New Cichlids! Got a question about BGK

[PzIkHo]

I just got a 55 gallon aquarium, and it has an Oscar, a Green Terror, Jack Dempsey, a Red Devil, a Pleco, and 3 Cory catfish. My question is this: is it even possible to introduce my Black Ghost Knifefish and/or my Porthole Eel.

I'm aware that these are pretty aggressive fish, but I've never had any before, and I need to get my BGK and my eel into a bigger tank, so can they be in the same tank and get along?

 

[AJG187]

They should be fine. The BGK is actually an aggressive fish as well. The eel will also be fine. I have a bichir in mine and it does great and they are similar creatures. I would be more concerned with the Cory cats. They don't get bigger than 2-3"; therefore, they may become a meal later down the road.

 

[tmcgee]

That is a lot of messy eating fish for that size tank. I have 2 Oscars in a 125 gallon alone as they create a huge mess and your 1 oscar will far outgrow the 55 gallon.

 

[drprowant]

plus that is a lot of fish in that size i would switch some around or get a new tank it might be a lil over stocked in the end cus if there are to many fish it can stunt the growth of the Oscar and he will die young but the Oscar needs at the minimum hope it helps good luck

 

[fishguy1]

I just got a 55 gallon aquarium, and it has an Oscar, a Green Terror, Jack Dempsey, a Red Devil, a Pleco, and 3 Cory catfish. My question is this: is it even possible to introduce my Black Ghost Knifefish and/or my Porthole Eel.

I'm aware that these are pretty aggressive fish, but I've never had any before, and I need to get my BGK and my eel into a bigger tank, so can they be in the same tank and get along?

The combination of cichlids in your tank is an atomic bomb waiting to go off. The BGK will most likely be killed, especially if it's small enough for you to be considering putting it in a 55.

 

[PzIkHo]

The combination of cichlids in your tank is an atomic bomb waiting to go off. .

I've been hearing stuff like that since my buddy had this tank (which was about a year ago) and I inherited the same fish he had. They've been tank mates for at least a year, and everybody gets along. Even the cory catfish have been there for a year, and nobody seems to have any problems.

So it looks like things could go either way with my BGK and my eel then?

 

[drprowant]

yeas it could go ether way

 

[AJG187]

So it looks like things could go either way with my BGK and my eel then?

Yeah. It's going good for me personally. If you introduce them all together at a young age it would be better but even adding fish together of the same species is always a coin toss.

 

[drprowant]

yes in deed

 

[fishguy1]

I've been hearing stuff like that since my buddy had this tank (which was about a year ago) and I inherited the same fish he had. They've been tank mates for at least a year, and everybody gets along. Even the cory catfish have been there for a year, and nobody seems to have any problems.

So it looks like things could go either way with my BGK and my eel then?

The fish are obviously still young. They have names like red devil for a reason.

One thing for you to consider..... adding either or both of those fish could be what pushes things over the edge. You're pretty lucky that the fish haven't started killing each other, though that day is coming. Do you want to risk upsetting the balance the tank seems to have?

 

[PzIkHo]

The fish are obviously still young. They have names like red devil for a reason.

One thing for you to consider..... adding either or both of those fish could be what pushes things over the edge. You're pretty lucky that the fish haven't started killing each other, though that day is coming. Do you want to risk upsetting the balance the tank seems to have?

Very insightful....The question then, I suppose, becomes: Which one(s) do I get rid of? I need to get my BGK and my eel into a bigger tank, cuz they're getting huge. So which are the most aggressive among the cichlids I have, or should I simply get rid of the largest ones to make for more room.

 

[AJG187]

I know the JD and the Red Devils are really aggressive. I don't know much about the terrors.

 

[fishguy1]

Aggressive fish + limited space = dead fish And the space within the tank is getting smaller with the passing of each day - the fish aren't gonna get smaller.

I'm sure you don't want to hear this, but none of those fish are really suitable for a 55. I mean, you might be able to get away with the JD and the GT in the 55, but I still think they are far too aggressive for the BGK. That's probably your best bet, as those are the only 2 fish that might be able to live out their lives in the 55.

You're still going to need a 6 foot tank down the road.

 

[PzIkHo]

So what if I got rid of the Oscar and then introduced the BGK and the Eel? Do you think that would be alright? Or is is still pushing it with the RD, JD, GT, and the pleco.

Keep in mind I am going to be getting an even larger tank in the next few months, so as the GT and the JD really start getting bigger I'll have a new home for them right about that time.

 

[fishguy1]

if you're getting a bigger tank in a few months, then I wouldn't change a thing until then. Your margin of success is very small, and if things are copesthetic I would just wait it out until you get the bigger tank, which should be 6 feet in length. Another 4 foot tank won't be very helpful.

 

[PzIkHo]

So I've gotten rid of the Oscar and the Jack Dempsey and decided to keep my GT and RD, and will be introducing my BGK and porthole eel soon. Will keep everyone updated. Any advice or suggestions are, of course, always welcome. Thank everyone so much for their help =]

 

[mfdrookie516]

The red devil and green terror will ultimately have a show down one day. They got their names for a reason...a very good reason. I honestly dont think you'll end up with more than one fish in that tank at some point in the near future.

 

[PzIkHo]

That's what I keep hearing, and I'm finally starting to see it. I really like both of those guys though, so what if I kept just the GT in with my BGK and my eel? Do you think he could get along fine, or should I just go ahead and get rid of both of them?

 

[mfdrookie516]

I honestly can't say how that would work out. I dont think it would end well though. I definitely don't know a lot about green terrors, so I'm only going off of things I've heard. I know for sure that red devils are seriously devils. I went to a guys house a while back who had a 6 year old red devil. It was a monster. It killed every fish he ever tried to put in with it. BGK's and eels are just not really a good match for super aggressive fish like that.