Stocking help

[sbrady5pts]

Hi all I am planning to use my 240 gallon as a grow out for small ca/sa cichlids of the lesser aggressive variety. Firemouth, green terrors, parrot cichlid, etc. not sure on final details for cichlids yet.

my question is on other stock.If I purchase small 1 to 2” cichlids would large silver dollars or chocolate cichlids bother them? Or even a larger severum?
I understand they are not As aggressive but not sure how the size difference would work

 

[Blakewater]

if a fish can easily fit in another fishes mouth it doesnt matter how aggressive the other fish is, at that point its just nature. If youre just worried about fin nipping, i cant guarantee anything one way or another

 

[Gourami Swami]

I wouldn't put 1" fish in a 240 right away personally, I would grow them up in something smaller to watch and make sure they are finding food, not being outcompeted by big fish. Also if you needed to catch them for any reason, like to administer medicine, would be very hard to do with 1" fish in a 240.
I would put them in a 40-50 gallon until 3-4" optimally

 

[sbrady5pts]

It’s a good point. I have not really thought about downside of growing out in a large tank. Any else have success growing out in a large tank?
I’m hoping to not need to setup a small tank

 

[duanes]

Large fish eating small fish (as said above) is "not" aggression, just part of normal life.
There isn't any anthropamorphic malice in the act of an oscar gobbling down a half dozen goldfish.
If you eat a burger or some chicken wings (I'm assuming of course you're not vegan) do you consider eating that sandwich or snack as an act of aggression? (I know I'm a bit over the top!)
You are in reality eating part of a big cuddly, sentient mammalian being (a cow), or bird some people think of as a pet, that "someone" had to kill down the line.

Just a little food for thought

 

[sbrady5pts]

Lol I understand the eating other fish. But I do not think a silver dollar can swallow a 1-2 inch fish?

 

[rigby]

How big are the chocolate cichlids and the severum?

 

[sbrady5pts]

I don’t have them yet. I was thinking in the 3-4 inch range.

my fear is that if they don’t have a head start it could be an issue for them in a few months

 

[Magnus_Bane]

I don’t have them yet. I was thinking in the 3-4 inch range.

my fear is that if they don’t have a head start it could be an issue for them in a few months

The firemouth and green terror would take a while to grow out to a dangerous size for tank mates. I had a green terror at .5in when I first got him and within a year he only got to 2.5in so the do grow reasonably slow for a cichlid. Firemouths generally cap out at around 6in so I would imagine an even slower growth rate then the terror. As for the parrot you could get one at roughly 5-6in and it probably still wouldn't be able to ingest another cichlid "very easily" just due to their mouth design. Honestly I would recommend getting everything at roughly 3in and this should help eliminate any potential predation. As for the severum I hear very mixed opinions on them, sometimes they can be a very chill fish while others can be almost as aggressive as some larger cichlid species get.

I could see everything potential working if ya got them all roughly at the same size but I would expect allot of aggression later on down the road once the fish become mature and are looking to spawn. Allot of times if 2 fish share a similar body shape they may try to breed if there is none of their own specie available.

 

[duanes]

Just as some basic water parameter info, because you are combining cichlids from rather diverse areas
Below collection point data for severums

below, chocolate cichlids

below Firemouths

Many aquarium strain severums are more adaptable than wild caught, so in the end may not be problematic if the are tank raised.
Green terrors are also very adaptable, coming from the more alkaline waters west of the Andes.
By parrot cichlids I wasn't sure if you meant "real Parrot cichlids (Hoplarchus psittacus) which come from similar acidic water to severums, or the aquarium strain mutants which seem adaptable to just about any water type.