differences. It may be the pheromones in the water column, more than sight clues, a reason I like egg crate (allowing pheromones to circulate).

below a 2"+ female (I believe)