arapaimag;4673086; said:
I've owned the Lates niloticus (bought in 1997 at Pet's Plus in Lockport NY) and killed at 22" by my infamous 26" black shark in 1999)
and Hydrocinus goliath (bought in 2000 at Big Al's Aquarium Services in Hamilton Ontario on Centenial Parkway) it died in 2003 by jumping out of the small opening while I was feeding it......getting injured and not recovering. It was 18". It was not in either of the 2 big tanks at the time.
I also owned Hydrocynus vittatus (bought in 2000 at Pet's Plus in Lockport NY) it grew to about 17" and died in 2005 in the 15,000.
The Hydrocynus are very good predators but very delicate and can be injured by rough tanks mates of similar size.
I'm getting a baby H. goliath and H. vittatus on Saturday about 2" long from Oliver Lucanus in Montreal. They are delicate to ship also so I hope they make it OK.
As far as hunting and catching 2" to 8" african cichlids the Tigers are just fair. My big Brycons (heleri and Guatemalensis) are far tougher and faster.
The cichlids breed because of all the rock cover and big time since the gooch and salton passed on.
I had me a Vittatus, i grew it to around a foot. was a lovely fish but i lost my job at the time and had to sell up. bad times.
Definatley sounds like you need some sort of Pred to sort out the Cichlid overbreeding. got things going through my head to come up with an answer but its seeming difficult!
Clown Knife fish?? (Can not think of latin name at this specific time)
Tiger Shovelnose?? (Pseudoplatystoma Fasciatum)
Gar Fish?? of some sort. I don't know a lot about Gar's if i'm honest. although i wouldn't mind trying one of the shorter nosed variety, Alligator?
a Snakehead might do the trick, but obvious regulations in your area may apply. (Channa Micropeltes to be specific)
Would a Clarius be of any use??
Unless you starve some of the bigger fish like the Cats and Arowanas then they may turn to the cichlids as food??