tank suggestions for crenicichla lugubris Orinoco

[Garrett.turbo]

Alright so I'm going to be setting up my 65 gallon tank here soon. I was wondering what substrate the Orinoco prefer? I was going to do natural gravel instead of sand this go around but if they prefer sand I'll make a trip to home depot for some egg crate and pool filter sand. Lastly should I do driftwood , rocks, and plants? or just rock and plants? or driftwood and plants? Never had driftwood in a tank and I would really like to this time around. Just need suggestions as I haven't kept any of these guys before!

Here's the stock that I want.
Peacocks- sapphire star, lemon jake, otter point, eureka red, and bengi cichlid couple of each.
1 pair crenicichla lugubris Orinoco

 

[crenicichla444]

Usually I'm never the person to tell people that their tank is too small but a 65 is too small for even a single Lugubris pike of any species let alone a species from the Orinoco system. The most commonly imported Orinoco Lugubris sp is sp. Venezuela which can get 22 inches.

A better choice would be a saxatilis species. Inirida "blood tear" pikes have been floating around lately. They don't exceed a foot and look great. They're also breedable and can be kept with your peacocks where as the Lugubris Venezuela would be able to eat a peacock.

Pikes usually aren't too picky about the substrate I keep a lot of mine bare bottom but you can do a mixture of gravel and sand for a more natural look if you want. They'd love driftwood because it'll leach out tannins and make the water softer. Rocks are alright too and plants are good with pikes but probably not with the peacocks.

 

[Garrett.turbo]

Usually I'm never the person to tell people that their tank is too small but a 65 is too small for even a single Lugubris pike of any species let alone a species from the Orinoco system. The most commonly imported Orinoco Lugubris sp is sp. Venezuela which can get 22 inches.

A better choice would be a saxatilis species. Inirida "blood tear" pikes have been floating around lately. They don't exceed a foot and look great. They're also breedable and can be kept with your peacocks where as the Lugubris Venezuela would be able to eat a peacock.

Pikes usually aren't too picky about the substrate I keep a lot of mine bare bottom but you can do a mixture of gravel and sand for a more natural look if you want. They'd love driftwood because it'll leach out tannins and make the water softer. Rocks are alright too and plants are good with pikes but probably not with the peacocks.

Thanks for the info! sorry I meant the dwarf Orinoco someone on here recommended them to me. Wouldn't they be okay?

 

[crenicichla444]

Thanks for the info! sorry I meant the dwarf Orinoco someone on here recommended them to me. Wouldn't they be okay?

Yep although the peacocks will get much bigger than them and there could definitely be problems... I'd do some crenicichla regani (Orinoco dwarf) red tail hemiodus, a couple apistogramma maybe a angel fish or a discus some black skirt and black neon tetras or other wide bodied tetras or giant danios and it'll look great

 

[Garrett.turbo]

Yep although the peacocks will get much bigger than them and there could definitely be problems... I'd do some crenicichla regani (Orinoco dwarf) red tail hemiodus, a couple apistogramma maybe a angel fish or a discus some black skirt and black neon tetras or other wide bodied tetras or giant danios and it'll look great

Hmmm now I'm in between a rock and a hard spot haha... I really want a pike pair and I'm in love with the Peacocks with the color they have... Is there a different dwarf species of pike that would be okay with the peacocks? Or should I look for the saxatilis you mentioned in your first post?

 

[crenicichla444]

Hmmm now I'm in between a rock and a hard spot haha... I really want a pike pair and I'm in love with the Peacocks with the color they have... Is there a different dwarf species of pike that would be okay with the peacocks? Or should I look for the saxatilis you mentioned in your first post?

There is a dwarf species that gets big enough but is pretty rare you're not ever gonna be able to get. You could possibly pull it off with a dwarf if u have some large ones. Go with a saxatilis species IMO they're pretty and will be a perfect fit although they'd probably like something bigger than a 65 try and get one of the smaller species of saxatilis

 

[Garrett.turbo]

There is a dwarf species that gets big enough but is pretty rare you're not ever gonna be able to get. You could possibly pull it off with a dwarf if u have some large ones. Go with a saxatilis species IMO they're pretty and will be a perfect fit although they'd probably like something bigger than a 65 try and get one of the smaller species of saxatilis

Thank you do you have any recommendations? I'm new to them so any help as to which species to look for would be very helpful!

 

[mrrobxc]

I agree with everything crenicichla444 stated. In a 65 gallon tank, you are limited to a pair of saxatilis type pikes if that. Maybe if you go with a smaller type like Lucius, or proteus. A pike that can get to or exeed the 10 inch mark will be too hard to manage as a pair in a 65.

Regani, notophthalmus, orinoco, and Wallaci are dwarfs that max at 6 inches or smaller but they prefer soft water with neutral water being the limit of how hard the water can go. Not ideal to mix with african cichlids. The compressiceps are dwarf pikes that can stay in harder 2ater but they are extremely aggressive with eachother. A pair may work but be prepared to buy a group and watch as you experience high mortality es given their conspecific aggression.

For your tank size, these are the ones to go with but you would have to pass on keeping them with african cichlids. If you are insistent on keeping africans, you cannot keep them long term with a pair of pikes.

Last option would be to pass on having a pair of pikes and just getting one to keep with your africans. In that case, any lone saxatilis pike will do.

 

[mrrobxc]

Here is a 75 gallon tank with compressiceps. I started with 5 and they whittled down to 3. I may have been able to keep more if j had more rock work and wood to create more territories. They really need a longer and larger tank to keep a group of 5 or 6.

 

[jamntoast]

Personally I am a big fan of keeping fish with others from that region, not only do they share the same water requirements but they also understand each others behavior and what not, have you thought about trying a slender African cichlid instead like Julidochromis or something? I know its not the same, but might work easier.