Suggested Friends for My Peacock Bass

[afaraone]

This is my first post on these here forums and I'm hoping someone could shed some light on my question.

I currently live in Tampa, FL and I have a 55gal Freshwater tank w/ 2 2" Peacock Bass. The tank has 1 giant chunk of driftwood in the middle with java fern and moss all along the top of it. I'm currently feeding the buggers some gold fish for sustenance.

What other species would mesh well with them in my tank? I was going to put an Arrowana in there and i'm trying to find a supplier for a pyara as well. though not sure what would be best suited for their environment. Keep in mind, they are the only 2 fish in the tank.

Thanks for the help/suggestions in advance.

 

[afaraone]

bump
still no suggestions for playmates for my peacock bass?

 

[afaraone]

still no suggestions? okay, welcome to the forums to me i guess..... #fail

 

[Joe5688]

Post this in the ciclid forum

 

[Bearchumjs]

Hi! I'm new to fish owning. I have no idea what to put with your fish but I would sure like to see a picture of your tank! Peacock bass sound like they'd be really beautiful. Good luck trying to find good friends for your fish. . I'm sure someone on this forum will be able to help you out.

 

[didysis]

Do you have another tank to put them in when they get larger? These fish get to about 2 feet long, Just saying now they are small but real soon they will grow much larger if you are feeding them well. Seems like all the fish you are asking about get really really large,

 

[afaraone]

Do you have another tank to put them in when they get larger? These fish get to about 2 feet long, Just saying now they are small but real soon they will grow much larger if you are feeding them well. Seems like all the fish you are asking about get really really large,

I'm well aware of the size that they grow to; but they also grow to the size of their environment (to an extent) - I had 3 before I recently moved, with a massive Oscar a Snook Cichlid and 2 Firemouths and had them stay at about 6-8"(maybe 10") for over 2 yrs w/ no issues until I moved.

There are 3 other tanks in my house; a 40gal bow front that is filled with crappy fish underneath my tv in the living room and a 55gal corner tank which is currently being cylced for use as a communal reef tank.

I'll post pictures of the setups here shortly (later tonight) but i'm just trying to find some fish before the peacocks get too big and become the only fish in my tank... lol. I def. think I'll be looking for an exotic pleco (like a gold nugget) to keep the nitrates in the tank down.

Again, any thoughts, comments suggestions would be greatly appreciated

 

[sliderfish]

You won't be able to house anything with them that will fit in their mouths. Goldfish aren't the only things they will use for sustenance. I'd house the pair in a 125 or larger tank and let them have reign over the whole thing. Peacocks are large beautiful heavy poopers and owning them pretty much means giving up on other fish in the tank....

Most arrowana species will need an 8 ft tank. Pyara will eat EVERYTHING they can, some will swallow fish as large as 2/3rds there own body length...this is a lot of risk for such expensive fish

 

[sliderfish]

Pleco aren't going to keep anything down either...they will increase Bio loads however

 

[afaraone]

well my old roommate had 3 peacocks, a clown knife, a ghost knife, a bicher, a pyara, an arrowana, a snook cichlid and a pleco. all of which got along well; but i agree with the 8ft long tank for the arrowana because they are top water fish like the barracudas i used to have. The pyara surprisingly only messed with his red tail cat fish that he had for a few weeks before he shunned the cat to the overflow tank, that guy was a mean beast. --- all this was in a 125gal

I'm thinking that more cichlids like firemouths and green terrors might be good maybe a jack dempsey. Along with a knife fish might suffice. i just don't want any fish that are going to eat my plants that i have or eat my other species of fish lol.

 

[sliderfish]

If your into rehoming fish after they get too big or buying new tanks you can go that route. Keep in mind that they all have immense space needs and create a lot of waste. The firemouths and terrors will work for a while, but they will be food once the peacock gets larger. Just think of keeping a Largemouth with some small bluegill. It is possible to co exist, but don't be surprised if it all falls apart one day. Just offering advice that I've seen myself and in the hobby. My roommate in college once took of all his clothes and swim in a public fountain in front of a dozen cops and a couple hundred on lookers, doesn't necessarily make it a good idea lol.

 

[afaraone]

Very true - I was just looking for a few species that I may not have mentioned that would be able to co-exist

 

[sliderfish]

Yeah it is hard to have multiple species if you go with something so big and aggressive. The ones that work are also big and aggressive and would require upgrades in tank size and it can get expensive. Peacocks are great fish, I wouldn't worry about others in the tank so much b/c when they mature they will not need to share the spotlight with anyone...good luck!