Tank mates for Amphilophus labiatus?

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josh pelican

Gambusia
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Mar 24, 2008
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What are suitable tank mates for a red devil?

I just picked up this little bugger up, and he's lonely:
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Some people say absolutely nothing will go in with him, some say jaguars or tilapias, and one website it says barbs. Barbs sound like a good idea... for a little pre-dinner snack.

Right now he's by himself in a 90 gallon, but I would like to attempt to shove something in there with him. He's definitely not full-grown, so I would like to find something that could live with him until they start getting bigger. The 90 will be a grow-out tank, then one (or both) will go into bigger tanks.

He's only a few inches, so the tank is quite big for him. I know when he's full grown he might not want any friends in there with him, but for the time being, I wouldn't mind adding something in there with him.

Is there any way I'd be able to keep any oddballs in there with him with an appropriate amount of tunnels/caves? Knife fish, polypterus species, gars, etc? I only have knowledge with polypterus, so I'm just kind of going out on a whim!

I've been told he'll kill everything, but I'm seeing a lot of pictures of red devils and midas' mixed with other fish (mostly large cichlids), so help him out! He's lonely!

Thanks a lot!

-Josh
 
Wouldn't try anything with it in a 90,just not enough room.Need at least a 6' tank
 
If it's only a temporary growout tank and he's only a few inches at stated, you could prolly keep few other tough-a** juvie Central American growouts with him until they start to mature....such as other Amphilophus species, Parachromis, Vieja etc.
 
1st its a citrinellum
not a labiatum,,real labiatums u dont see so much,,labiatum got really fat lips.
tehre are lots of discussions about the differense between them 2.

my 2 citrinellums10"and 13" swim in a 300 gallon with a couple xl jags 15"
and 2 oscars 11"
 
ciciwan;1752391; said:
1st its a citrinellum
not a labiatum,,real labiatums u dont see so much,,labiatum got really fat lips.
tehre are lots of discussions about the differense between them 2.

my 2 citrinellums10"and 13" swim in a 300 gallon with a couple xl jags 15"
and 2 oscars 11"
Click to expand...

Well, if you want to go there, its most likely not a cintrinellum either. Its mostly likely a hybrid of the two, as just about every "red devil/midas" is in the US today, unless they are from good breeders who trace their stock to WC specimens.
 
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ciciwan;1752391; said:
1st its a citrinellum
not a labiatum,,real labiatums u dont see so much,,labiatum got really fat lips.
tehre are lots of discussions about the differense between them 2.

my 2 citrinellums10"and 13" swim in a 300 gallon with a couple xl jags 15"
and 2 oscars 11"
Click to expand...

The fat lips are for sucking out snails from their shells in the wild (mostly). In the aquarium, there aren't many snails to suck out of shells, and really not much to use them for anyways, since most are kept alone... Sooo- they lips decrease in size. I have never seen a labiatus with fat lips, although i agree that fish is not a labiatus. There was likely interbreeding some where along the line.


It really depends on the tank size. A large jag or a big male JD might work out in a tank around 125 gallons. Maybe something more. Depends on the fish, sex of the fish, etc.

Good Luck, Art
 
You have the right idea, sort of.

The lips are supposedly used for grabbing invertebrates out of crevasses, and sure, why not snails from shells.

However, just because there are no snails or little inverts does not mean the lips would disappear. That is Lamarkian thinking. Most people go with Darwin these days ;)
 
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