Need suggestions/ideas on Beani potential tankmates

[VRWC]

Hi everyone...needing some suggestions. Ive spawned dovii/festae/freddis/jags/midas and quite a few others in the past so I know the basics and how to keep them, their temperament etc, but these guys have always posed a problem for me in the past due to bloat. Im trying to get a pair but they are hitting their super aggressive stage and want to keep them busy & in check, but not so stressed they bloat.

So I currently have 5 x 3"-3.5" beani in a 125g with 25 Buenos Aires tetras, 4 clown loaches and a couple dwarf plecos. 4 of the beani have started hiding in the past month because of 1 dominant one (I still can't sex them. I know most of the species ways but they switch from honeycomb to stripes very often and there are no defined fin structures that I can tell while they are in the tank, except for maybe one potential male...I included a pic of him. When I switch them to their new tank I will attempt to vent but they are still rather small.)

I have a 240 (8x2x2) that Im doing the plumbing on tonight and will have it up and running by tomorrow night, but Im not sure if I want to move them all in the tank. Im thinking of putting 2 in the 240g and 3 in a 55g divided 3 ways and growing them out, or 2 in 240g, 2 in the 55g and one at a LFS in a big 400g tank for it to grow out there then eventually re-introducing a male & female once they mature a little and can be sexed.

Im afraid if I move them all to the 240g that the dominant will keep them in hiding or worse, kill the others eventually, so I think dividing them is the best idea, unless....

someone has some ideas for dithers that can hold their own and keep the beani less dominant but not so aggressive they chase the beani 24/7. I went with the 25 tetras and it works pretty good, but they're outgrowing them so the dominant ones can pick out the beani silhouette easily now in the group. Im thinking maybe something larger than the beani, more mild tempered but not a hider or someone that will backdown from a 3.5" fish.

bocourti?
breidohri?
synspilus?
ocellatus?
bifasciata?
maculicauda?
carpintis?
cyanoguttatus?

20 more tetras when I put them in the 240?

The feeding frenzy with 25 tetras already is such that nothing can hit the bottom with such a group. They look like a ball of minhaden being chased by bluefin in the ocean...or starved piranha being fed.

I love Neets but they'll beat the snot out of these guys...as if you've ever kept any, you know what I mean. If for some reason these guys don't make it, Im going to do the 240 with a colony of Neets!

Ive kept lots/most of the amphs, parachromis & crenicichlas and feel like any of them would be too aggressive, especially considering whatever I put in there will need to be bigger than the beani.

Ill include pics of the setup, several of the beani and their new tank being worked on tonight, just because I know everyone likes pics!

So, any ideas? I appreciate any and all input. Thanks!

 

[duanes]

I have had beani spawn a number of times, and have never been able to keep any other cichlids with them.
The females usually get very bright yellow above the lateral line, blacken below the lateral line and the anterior of dorsal becomes very dark when ready to spawn.She kept those colors throughout brood care. My female was ready to spawn at a very small size, maybe only 3", the male much larger( almost twice her size).
The dominant male sports a slight nuchal hump.
I kept the temp fairly cool in my tank, and they spawned at about 68'-70'F.
A female ready to spawn.



Even when not spawning my females retained a bit of the dark coloration below the lateral line, and in the dorsal, like the one below.

 

[VRWC]

Thanks for the info and great pics Duane. Did you let the pair form from a group of fry or purchase them as a pair. Id like to leave them together but the dominant one, super conspecific, isn't interested in having lookalikes in the tank.

 

[dan518]

Think if I was you I would put 2 dividers in the 125, have the dominant male in the middle and 2 females either end. Duanes and Andy woods are probably the best to get advice from though.

 

[Andy woods cichlids uk]

I wouldn't put any of the listed cichlids with your Beani. Species only tank is the best way to go. Just the sight of other cichlids will cause unnecessary stress, then you could end up with bloat problems.
Couple of pics of a few of my Beani.

 

[duanes]

I did get mine as a group of juvies, starting with 8 if I remember right.
Very early on the alpha pair tried to kill all others in a 150 gal tank, and did get some before I rescued a few, and one jumped 6 ft across the aisle into a sump before others were done in.
Although I never had trouble with bloat (I try to do water changes of about 30% every other day), an adult trio I had before the above juvie group died of bacterial infection when summer temps put their tank in the 80s.
That is why I kept the 2nd juvie group cool, not using a heater in their tank at all.
They are the most northerly occurring cichid on Mexicos western coast, where night temps can be quite cool. Suggesting to me, they are adapted to day night fluctuations.
This was a common occurrence in my poorly insulated house.
They always spawned for me in early spring, which also led me to believe they may be seasonal spawners, reacting to a trigger of spring cooling rains.
I like Dan's suggestion about the divided tank, with a male in between 2 females.
Nice shots Andy.

 

[VRWC]

Good plan, thanks! Ill do it as soon as I can determine who is what.

 

[VRWC]

I wouldn't put any of the listed cichlids with your Beani. Species only tank is the best way to go. Just the sight of other cichlids will cause unnecessary stress, then you could end up with bloat problems.
Couple of pics of a few of my Beani.

Those were my initial thoughts based on the fact that in the past when Ive kept them with others, Ive lost the beani.

Thanks for the conformation. Thats my new plan.

Great pics & Fish Andy. Thanks for sharing!

 

[VRWC]

I did get mine as a group of juvies, starting with 8 if I remember right.
Very early on the alpha pair tried to kill all others in a 150 gal tank, and did get some before I rescued a few, and one jumped 6 ft across the aisle into a sump before others were done in.
Although I never had trouble with bloat (I try to do water changes of about 30% every other day), an adult trio I had before the above juvie group died of bacterial infection when summer temps put their tank in the 80s.
That is why I kept the 2nd juvie group cool, not using a heater in their tank at all.
They are the most northerly occurring cichid on Mexicos western coast, where night temps can be quite cool. Suggesting to me, they are adapted to day night fluctuations.
This was a common occurrence in my poorly insulated house.
They always spawned for me in early spring, which also led me to believe they may be seasonal spawners, reacting to a trigger of spring cooling rains.
I like Dan's suggestion about the divided tank, with a male in between 2 females.
Nice shots Andy.

Great info Duane. Yea, in this 125g none of them are safe from the dominant one no matter how good they hide. Ill be pulling & separating them later tonight.

Im currently keeping the tank around 78 but will lower it when I move them to the 240g, keeping one in the 240g and separating the others into other tanks to grow out.

Thanks again for all the info guys. This should solve my problem!