Stocking question

[sbrady5pts]

hi guys

I am about to add fish to my 210 gallon tank. I have historically kept pairs of cichlids, but think I want more fish this time. Any advice on keeping a mixed SA/CA tank? I really like the following:
Grammodes
RTM
Festae
Beani
Cuban cichlids
Green terrors
Firemouth

Now I know I probably can’t keep all of them, but what would work? Would it be best to just keep all males or females? Does that matter? Should I start with the less aggressive fish to get them settles? Who has had a large mixed tank?

 

[tlindsey]

hi guys

I am about to add fish to my 210 gallon tank. I have historically kept pairs of cichlids, but think I want more fish this time. Any advice on keeping a mixed SA/CA tank? I really like the following:
Grammodes
RTM
Festae
Beani
Cuban cichlids
Green terrors
Firemouth

Now I know I probably can’t keep all of them, but what would work? Would it be best to just keep all males or females? Does that matter? Should I start with the less aggressive fish to get them settles? Who has had a large mixed tank?

duanes
Stanzzzz7
dan518

 

[dan518]

Personally think it's best to either go ca or sa, and not mix the two. Sa communitys are normally easyer to do.
You have some of the most aggressive pound for pound cichlids going on your list. Rtm, grammodes, beani, chances of keeping these in a community long term are very slim.

 

[sbrady5pts]

Do you think it’s more feasible to keep one really aggressive fish with lesser aggressive species?

 

[duanes]

I have kept every cichlid you mention (except GTs), but practically none in the same tank together as adults though.
In a 210 you may get away with a few.
I also prefer not to keep (like Dan suggested), S Americans with Centrals, because the aggression level of Centrals is much higher in general, except for the festae, and the Thorichthys being on the lower end of the Central scale. FMs are usually best kept as a shoal on their own.
Beanii prefer cooler water than many of the others mentioned, being from the northern part of Mexico, and if kept at higher temps tend to be hyper aggressive.
I kept mine at 70'F. When I tried keeping mine at higher temps, they tended to be prone to bacterial diseases.
Most others are better off mid to upper 70sF.
Gramodes are always a bit hyper, but a friend of mine kept grammodes, Cubans, and others in 200+gal fairly successfully.
My RTMs never played well with others either.
All photos below are fish I kept, many (not all) started out as grow outs, in communities, but end up in species tanks as pairs, when mature, or single tanks are they decimated a community situation.

 

[Stanzzzz7]

I can only echo what Dan said.
Not many fish on that list will work together.
A 210 although not small,is just not enough for most of your list to form a territory other fish can escape from.
I would have a look at some other species you like and ask again.

 

[sbrady5pts]

The problem I have run into in the past is that pairs tend to totally eliminate everything else, so I was thinking of no pairs. So it sounds like I may be able to grow them some of them out for a while but then need to separate them out as they row

 

[duanes]

Whether pairs or not, some of these cichlids are the only cichlid in their natural habitat, which makes them loners by nature (except when breeding) , and this usually means any other cichlid they come across is to be vanquished. Many Central American species live this way.
Beanii for one, it is the only cichlid species that far north on the Pacific side of Mexico, just by observation, it is fairly obvious this is not a cichlid community fish.
Tetracanthus (Cubans) are basically the only endemic cichlid to their habitat, also making them a poor candidate to exist in the confines of a tank with other cichlids, and without aggression being commonplace.
In South America the cichlid species density is different, and you might find many species coexisting, thereby less aggressive and more tolerant of others in community settings.
But combining them with the more territorial, and volatile Central Americans, often times puts them at a distinct disadvantage.

 

[axs377]

It all depends on the individual fish, but as mentioned most of the fish on your list don't play nice. I've had success keeping larger aggressive fish with smaller fish that they don't see as a threat to their territory, but I've also had this result in some quick deaths... I think in general if you follow a few guidelines you'll have the most success keeping aggressive fish together. First pick all male or female fish, breeding pairs cause problems in general. Second try to shy away from very similar looking types of fish...For example I found that my amarillo and my midas hated each other way more than they felt about the jaguar cichlid. Last I've had more success overcrowding a little to spread aggression. Most times my tanks went to crap was when I thinned it down to too few cichlids so now that they aggression became more focused.

 

[sbrady5pts]

All really good info! Thanks guys