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I have my Texan in with a Midas, Convict, Turq Jewel and Golden Gourami (if you can believe it) in a 70 gallon tank.

Although there is occasional fireworks, they have learned to get along.

It makes for interesting feeding times.

I wouldn't change them for the world

None of the true big boys will fit in a 55g but some of the medium sized ones will be good. Blue acaras and Green sevs are the 2 that come to mind.

Beside the dovii, the only other sa/ca I would keep would be the red shoulder severn

A Severum or a pair of firemouths would be cool.

are blue acaras and GT's realativly easy to keep?

72 gallon bowfront:Tanganyikan Lake set up
75 gallon: A. Baenschi trio,Cyanotilapia Afra Cobwe(4), copadichromis trewavase, protomelas sp. tangerine tiger(breeding pair)

GT'get too big for a 55g but blue acaras would be good. Blue acaras are very easy to care for. One blue acara and severum would be perfect for a 55g plus some dithers and bottom feeders.

Well I purchased a GT, a gold severum and a texas. Dont tell me to get rid of them, as this is what I want, and will be changing and figuring out what I want to do from here. thanks for all your help. Oh and I am getting a blue acara, they just didnt have any instock at the time

72 gallon bowfront:Tanganyikan Lake set up
75 gallon: A. Baenschi trio,Cyanotilapia Afra Cobwe(4), copadichromis trewavase, protomelas sp. tangerine tiger(breeding pair)

Ok, slightly reviewing what i want. I think my severum will be too docile for the tank, will replace in a few days with a different cichlid, perhaps convict or acara, or something else... demon eartheater?

72 gallon bowfront:Tanganyikan Lake set up
75 gallon: A. Baenschi trio,Cyanotilapia Afra Cobwe(4), copadichromis trewavase, protomelas sp. tangerine tiger(breeding pair)

The GT and Texas would already be sorta pushing it. Its probably best to keep just these two and knock up your filtration a notch, as well as water changes.

That Texas is going to make hell. Both of mine I've had were extremely mean and agressive.

Ok, as most of you know, i thought about frontosas, but its out of my league, for now... muwahahaha. Tell me about the easy to find big boys of the cichlid world that can work with a 55 gallon. GTs, acaras, midas, etc etc.. im calling all you cichlid fans, what can I do?

72 gallon bowfront:Tanganyikan Lake set up
75 gallon: A. Baenschi trio,Cyanotilapia Afra Cobwe(4), copadichromis trewavase, protomelas sp. tangerine tiger(breeding pair)

How old are they. I see tanks all the time like these and people always say that they get along, but the fish are all juveniles. They won't tell you how many fish they've lost to agression either before that.

The texan and red devil are now just under 2 years old, the gourami is about five, the convict about 6 months old, and the jewel I am not sure, but based on size, I would say 2 as well.

In the process, I have lost lots of fish to acheive this balance.

I agree that as they grow, they will duke it out, but that's all part of the learning process and experience for me.

I'm just curious to see who will be left in the end. The texan by far has the meanest attitude, but that convict is tough.

What sizes are they. That tells the most

Size doesn't always tell the most as it very much dependent on what and how often you feed your fish.
If I were to feed beef heart to my Texan twice a day as opposed to flakes and pellets once a week, his size would be a lot different.

Size does play a big role in terms of aggression and my Midas was a real jerk until I put a slightly bigger Texan in with him.

All that said:
Texan is 8 inches
Midas is 8 inches
Convict is 4 inches
Jewel is 6 inches
Gourami is 6 inches

As a first CA/SA Cichlid I'd recommned the Firemouth. Small by the usual standards of this particular group of fishes, colourful, and probably a good deal less militant than some of the other well known names when it comes to internecine warfare over territory. Of course, if you want a psychotic demon, there are two small choices, namely Cichlasoma salvini, and the utterly ferocious Neetroplus nematopus, the latter known to many aquarists as the "Poor man's Tropheus" because it shares a body colouration with the Tangnyikan Tropheus duboisi but costs a LOT less to buy!

I'd stick with Firemouths and less militant speciesw though as your first Cichlids. Even veterans can sometimes be caught off guard by the ferocity of salvinis and the evil Neetroplus!

