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This is really only for experienced large cichlid keepers, I'm gonna be setting up a 90G probably in January(wish I could Get a bigger 6ft tank but can't go there yet). So I was wondering what others thought about my choices. These are the guys I'm looking at, not sure which I prefer yet. Would all of these be OK singlely in a 90 or am I off.


Amphilophus festae - red terror:available to me locally
Vieja regani - regans:available to me locally
" " maculicauda -black belt: available to me locally
" " synspilium-fire head:available to me locally
p mangaguensis-jaguar :available to me locally
cichlasoma trimaculatum-trimac:available to me locally
" " uropthalmus-mayan:would have to try and order one if available
N. haitiensis-Black Nasty: would have to try and order one but would probably not be available or affordable
I would also consider the red devil/midas, but they would be lower on the list.
Also, would any of them work out with live plants?

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wel i rekon most of the above will be ok in there,just make sure that you give whatever big fish u by good filtration,remember big fish, big wastewill u be getting the fish already grown or are u getting a little fellaive found it better to get them small,and grow them up yourself,that way it will get to no you wellalso if you do get a BIG GUY as u said,get him good quality cichlid pellet,and lots of varity of foods,for example my big guys love shelled peas,just about anything with in reason except flakes,just keep the water changes up and top filtration and you should be sweetonce you do get this setup up and running you will not be disapointedoh and as for the live plants,most people will say no it will not work,but i rekon try them b4 you decide they wont work,i rekon it depends solely on the fish,at the moment i have live plants in with convicts,blue acara,green severum,green terror,and these guys are all supoze 2 trash live plants, but they dont touch them,on the other hand ive had cichlids that will devour plants in minutes,but u wont know for sure untill u try it,good luck

Hmm. Let me see.

Festae - would probably work. And despite its reputation for pugnacity might actually work better than some of your other choices because of size.
Regani - haven't encountered this. Can't say offhand. But if it's the same size as a Black Belt, say, I'd pass it by.
Black Belt - seriously chunky bodied Cichlid when mature. And with a volcanic temper. Even a single individual might be too cramped in a 90.
Synspilum - Ditto as for Black Belt.
Jaguar Cichlid - no, I'd pass this by. A single individual will eventually need a 150 all to itself - this species can be huge once it starts to pile on the body mass.
Trimac - again, even a single individual might be too large for a 90 in time, and Trimacs even look dangerous ...
Urophthalmus - not encountered it. Cannot advise.
Black Nasty - not encountered this actual species, but it's related to Nnandopsis tetracanthus, the Cuban Cichlid (also known as the Poor Man's Jag because of its looks). If the Black Nasty shares habits with its near relative the Cuban Cichlid, then I'd give it a miss because Cuban Cichlids gained a reputation for being vicious and destructive even back in the days of the old Innes book. Cubans will rip plants to shreds, engage in combat with other Cichlids for the sheer hell of it unless they have LOTS of space, and are also industrial scale substrate diggers when they're in the mood. A fish for those whose levels of tolerance is at St Francis of Assisi levels.
Red Devil or Midas - again, will outgrow a 90 eventually. Serious behavioural issues also likely to be present once the fish matures.

I'd get Jason in on the case and see what he suggests, as he's kept Cichlids that most other people haven't even heard of. I suspect the above advice will prove sound though.

Despite being known as a 'bad boy', the Festae may actually be your least troublesome option. It would also be wonderfully colourful. If you're just planning on keeping the one, a 90 would be fine. In fact, you might be able to house a pair in a 90, though if you did, nothing else could live in that aquarium once the Festaes started breeding ...

