# 150G - Stock Ideas Please!!



## tediumsdream (Feb 4, 2003)

Hi All,

I'm setting up my 150G soon and I'd really like some stock ideas.

I'm looking for really colorful CA's that will tolerate eachother but I know this is a tough request.

Can anything get along with an escondido, festae, or maculicauda?

The more activity the better but I also don't want fighting/injured fish..

Maybe one adult of the above and smaller Convicts?

Thanks for any help!

John


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## trimac (Mar 27, 2003)

Actually I would try those three-but make sure your Festae is female - those three would really look awesome!


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## trimac (Mar 27, 2003)

Male convict or even a Sal is possible!


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## tediumsdream (Feb 4, 2003)

Ah so a male festae would be a problem huh - too bad I like the males more than the females.

I don't want to have to experiment too much with this tank since the LFS's around here don't take in any fish and interested private hobbyists are hard to find. (Long Island)

You don't think there would be an aggression problem between those three?

If not I'd love to try it with some dithers just to mix up the crowd.

Thanks!

John


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## trimac (Mar 27, 2003)

Here's a few pointers
1. Male Festae can reach 16-20 inches and are a lot more aggressive than females.
2. Females grow slower and are tolerant of tankmates
3. Both Escondido and Black Belt have the same temperment and in the past I have successfully had these fish together.
4. The key is to get them small and at the same time
6. Another would be to have a lot of caves! I mean a lot! Check out my tank shot and you will get an idea.
You may want to get dithers, perhaps Silver Dollars that way your fish aren't that shy and your tank won't look bare.


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## tediumsdream (Feb 4, 2003)

The more I think about it the more I'm leaning toward getting a juvie male Festae and watching him grow up to be a brute.

I'm still undecided because I really wanted more cichlid interaction in this tank but it seems 150G isn't quite big enough to have a relatively peaceful environment without aggression and chasing.

Trimac, do your fish have ripped up fins or tails?

Has anyone had any experience with male Festae?

Are they a cool fish to keep solo like a Midas?

Thanks!

John


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## trimac (Mar 27, 2003)

Yes at the beginning-it is odd because (my fish atleast) were more aggressive as juvies it wasn't til they either reached 10 inches or after 2 years that they got used to each other and the aggression was like cut in half! Weird because most folks fish show more aggression as they age but in my 20 plus years of having cichlids it is the total opposite-I guess they get accustomed to one another?


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## tediumsdream (Feb 4, 2003)

This might be a silly question, but when fish get their tails and fins nipped on do they grow back perfectly or do they pretty much always have imperfections?

I ask because I tried growing out 2" grammodes, GT, and escondido in a 90G a few years back and the GT took a chomp out of the escondidos right fin, and it forever stayed bent.

This is something I definitely want to avoid in my new tank since that bent fin bothered me to no end :x

John


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## trimac (Mar 27, 2003)

Funny you say that 90% the fins grow back nicely but every now and then the fin never grows back had a Dovii lose a small piece of its dorsal fin and for 5-6 years it never grew back.


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