If you can find the species that used to be labelled Cichlasoma cutteri in the old Innes book (which is going to involve you in an interesting logistical search to put it mildly!) then this is a CA/SA Cichlid that is reputed to have almost none of the combative traits that are familiar to owners of Convicts and Dempseys.

Once you have the space to move on to something more ambitious, I'd still leave the likes of Green Terrors and Festaes alone for the time being, and cut your teeth on something a little less rabid. However, even the supposedly less militant species can, at times, become fractious. Usually because they're used to having more space in the wild than they can obtain in all but the largest of home aquaria (and even then some species have demands that outpace all but a colossal home - dovii being a prime example). Remember, Cichlids have a simple solution to any perceived overcrowding, namely eliminate the competition. The bigger ones will generally see off the smaller ones, although in a mixed species aquarium this isn't always true - the evil Neetroplus I mentioned above will, in a mixed aquarium, take on fishes twice its own size utterly fearlessly when breeding! Basically, when breeding, a pair of these fishes will effectively plonk their eggs down on their chosen spawning site, and dare the other aquarium occupants to do something about it ... (eek).

In a 55, I'd recommend Firemouths because they're a compact size, only moderately bad tempered (and even then usually as a result of overcrowding) and put on a stunning colour display when courting and mating. Stay away from the psychotic species for the time being unless you're going in with your eyes well and truly open, and you have the facilities to intervene when the inevitable combat breaks out!


Last edited by Calilasseia at 17-Sep-2005 00:02

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

ok hold on. this is going to become a fire ground of opinions. he isnt even the original question in this thread, its mine! anywho. I have firemouths what will be going in to that tank! I am going to give the little ones a while to get beefed up, high protien foods and then the firemouths will go in there. I am also adding rock, for hiding places, but not to the extent of a african tank. Which i have had experiences with. Now for my next questions:
If i keep the green terror what other fish can i central around it?
If i keep the gold severum what other fish can i central around it?
if i keep the texas cichlid what other fish can i central around it?

I have until tuesday to decide. then i am also getting an acara or 2, ...


please also, i have a lot of experiences with cichlids, and i know how they act, i am more or less looking for what you guys think would eb good combinations, not a small lecture on how fish act please.

Last edited by Tanya81 at 17-Sep-2005 09:23

72 gallon bowfront:Tanganyikan Lake set up
75 gallon: A. Baenschi trio,Cyanotilapia Afra Cobwe(4), copadichromis trewavase, protomelas sp. tangerine tiger(breeding pair)

In that case Tanya, if you already have a lot of experience, you could go with the salvini or Neetroplus nematopus if you want a challenge!

However, even if you *do* have a lot of Cichlid experience, you'll find these two can surprise you with their willingness to engage in sabre rattling, and in some cases, far less pleasant activity too. However, in mitigation, both of these species are resplendent in breeding colours and excellent parents.

If your current residence for the Cichlids is a 55, I'd steer clear of the Green Terror and the Texas Cichlid principally because of their adult size. These guys need a 125 gallon as a minimum, and that's for one fish. If you want several of them, you're looking at a very large setup if you want to mitigate their compative tendencies, especially with the Green Terrors. My personal recommendation for six juvenile Green Terrors would be a 12ft aquarium. If you think that's excessive, bear in mind they can hit 11 inches and are utterly ruthless at 'solving the overcrowding problem'. Once maturity looms on the horizon, these fellows can display a stupendous degree of pugnacity. As for Festaes, well they're utterly psychotic - I witnessed a troupe of about 16 juveniles, only an inch or so long, in a dealer aquarium, and they were at each other hammer and tongs even at that size. I dread to think what their adult behaviour would be like ...


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Did you try considering what people have said..

"GT'get too big for a 55g but blue acaras would be good. Blue acaras are very easy to care for. One blue acara and severum would be perfect for a 55g plus some dithers and bottom feeders."

Which doesnt mean add a blue acara just because it would be okay in a 55 gallon.

"The GT and Texas would already be sorta pushing it. Its probably best to keep just these two and knock up your filtration a notch, as well as water changes.

And yet you are still planning to add more fish...

"please also, i have a lot of experiences with cichlids, and i know how they act, i am more or less looking for what you guys think would eb good combinations, not a small lecture on how fish act please."

If you have so much expierience and know how they act..why would you not be able to pick out suitable tank mates yourself? It seems like your only taking information that you would like to hear..

We already told your combination isnt a great choice..