cichlid ideas for large predator tank

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Charney

Charney

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I will be setting up soon 1,200 gallon tank for my monsters. It will be mostly a mix of aros, giant gouramis, some large cats (topping out at 2-2.5 ft), one armutus, three true spotted gars, and two royal knife fish. I really want on school/shoal of cichlids in their mainly 5 to 6 individuals. The tank will be on a heavy drip so water quality will be fine. i really want astronotus crassipinnis or zebrina pike. Do you think either of these cichlids are large enought to co exist in this tank? I am worried about the armatus and the catfish mostly. Any large peaceful cichlid recommendations?
thank you
 
My large tank is 3,000 litres (whatever that is in gallons). I have a bunch of dats and a plenty of similar and lightly smaller sized fish and bottom dwellers. I only have two cichlids in it, one is a true parrot, which looks good but I think is suffering from stress.

The other is a Xingu I. It looks great, is fierce and full of character, but only attacks anything it can swallow. It is close on twelve inches. When I got it as a three inch fish, it was bright yellow. I have read that Xingu I lose their colour as they mature, but mine has not. I would recommend it.
 
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Midwater said:
My large tank is 3,000 litres (whatever that is in gallons). I have a bunch of dats and a plenty of similar and lightly smaller sized fish and bottom dwellers. I only have two cichlids in it, one is a true parrot, which looks good but I think is suffering from stress.

The other is a Xingu I. It looks great, is fierce and full of character, but only attacks anything it can swallow. It is close on twelve inches. When I got it as a three inch fish, it was bright yellow. I have read that Xingu I lose their colour as they mature, but mine has not. I would recommend it.
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You are not worried about anyone trying to eat the pike?
 
How about a group of larger growing geophagus or satanoperca?

Edit: not sure they’d be much safer than the crassipinis with big cats around

thebiggerthebetter thebiggerthebetter would probably have solid, first hand input
 
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Oscars, chocolate cichlids, or true parrots if you are looking for a cichlid that is shaped like a cichlid. All three get large both in height and length so most 2 foot catfish should not be able to consume them, the true parrot is the largest if you are still concerned. Never seen a captive armatus that got big enough to eat adult oscars, but it's also a fish you don't see people keep successfully too often I suppose. What kind of catfish out of curiosity?


Some pikes would work, but I don't think there are any that tolerate being in a group of 6 even in a large tank. It is my understanding that the larger pike species only tolerate their mate. I'm no expert on them, but they do have a reputation for especially bad conspecific aggression. I have had issues trying to pair the smaller species up because they just hate each-other so much.

Maybe peacock bass if you like them? That often is the cichlid of choice in the true monsterfish set-ups.
 
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Omrit said:
Oscars, chocolate cichlids, or true parrots if you are looking for a cichlid that is shaped like a cichlid. All three get large both in height and length so most 2 foot catfish should not be able to consume them, the true parrot is the largest if you are still concerned. Never seen a captive armatus that got big enough to eat adult oscars, but it's also a fish you don't see people keep successfully too often I suppose. What kind of catfish out of curiosity?


Some pikes would work, but I don't think there are any that tolerate being in a group of 6 even in a large tank. It is my understanding that the larger pike species only tolerate their mate. I'm no expert on them, but they do have a reputation for especially bad conspecific aggression. I have had issues trying to pair the smaller species up because they just hate each-other so much.

Maybe peacock bass if you like them? That often is the cichlid of choice in the true monsterfish set-ups.
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Zebrina seem to do well together. I previosly had a group of 5 adults and never had any issues with them in roughtly a 6 x 4

The main cats will be a tig and juerense and possibly my gnooch. there will be some other largish cats but I don't have to worry about them
 
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