Two new fish

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saberry

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Sep 13, 2003
Messages
441
Location
Missouri City, TX USA
I went out on a limb and added 2 Green Texas Cichlids yesterday. My tank was just a little sparse so I went down to the lfs with a few fish in mind to compare.

My only concern with these fish is that they may be a little more aggressive than my other fish. I bought them a bit smaller than the rest so I think the other fish will hold their own OK. Besides, the Electric Yellows seem to keep the others in check without actually harming them - just the ocassional chasing. I'll be keeping an eye on them to see who is going to rule the tank.

I still need to add a couple more loaches but I the only one's they had yesterday were a fair bit smaller than my other loach. I understand that they school better if the loaches are all similar size.

Anyway, I have not posted on the site latley so I just thought I would drop in for a quick update - I'll try to add a couple of new pic this week too!
 
I'm going on the assumption that all your fish are still fairly small- but I'm afraid that's not going to be the case for much longer and you're going to begin having difficulties with the current mix of fish.

Your severums are going to grow to be at least ten inches- and I've seen bigger. Those two fish alone will be too much for your 55 gallon tank. The firemouths will get at least six inches and the Texas cichlids will get close to twelve inches in length. Depending on the species of pleco you've got- yours could grow to over two feet in length! 8O The overcrowding is going to be a huge problem. Territorial aggression with those fish in that small a tank will be another major concern. Although the Electric Yellows won't get very large, they are African Rift Lake cichlids- while the others are all American species. Mixing American and Africans is never a good idea, as it can cause trouble due to water conditions and diet differences- as well as behavior issues. Imagine living in Tokyo and not speaking a word of Japanese; communication is going to be difficult, right?

I hate to be the bearer of bad news- but I'd like for you to be able to remedy the situation before it gets out of hand. :cry:
 
Hmmm

You may want to ask a few questions before dispensing advice. Take a look at my gallery and you will see that my fish are all quite small. I enjoy raising them from small size rather than buying larger, older fish.

My intention, since you didn't ask, is to raise these fish until such time as they begin to get too large for the tank and then either place them in another tank at my home, a friends home, or perhaps work a trade at the lfs.

As far as mixing fish, I too study their profiles and look at things such as temperament, size, feeding habits, etc. Additionally, I have made sure that the less aggressive fish are the larger ones in the tank and vice versa to help maintain an active but not hostile tank. If you take a close look at the profiles of the fish I have listed, you will find that they are all semi-aggressive being more territorial than altogether hostile.

On the subject of compatability, the two Texas Cichlids are new but the rest have been living happily together now for a couple of months with no problems. I feed a varied diet so all of the fish get the necessary nutrients.

And as far as the tank being too small, that all depends on the rate at which they grow. I'm glad you have raised such mammoth fish but your estimations, with the exception of the Pleco, are definitely on the large side of the growth range. Not all fish grow to the maximum size. I have owned Severums before. I had a Gold for several years that did not get over 8 inches.

Take a look at www.liveaquaria.com and look at some of the fish profiles. They have pretty realistic descriptions as far as size, diet, etc.

Excuse my abruptness if this post is a little overly harsh because I do appreciate the abundance of information I have gathered from this site. I was just a little put off to get such an outright condemnation without so much as being asked any probative questions.

Thanks,
Sean
 
I have been keeping fish for eighteen years, now-- twelve of those years have been spent with cichlids. I have been active on fish forums for a few years and I help out part-time (whenever my schedule allows) at Bernie's shop. Not a week goes by that I don't hear about a combination of fish that'll be too large or too aggressive for the aquarium the person plans to keep them in. More often than not, this occurs with inexperienced fishkeepers who aren't aware of what's going to happen. I think it's the obligation of experienced fishkeepers to pass on their knowledge and experience to those starting out-- ESPECIALLY when the person is new to cichlids. When I read this post-- I saw an aquarium that was going to be maxed out very soon, in both space and civility. What I didn't see was a detailed list of fish sizes and what your "intentions" were- nor do I know what your experience level with cichlids is. I can only ASSUME based on MY experience with these type situations.

