Now there’s modesty for you.
Some of your posts are that deep , detailed and scientific, I feel like I need to go to university just so I can read and understand them.
105 gallon wet pet suggestions
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Some of your posts are that deep , detailed and scientific, I feel like I need to go to university just so I can read and understand them.
It's a bit odd to post it in this thread but since you all helped me make decisions for the 300g here is a picture of the rescaped tank. I am getting the Firemouths and O. Heterospila coming wednesday. 
Looks fantastic! I wonder if you’ll fair better than I did with plants and heterospila. I had Vallisneria and cryptocoryne but they murdered it.
From what I understood its 50/50. I know the Val and Echinodorus is a risk, primarily hope they are not interested in the anubias and java ferns.
I'll defer to others with more experience with M. argenteus.. I only had them as juvies / sub adult and did not have any issues with them. But I've read on here others experienced an uptick in aggression / territorial behavior at maturity..
My experience with hets has been successful so far with older / bigger V. melanura and T. meeki in a 6 foot 240G. The hets growth started slow, but seems to have picked up some in the past couple months.. they're peaceful, active and love to bicker back and forth w/ the T. meeki.. but no interaction really w/ the melanura.. both the meeki and hets just kinda stay out of the melanuras' way except occasional non aggressive flaring from the meeki, cause that's how meeki roll..
One concern may be potential hybridizing.. I fortunately have not had that issue in this tank, but recently had to rehome an awesome young pair of V. briedohri "Rio Salado" in one of my 210G tanks cause the male kept trying to flirt w/ one of my older / bigger T. asfraci females.. when he started displaying breeding colors, and getting aggressive w/ all the other bigger fish in the tank, I rehomed the pair of breidohri... I doubt you'd have to worry about that w/ hets and meeki, but could be a concern w/ hets and any of the other vieja types..
Thanks BK! Discussed the Argentues in the shop today and he said the same thing. Not compatible as adults especially not if you want to keep 1, it will start bullying others at adult size.I'll defer to others with more experience with M. argenteus.. I only had them as juvies / sub adult and did not have any issues with them. But I've read on here others experienced an uptick in aggression / territorial behavior at maturity..
My experience with hets has been successful so far with older / bigger V. melanura and T. meeki in a 6 foot 240G. The hets growth started slow, but seems to have picked up some in the past couple months.. they're peaceful, active and love to bicker back and forth w/ the T. meeki.. but no interaction really w/ the melanura.. both the meeki and hets just kinda stay out of the melanuras' way except occasional non aggressive flaring from the meeki, cause that's how meeki roll..
One concern may be potential hybridizing.. I fortunately have not had that issue in this tank, but recently had to rehome an awesome young pair of V. briedohri "Rio Salado" in one of my 210G tanks cause the male kept trying to flirt w/ one of my older / bigger T. asfraci females.. when he started displaying breeding colors, and getting aggressive w/ all the other bigger fish in the tank, I rehomed the pair of breidohri... I doubt you'd have to worry about that w/ hets and meeki, but could be a concern w/ hets and any of the other vieja types..
I was just looking for one bigger centerpiece fish for this tank. But I am not in a hurry and maybe won't add one at all.
Just curious, what quantities of each do you keep in the 240g?
I do have one other doubt regarding the T. Meeki, he only had a couple but seeing them again besides the Nicaraguans put me in doubt. Those nics are some stunning looking fish and from what Ive researched thusfar some very interestinf behavior.
Not sure how I'd keep them in the 320g though. Start with a group of 6 and keep 2 pairs maybe.
Just keep changing my mind tbh because I have zero experience with CA and don't know what is possible and what I would enjoy the most out of this tank.
I hear Cincelichthys pearsei is a gentle giant and would fit in a biotope w/ hets & meeki.. I had C. bocourti from juvie to sub adult and prolly would still have at least 1 or a pair if I had a 300G..
Another option would be a Chuco.. I had a young group of F1 C. microphthalmus that I had to rehome because I just had no space for them long term.. C. intermedium is the biotope correct one for hets.
2 V. melanura "Lago Peten" (M 10-11" / F 9+")
5 O. heterospila (Largest 6+" / smallest 4+") (I think 2M / 3F)
8 T Meeki (Largest 6+" / smallest 5+")
No problemas lots of meeki spawns.. one big melanura spawn.. nada from the hets yet..
I love both species and have kept and bred both.. I rehomed my breeding colony of Nics (F1 San Juan) earlier this year but I know I'll get them again.. they were great in my tanks. I had a harem (1 M 4 F) and kept them in 125 w/ A. nanolutea and C longimanus and had no problems except during spawns.. Also kept them w/ A. lyonsi & C. rostratus (and a P panmensis pair for a bit) in a 210. They were still great in the 210, but they really did not like the lyoni so decided to move them to avoid drama.. They're great fish.. If you're not going for strict biotope, i think they can work well w/ heterospila.. Both seem tough but not psycho.. at least ime.. but if you have pairs of both you'll want to manage aggression..
Re: meeki, I've bought dozens of meeki from different vendors over the years before I found the one I really liked in terms of color and appearance. it can be hit or miss since they're farmed everywhere... I'll always have meeki in my fish room..
If choosing between the 2, ime one difference is, you can get a good size group of meeki and they'll coexist and breed.. they have small territories.. when not breeding they swim at all levels of the tank. but for Nics, you can start with a group, but ime you'll need to pull any subdom males as they mature.. When nics breed they'll try to defend at least 2 to 3 feet.
no worries, I've been there.. happy to share my (limited) experience with the CAs I've kept and keep..
