What is your favorite CA/SA cichlid and why?

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Why am i not getting notifications for my own post? lol

I am currently considering pretty much everything discus are could be a no go due to my stocking but ive always wanted a few of them.

I'm surprised i haven't seen more post about vieja or paratheraps. That's what im currently leaning towards for stocking or another group of winemilleri. However i really did love my texas cichlids i had years ago.

Are you planning on housing whatever you get with polys?
 
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For what it's worth I've kept Senegalus and Polleni together. Not CA/SA but they're gorgeous fish with huge personalities.
 
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For what it's worth I've kept Senegalus and Polleni together. Not CA/SA but they're gorgeous fish with huge personalities.

I wouldn't mind doing a having a Polleni. I just dont know how i feel about one in this set up. id like something a little brighter due to polys tending to be darker.
 
Understood. How big a tank is it going to be? Vieja are fantastic but they need a lot of space, that's why I initially recommended Oscura Heterospilus, they used to be classified as Vieja and are a much smaller, peaceful fish.
 
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at minimum the tank is going to be a 6' x 36" also looking at a 7' x 30". so plenty of room for a vieja.

they will be growing out in a 75 gallon. I wont be powerfeeding. just keeping the water as clean as possible so they should be fine for a few months.
 
at minimum the tank is going to be a 6' x 36" also looking at a 7' x 30". so plenty of room for a vieja.

they will be growing out in a 75 gallon. I wont be powerfeeding. just keeping the water as clean as possible so they should be fine for a few months.

Nice, that sounds perfect. Synspilum could be a good fit as generally speaking they're a little more mild mannered than other aggressive Vieja, and they're extremely colorful.
 
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actually i was leaning towards an argentea hahah just kidding.

I'm actually looking at a breidohri or maybe zonatus, though i hear zonatus can be a little nasty too.
 
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I almost suggested Argentea but remembered you wanted some color, they're actually Maskoheros now. In person they actually are remarkably colorful but it's very subtle, their sheen is unbelievable. I've never ever seen a picture do them any justice.
 
I almost suggested Argentea but remembered you wanted some color, they're actually Maskoheros now. In person they actually are remarkably colorful but it's very subtle, their sheen is unbelievable. I've never ever seen a picture do them any justice.

Yeah it's pretty hard to keep track of the classifications. I myself think theyre pretty stunning but the aggression worries me. thats why i have been on post left in right before actually stocking this tank because I want to do the stocking right. I want to have a set stock to adhere to before i set it up. I am trying to avoid the "buy every cool fish" syndrome

I already screwed up last time and it made me get out of the hobby for a few months. so, i really am trying to pick every fish as meticulously as possible.
 
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