If you're planning on growing them out and have other means of housing them when they're too large- great. I often "grow out" arowannas and other large species for Bernie when I've got the extra tank space. What concerns me is when people buy fish that are going to outgrow their current tankspace with the thought that, "I'll buy a bigger tank later". If you can't keep an animal (be it a dog, a pleco, or a horse) through its entire life OR have concrete plans for what to do with it once it outgrows your capability- don't buy it in the first place. Again, I have to go with MY experiences, as I don't know you or what your intentions are.

As far as mixing fish goes- I didn't say your fish wouldn't get along together. I said they wouldn't get along in a 55 gallon tank. None of those species are particularly aggressive, but they are TERRITORIAL- just as all cichlids are. A 55 gallon tank will not allow those fish to coexist peacefully because there simply isn't enough room available for each to claim it's own space. You probably wouldn't have any trouble with that mix in a 180 gallon tank. I'm sure you took size into consideration- but what about the rate of growth for each species? Those Texas cichlids are going to grow much faster than the sevs or firemouths, which could lead to bullying. Diet concerns are important with African cichlids because many of them are vegetarians and require special diets. An animal protein-rich diet will lead to Malawi bloat and kill many of these species. Again, many people don't know this and I feel it my responsibility to help them.

I hate to break this to you, but HEALTHY fish kept in optimum conditions WILL reach those sizes. Those that don't are usually kept in cramped conditions with poor water quality and diet, causing their growth to be stunted. Although there are other factors- like genetics- to keep them smaller, that's more the exception than the rule. As far as realistic descriptions on species go- I'll stick to my own knowledge/experience and the cichlid-specific literature available.

I went back and re-read my initial post and I do not see any "outright condemnation". I made an asessment of your situation based on my experience and tried to help in a friendly and noncondemning fashion (or so I thought). When a person posts a question/thought on a public forum- it's their responsibility to provide ALL pertinent information; how can someone help another person without knowing all the facts and having to play Twenty Questions to get them? I apologize for the unintentional slight.
 
Well, you know the old saying about assuming.

I went back and read my original post and confirmed that are are no question marks.

As far as your experience, I have had lots of good advice from people working at lfs's and I have gotten some pretty bad advice as well. All of my tank parameters are good and my fish are healthy. The Electric Yellows are not bloated and do well on their current diet.

By outright condemnation, I simply mean that you did not take the time to ask any pertinant questions and merely gave your outlook. Did I give every bit of information in my original post - NO, because I was not asking for advice; just giving an update. Much of what you said is correct, although not applicable in my situation, and much of what you said is opinion. It may be based on your experience, but we all have our own experiences. I may be a novice in your eyes, but I have done my homework. I do a great deal of research before starting any project to try and avoid many of the pitfalls that people fall into.

You are clearly implying in both posts that I am neglecting my fish, which is something I take personal because I am not someone who goes and just throws a tank together or adds whatever fish I think look pretty with no consideration as to what is best for my particular situation. My wife gets aggrivated with me because I take so long to choose fish. I often spend an hour or more watching the fish at the lfs to see how they behave and if I can spot any potential problems.

My problem with your advice is not that it is wrong, just unsolicited. I don't doubt your credintials but I do hope that you take time at your job to take time to listen to the customers and not just tell them what you think they should be doing.

Here's an example of how you might try to approach someone next time:
"It seems like you have a lot of fish in your tank. Do you think overcrowding may become a problem as they grow? I have had a lot of experience with Cichlids and I was wondering how your mix of South American and Africans get along. I have seen compatability problems with these in the past. You may have already considered these issues but I just thought I would throw them out there to help you avoid any potential problems down the road."

Had you posted any of these or similar questions, you would have gotten a much different response from me and we could have had a better dialouge instead of going back and forth trying justify ourselves.

Having said all that, your intentions were in the right place and I do appreciate your concern. I hope you will look at my advice in the same manner.

PS I hope you will take time to post some pictures in your gallery. I really would love to see some of those mature cichlids. They are such a fun species to watch.
 
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