Does school of pink Chalceus and aggresive CA Chcilds work?

[hurdjg]

I had a tank with adult veija and added adult Checleus that worked out fine.

Tried with some juvie's and had a disaster.

Growing out some fish in a 55g.
Group of juvi cichlids below , 2-3 , inch.
Added School of Chelceus 2-2.5 inch.
I thought the Chalceus woud be fine as could not fit in the cichlids mouth.
Next day 6 dead Chalceus, they mostly ate the eyes.

I relocated the cichlids.
Darienheros Calobrense
Ex Cichlasoma Istlanum
Paraneetroplus Gibbiceps
Vieja Synspilum "Belize"
Vieja Argentea

When Chichlids and Chalceus grow to adults in separate tanks, would putingt them I the same tank recreate the previous disaster?
I am concerned that the fish that snacked on eyes before will do so again.

 

[tlindsey]

I had a tank with adult veija and added adult Checleus that worked out fine.

Tried with some juvie's and had a disaster.

Growing out some fish in a 55g.
Group of juvi cichlids below , 2-3 , inch.
Added School of Chelceus 2-2.5 inch.
I thought the Chalceus woud be fine as could not fit in the cichlids mouth.
Next day 6 dead Chalceus, they mostly ate the eyes.

I relocated the cichlids.
Darienheros Calobrense
Ex Cichlasoma Istlanum
Paraneetroplus Gibbiceps
Vieja Synspilum "Belize"
Vieja Argentea

When Chichlids and Chalceus grow to adults in separate tanks, would putingt them I the same tank recreate the previous disaster?
I am concerned that the fish that snacked on eyes before will do so again.

I say yes it will probably happen again Cichlids have a good memory of what they dislike.

 

[tiger15]

Vieja are generally not predatory, but I’m not familiar with your other cichlid. Have you witnessed the chalceus harassed by any of your cichlid. If they are all dead the next day, it could be acclimation problem and their eyes were eaten after their death. 1-2 inch chalceus are delicate as I believe they are all wild caught.

Im actually more concerned housing a colony of chalceus in a 55g as they are conspecific aggressive and will more likely kill one another than by cichlid. Chalceus can grow up to 10 inch and I only house one in my 125g. My large cichlid ignore the chalceus, and the chalceus ignore all other fish including small ones than can fit into his mouth. I grow out the chalceus to 4 inch before introduction to the big fish tank as chalceus can be skittish that triggers predatorial instinct from cichlid. It takes a couple weeks for the chalceus to calm down.

 

[duanes]

P gibbiceps is mostly an algae scraper, you can tell by its mouth, it is not a predatore

and the Vieja also tend toward being omnivores with a bent to vegetation, so I would not expect them to be the problem.
And Although Darienheros will eat fish, unless they are tiny its may not be your likely suspect.
My guess would be the istlanum

 

[Gourami Swami]

I would agree istlanum are vicious to dither fish. I have tried to keep fast dithers like danios with istlanum grow-outs and the result is always the same, even if the dithers are too large to eat they get mauled to death in short order. On your list of fish they stand out to me as the probably culprit.
I did keep an istlanum (8" ish) with large (6") clown barbs before and some other cichlids, and that time the dithers were OK. Might be that they were so fast and big. And also the tank was larger, a 125.

 

[hurdjg]

Thanks for all the helpful replies.
I am just growing them up a bit in a 55.
I was put them in 10x2x2, but the predatory chiclids are going to be int here.

Is 125 G big enough for 12 adults?

 

[Gunfleet]

12 pink tail Chalceus in a 55? Maybe if they are all under two inches. Chalceus need to space to swim. They are open water movers. If you wanted to keep 12 you better get yourself a pond.

 

[tiger15]

Thanks for all the helpful replies.
I am just growing them up a bit in a 55.
I was put them in 10x2x2, but the predatory chiclids are going to be int here.

Is 125 G big enough for 12 adults?

Are ,you talking about 12 adult chalceus? No way. These predatory tetra can grow to 10 inch. Chalceus behaves more like cichlid than community tetra. They are territorial and conspecific aggressive. My friend kept 6 in a 200g and they attacked one another constantly, and the jaws were always broken from locking. I think he was down to one eventually. I keep one in my 125g and he is peaceful to other fish. He is cool and stays motionless at one place like cichlid

 

[duanes]

After reading the above post, I'm wondering if it was the Chaleceus that were taking each others eyes out, and blaming the cichlids is going in the wrong direction?
Since I have never kept them, I didn't consider that they may be sniping at each other, and after doing some reading, they seem to be their own worst enemy here, especially in a small tank like a 125..

 

[hurdjg]

I usual do trial and error it is gruesome and expensive I really appreciate the response.
I hope you and my input helps others.
I had really wanted to put the school of chalceus in the 10x2x2 when they grew out. but that seems to risky for them to be with the aggressive cichlids.

The eating of eyeballs stopped after I took out the cichlids.
I had purchase more chaleus the all are behaving themselves, all eyeballs intact.

Picture is my maybe good luck I had before with 6 and 3 cichlids (Vieja Coatzocoalcos, Vieja Synspilum, Hericthys Carpintis).

I am setting up a 125 with mid to high flow rivereine. higher flow at the surface mid flow mid level.
AI thought maybe I could put them in here?
I have the following fish growing out to also put in the 125 with the chaleus. I am goign to indtruces all together when the smalest fish is 6inches or so.
1x Theraps Lentiginosum (cuuerntly ~ 6 inches)
2x Chuco Micropthalmus (cuuerntly ~ 4inch (4inch, 3 inches)
1x Paraneetroplus Gibbiceps (currently 2.5 inches)
1x Paraneetroplus Gibbiceps
1x Vieja Breidohri Presa la Angostura (elongated bodies riverine varity Currently 3 inches)