Monster Cichlids: Fish to Tank Ratio

[TheViciousBitch]

There is a word that comes up on MFK now and again when questions regarding fish compatibility arise.....that word is "crapshoot".

It is probably the best word to sum up this monster cichlid dream tank you are planning. Would your tank look awesome? hell yeah. Would that same tank, maybe not at first, but certainly somewhere down the line, give you sleepless nights due to all the constant aggro? quite possibly. The outcome is a complete roll of the dice.

A calmer monster cichlid tank in my eyes, just as awesome on the eye, would be a huge tank with oscars, chocolate cichlids and severums (why did you state "NOT" severums). They're a great fish.

Those are more peaceful large cichlids. I think you'd have a better chance of some level of harmony, but at the end of the day we're talking about cichlids here and there we go, that word creeps back in.....crapshoot!

Can we interest you in a goldfish tank intead, lol!

Thank you. I know you are right. And I am willing to be talked into a safer route. I love the idea of quitting my job, cashing in my 401k, and enjoying retirement from 35-50 then working until I die at my desk… but I won’t do it. Lolol. Just because I like the idea, doesn’t mean it is a good one or one I’ll risk.

I simply singled out severums to highlight I really meant monsters, not just large American Cichlids. I already have a second large cichlid tank in mind that would be a mix of the more traditional severum/geos/parrots/etc. that just might be the only tank, with a single monster.

 

[TheViciousBitch]

Its not necessary to abandon the entire idea, but more to refine it with species compatibility research.
In your list you have a number of species from widely differing habitats, and water parameters.
I see soft water preferring Amazonian South American, but also hard water preferring Centrals, etc etc.
I see cichlids that are the only cichlids species in their habitat, and others that may live in a more species diverse habitat.
You mention previously keeping Africans, does this mean your tap water parameters are mineral rich, and high pH?
Rift lake Africans are often very social species that in nature, thrive with other lots of other cichlid species together in a limited reef-like area.
If your water is hard/high pH, Central Americans may work well,, although Centra Americans are often loners, sharing habitat with non cichlids, (non competition for resources).
In a tap hard water based tank, certain Amazonian species may be at a disadvantage, and that disadvantage could make them targets for those more suited to that environment.
Now with this, I'm not referring to all S Americans.
You first mentioned two S Americans from west of the Andes. (Andinoacara, and Mesoheros)
The water parameters west of the Andes are generally far different than waters east, and species from west would never encounter more placid easterners like oscars or severums.
Western waters are generally more alkaline, and a tad cooler, the cichlids often act more territorially (like Centrals) than those from the east that come from diverse, species rich habitats.
Of course these are generalizations that may be bucked, and by-passed successfully by some aquarists.
I jus use this type info to help make my combinations more likely to work.

Thank you! You are right. I mentioned in my post, that isn’t a planned list, I would be making a list based on compatibility around the fish I most want (likely Viejas would be the fish I build a tank and stocking around). The list I gave was really to highlight “I mean big boys”.

Your comment about my tap water is absolutely part of the planning process here. I will be buying a new home, in a few months time. I am literally measuring space in finished basements/ranch style houses on slab, to fit a monster tank. I care about everything else in the house, but if it can’t fit a 10+ foot tank on day one - it is off the list. (This hobby is a fu{king addiction. While I am shopping only 20-30 min from my current area, it is often in different municipalities. I think I’ll start testing water parameters at these houses. ???? I might not even be joking.

 

[TheViciousBitch]

I believe my attitudes are sometimes considered narrow, probably because I am biased toward biotopes.
I find mixing a cichlid like H carpintus, that comes from northern and central Mexico where there are more obvious seasonal changes and cool nights in the 50s'F, with a cichlid like Darienheros calobrensis from Panama where temps are almost always in the mid 80s or higher is not advantageous.
Below H carpintus "Lago Chairel", the lake gets seasonal cool in winter, and storms make it seasonally brackish
View attachment 1502527
I also find it problematic to combine a loner like Mayaheros beanii (the only endemic cichlid in its northern Mexican habitat) with more social cichlids like Geophagines and expect it to turn out hunky dory,
Below, female beanie
View attachment 1502528
below average temp of my beanii tank, and the temp they spawned
View attachment 1502530
Geography also comes into play with these, Mayaheros are the most northern cichlid from the west coast of Mexico and experience much cooler average temps, than Geophagines from Brazil where temps average 80'F
View attachment 1502529
Above, Tribe Geophagini, Acarichthys heckelli, average tank temp 82'F.

yes - I agree with you about mixing fish for the sake of mixing. If I know a combination is proven to work, and that a breeder is keeping them in the same range as my tank, I’m not as concerned. But I won’t mix fish with truly different parameters.

I have literally copy and pasted your comment (and a few others) into my spreadsheet, for more consideration and research. Thank you.

 

[duanes]

l severum/geos/parrots/etc. that just might be the only tank, with a single monster.

This to me ia a very reasonable combination, and sounds well thought out.
All these cichlids are from the same geographical area, a species rich habitat, so territoriality in a large enough tank should not be problematic, and all enjoy the same water temps, and softer neutral to slightly acidic water parameters.
And in a large enough tank certain specific zones could be created that create territories.
Most Geophagus prefer well oxygenated moderate to strong current areas, while most severums would tend toward more calmer flow zones.
These could easily be produced with strategically placed pump outlets and/ or powerheads/wavemakers.

 

[TheViciousBitch]

This to me ia a very reasonable combination, and sounds well thought out.
All these cichlids are from the same geographical area, a species rich habitat, so territoriality in a large enough tank should not be problematic, and all enjoy the same water temps, and softer neutral to slightly acidic water parameters.
And in a large enough tank certain specific zones could be created that create territories.
Most Geophagus prefer well oxygenated moderate to strong current areas, while most severums would tend toward more calmer flow zones.
These could easily be produced with strategically placed pump outlets and/ or powerheads/wavemakers.

This is awesome advice. I’m copying it into my spreadsheet now. The flow zone for those two species isn’t something I had read about yet. Granted - I haven’t started the stocking lists yet, beyond “ooh! Pretty fish!” Haha. But I really appreciate that heads up.

 

[duanes]

Geophagus - Guide to Amazonian Eartheaters - nearly all Geophagus species !
Severum Cichlids and other Heros species : the COMPLETE GUIDE

 

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

I've never kept any cichlids, but I am quite familiar with the concept of positioning flow pumps in such a way that there are distinct flowing and slow areas in the tank (in fact I'm doing it currently in one of my tanks).
So, depending on just where you put the pumps, I may be able to help out if you have questions.