Basically, if it's Oscar sized or larger, a 125 is a baseline setup, and a 150 better. Festaes max out at 10 inches if I recall correctly, so they'd live in a 90.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

i also forgot to mention that the 90 gal even thoo its seems big,would only be temperary,untill you can get like a 125gal,or the mother a 200gal,but be warned these massive tanks can be a hard task,when it comes to moving,and even thoo these tanks are massive most of the bad boys you said you liked above,will more than likely demand the whole tank,and thats alot of room for 1 or 2 fish,depending on wether u can score a pair,only for the cichlid lover..just some more things 2 dwell on,i just upgraded my flowerhorn 2 a 75 gal,like a few weeks ago,and im already looking for something bigger,its like the more room i give him,he just keeps on growing

yeah I know the size issue. Now I'm thinking about just holding off & getting the 125. I might still get the 90 and move my Mbuna into it as I know they would love the space. I would devote the big tank to one fish as I'm not looking for breeding (I already have the mbuna giving me more fry than I can handle and my JD's have already started)and I would definitely get a small guy & grow him out . I think it would be key in the interaction he would have with as an owner. Still not sure what I'll get but guess I have some time now to think. Thanx fellas

By all means marry; if you get a good wife, you'll be happy. If you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher.
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ok cool,what sort of filtration were u going to get,for a tank that size,i think a nice strong spinning arm mini reef will serv you well,and the fish u get will love the clean tank he calls home>also as u are guna get the fish small, and grown him yourself,whateva u decide on the 90gal wil be fine for a while,this way u get the best of both worlds,u can still get your fish,and while he chills in the 90gal,u can hunt him down the 125gal u were thinkin about,good luck

I know you may not be looking for suggestions,
but how about Uaru?
They are mighty cool fish, pretty peaceful,
and large enough to suit your desire, without
being too big to house in a 90.
They grow to about 10-12 inches.
Here is a great pic.
http://www.vitawater.ru/wall/fish/1024/uaru.jpg

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There's now more than one Uaru.

The one depicted above is Uaru amphiacanthoides. Thre's a new species on the block that's considered sky high desirable by Cichlid specialists, but this is reflected in the truly hyperbolic price you have to pay for one - Uaru fernandezyepezi. If you can FIND one of these, expect to pay a truly colossal sum of money for one.

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Amphilophus festae - red terror: female max 12" and male max 16"ish. a female would be fine in a 90 and a male probably would be too. even if a male got to 16" or more it would take many years to get there. festae are very slow growers. 1/2" per month for the first year or so and then even slower. festae are known as not being very personable as compared to other large growing species. I kept a pair for around 3 or 4 years. the male was ~10" SL and the female ~8" SL. they were pretty active in a 125 but in a 75 they were much more reclusive.

Vieja regani - regans: probably grow to 12-14" or so and fairly mild in terms of aggression compared to other Viejas. all viejas are somewhat slow growers. the only one I've kept was around 5" or so when I traded it in. it was kept in a rather large community and not kept solely so I couldn't get much of a chance to tell how much personality it might have had.

" " maculicauda -black belt: again probably 12-14" and much more aggressive than regani. this is the only one on your list I've never kept so I have no idea how personable they are.

" " synspilium-fire head: gorgeous, gorgeous fish that will grow 12" or so. this might be the one I'd choose of this list if you can find a good quality strain. Jeff Rapps sells some gorgeous synspilum so if you can afford it I'd go that route. You ought to at least consider a breeding pair though.

p mangaguensis-jaguar: well, probably the most common cichlid available. a male might grow a little too large for an 18" wide tank though it would take a few years. I had one for a while that grew to around 9" and completely took over a 125. they are very territorial and much more personable than most others on your list.

cichlasoma trimaculatum-trimac: grows to 14-16" and very aggressive. I have a male about 10" that is very aggressive. this should definitely be a consideration for you.

" " uropthalmus-mayan: some people claim to really like this species, but I'd go for festae over a uro any day.

N. haitiensis-Black Nasty: this would probably be my first choice though they do require a little more care than the others on your list. they are e to bloat and there is no one accepted reason as to the cause. however, I believe the problem is due to improper aeration so if you choose a black nasty then make sure you have power heads or bubble wands to make sure there is plenty of aeration.

with any of these (especially the black nasty) then I'd grow them up in a smaller tank with some dithers and move them to a bigger tank when necessary.

still really going back a & forth with this idea. Thanks everyone for your feedback. I'm still undecided about which guy to get. I have looked at Jeff Rapps online & might go that route. I'll post when I either make a decision or have a little monster as I definitely plan to grow out.

By all means marry; if you get a good wife, you'll be happy. If you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher.
Socrates-
I happen to have become a philosopher