# got a mixed CA/SA tank... need help setting up my tank.



## purita (Jan 19, 2011)

i'm a newbie for this one.
here's the list of my fishes:
-vieja Zonatum
-vieja regani
-jack dempsey
-texas
-firemouth
-salvini
-golden severum
-******* severum
-green terror

any comment or suggestion about my line up?

these are still "baby" fishes and they're getting a bit overcrowded now on my 4ft x 18in x 20in tank. i would also like to ask what size of tank do i they need so that they won't be overcrowded?

thanks a lot.


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

-vieja Zonatum 
-vieja regani 
-jack dempsey 
-texas 
-firemouth 
-salvini 
-golden severum 
-******* severum 
-green terror

That's a heck of a list... Are you sure you want to know how big of a tank you'll need to keep all of them long term? I can almost predict what will happen if the tank is not large enough or set up properly...

Long term I would say a tank with a footprint of atleast 10'x3'

Here are the trouble makers:
-vieja Zonatum 
-vieja regani 
-texas 
-salvini 
-green terror

If any one of these is male it's going to be a challenge...

The others can hold their own but usually will not start trouble. More than likely you're going to have a few males in this mix. Foot print and layout of decor is crucial. You're going to need to have many breaks in line of site to succeed.

Are there any you're willing to get rid of?

Typically when a community is put together you want the fish to have differing morphological looks. This will help with aggression. To put it simply you don't want cichlids that look like each other in shape or color.

The texas,GT and JD are all similar, the two severums are similar, the two vieja are similar. I'd pick your favorite ONE from those three groups and keep it. Sell or re-home the others.

It'd leave you with a list something like this for example:

-vieja regani 
-jack dempsey 
-firemouth 
-salvini 
-******* severum

The regani would be the "center piece" fish growing the largest and the others will fall in line after. THis is a much more manageable group... But still impressive...


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## cichlid_kid96 (Nov 22, 2010)

i dont know much about the vieja but with those fish i would say maybe an 8 foot tank because the severums are pretty peaceful but its all about the personality of the fish u could get lucky and it could work in a 6 foot tank. my severum can actually be pretty mean sometimes.


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## cichlid_kid96 (Nov 22, 2010)

i would have to agree with tfg his was wrote while i was writing mine but i wasnt sure how big the vieja get.


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## purita (Jan 19, 2011)

oh wow... im planning to get an 8ft tank. would that b ok? i dont wanna get rid of any 1 of them cos i love them all. huhuhu. if i had no other option, maybe il get rid of some.

JD is the most troublesome in my case...
zonatum would be the "center piece" cos he's the biggest. (5in.)
i think salvini and firemouth looks the same though.

cichlid_kid96 - viejas can be as huge as 14 ft. whew.


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## purita (Jan 19, 2011)

by the way, i also have a lot of driftwood in my tank for them to hide on.


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## purita (Jan 19, 2011)

*TheFishGuy*
*TheFishGuy*
gt has the biggest appetite of all. i would also like to ask, which would you recommend, pebbles or sand?


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## cichlid_kid96 (Nov 22, 2010)

8 foot tank would be ok for a while maybe it will work in the long run usually fish do better together if they are raised together. i wouldnt get anymore though. i wish you the best of luck do u have any pics u can post


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## cichlid_kid96 (Nov 22, 2010)

sand is always the best way to go with cichlids and its so fun to watch them move it around and sift through it


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## purita (Jan 19, 2011)

*cichlid_kid96*
ill try to post some pics... now i have pebbles and i siphon the dirt once in a while. how do you clean the sand?


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## purita (Jan 19, 2011)




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## cichlid_kid96 (Nov 22, 2010)

oh thats a herichthys carpintis (pearlscale cichlid or green texas) those arent quite as aggressive or as large as a texas cichlid. you got some beautiful fish. love the severum and the fish next to the jd in pic number 2


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## cichlid_kid96 (Nov 22, 2010)

o and to clean the sand just on the siphon hose about an inch from the sand. sometimes u have to move the sand around to get the poop lol. its actually IMO easier than cleaning rocks


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## cichlid_kid96 (Nov 22, 2010)

where is the green terror


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Your herichthys is a female... So that's good, she'll stay smaller. 
Green texas can grow to every bit as big as cyanoguttalatus. 
Sand or gravel is purely your choice. They do not care. I have a mix of both in my three display tanks.

You'll probably be good for about a year in an 8' tank.


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## purita (Jan 19, 2011)

cichlid_kid96 said:


> oh thats a herichthys carpintis (pearlscale cichlid or green texas) those arent quite as aggressive or as large as a texas cichlid. you got some beautiful fish. love the severum and the fish next to the jd in pic number 2


i think that's vieja zonatum.


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## purita (Jan 19, 2011)

cichlid_kid96 said:


> where is the green terror


it's not here in the yet. it's in the other tank when i took this pic. ill just get a new photo after i set up the 8ft...


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## purita (Jan 19, 2011)

TheFishGuy said:


> Your herichthys is a female... So that's good, she'll stay smaller.
> Green texas can grow to every bit as big as cyanoguttalatus.
> Sand or gravel is purely your choice. They do not care. I have a mix of both in my three display tanks.
> 
> You'll probably be good for about a year in an 8' tank.


thanks... ill just try them in the new 8ft x 2 ft x 2 ft tank. we'll see what happens... :-? will also try sand.


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## cichlid_kid96 (Nov 22, 2010)

sweet cant wait to see pics of that lol


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## purita (Jan 19, 2011)

thanks for all the comments and suggestions guys. really appreciate it.


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

I've also got a 240... Try and set up three obvious territories and literally split the tank in three by using decor... I still think you will have issues in the near future. As long as you keep an eye on them and have other tanks that fish can be moved to you'll be fine. And remember, always remove the aggressor...


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## purita (Jan 19, 2011)

here's my new line up for my 8' tank...

vieja zonatum 8" 
oscar 7" 
metae 
firemouth 
texas 
honduran red point 
severum 
t bar

i wonder i that's ok or overcrowded...


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## luluxiu (Aug 2, 2011)

Thats a herichthys carpintis who arent very aggressive or as big bream, Texas. You have some beautiful fish. Love severum fish next to the "Joint Statement" and PIC number 2...


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## clekchau (Jul 24, 2011)

hmm


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