# 125 "Re-stocking" compatibility suggestions



## truckpoetry (Sep 28, 2004)

Hi there -

I'm about to move my 125 (we're moving houses, and it's coming with me) and I'm changing some of the fish out in the process - I had previously built the whole selection around a V. Synispilum male who recently died, and along the way, I've added a JD whom I am a huge fan of, and keeping. So, what I'm looking for is ideas on what to add to the tank once I remove the female synispilums & my pair of nics and my dithers & a catfish - all of whom will vanish off to the LFS during the move. This leaves the tank with:

1 pleco - 12"
1 male JD - about 5-6"
1 male pink convict - about 4-5"
2 firemouths - have not spawned in 4 years - presuming both M or both F - unless someone knows how I can sex them visually - they're 3-4" each

Thinking about the following as I think the con/JD can handle more aggro than my V. Synispilum could tolerate, but only getting 1 of each to avoid mating/spawning aggression (which has been a problem from the nics):
Midas?
Green Terror?
Texas Cichlid?
Some var. of Oscar??? (I used to keep oscars as wet pets in a solo 75g, but never tried mixing them with anything)

Also thinking of replacing the giant danios I have become bored with as dithers with (possibly a combo of):
Silver dollars
Buenos Aires tetras
Colombian tetras
Black tetras

at which point I am sure I will be overstocked after growout and have to return some more... Just soliciting thoughts...

Also concerned with what I can get that can handle my current inhabitants since they're all about 3 years old and relatively large...

Thanks!
Cameron


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## NZSIC'S (Apr 30, 2013)

truckpoetry said:


> 2 firemouths - have not spawned in 4 years - presuming both M or both F - unless someone knows how I can sex them visually - they're 3-4" each


Pictures of Male (more elongated/pointy fins)



















Picture of Female


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## truckpoetry (Sep 28, 2004)

Thanks - definitely think I have 2 Males...


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## truckpoetry (Sep 28, 2004)

Yup - definitely male. Hope the image works...


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## truckpoetry (Sep 28, 2004)

OK - so I've done some research and eliminated the Midas - albeit pretty, it just doesn't look like it would be a good fit for anything smaller than maybe a 180 with this many other fish.

So, that leaves me here.

Base set of fish I'm bringing with me are (with revised measurements):

Male Jack Dempsey - 7-8"
2x Male Firemouth - 3-4" each
Male Pink Convict - 5"
Pleco - 12"

Adding a small school of Buenos Aires Tetras & considering 3 Silver Dollars.

Then the question: Out of the following, which 2 would make a good combo to add:
Green Terror
Texas
Green Texas
Oscar (Thinking Red Oscar or Lemon Oscar)
Severum (Red or Turquoise)

I also thought about Rainbows or Salvinis, but I really want another big'un...

Thoughts thoughts?


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## Murrayjane (May 16, 2013)

I would definitely recommend the Green Terror, and Green Texas of the list you provided and based on your current setup. Just beware that adding both will likely overstock it later down the line. Alternatively, you could add a few Oscars, but they are very messy and grow exceedingly large. Salvinis are great too.

I would advise you to keep an eye on your Firemouths to ensure that they don't take too much abuse, they hide a lot and sometimes it becomes hard to tell.

A school of Silver Dollars act as good target fish.

Good luck!


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## dstuer (Mar 27, 2013)

At some point (depending on what size you get the oscar), it will eat the Buenos Aires tetras. 
I would also caution on the Herichthys carpintus, they can be exceedingly aggressive with age, especially if you get an alpha male. A female might work as far as aggressiveness goes. You can tell females from males in many Central American cichlids in a similar manner (firemouths and carpintus included).
Females have a dark blotch in the dorsal fin. Note that neither of your firemouths present it.
An obvious example is this female C nanoluteus.

below is a female carpintus

a male


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## truckpoetry (Sep 28, 2004)

Hey - thanks for the info! This is really helpful.

What I'd really like is to find a way to get some orange/red into the mix - hence I was looking at the Severum or Oscar as a south american way to get some white/red/orange in there instead of more blue/green/gray - hence the original thought of the Midas or Red Devil to stay relatively CA with it, but I dunno, and with the size of the Midas, I don't think a potentially 16" fish will work.

Might get enough of that from the tetras/silver dollars that I'm good. We will see.

I am pretty sold on getting a Green Terror for one of the two - what the second one is, I dunno.

Again, thanks for the info - I figured that an Oscar (or maybe the jack or the others) would chow on the tetras if they could catch them - collateral damage I figured.

Thanks again and let me know if you have more thoughts/suggestions for me - will probably get some fish this week or so.


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## truckpoetry (Sep 28, 2004)

OK made a decision over the weekend - got a Green Terror and a Gold Red Spotted Severum and a few Colombian Tetras for a small dither school... We will see how it goes.

Pics of the new guys:


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## mlancaster (Jul 24, 2009)

Hi truckpoetry,

From what I can see I like how your tank is decorated. Could you please provide a more pulled back image? What type of substrate are you using?

Thanks,
Matt


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## truckpoetry (Sep 28, 2004)

See if this works...










Substrate is Black Tahitian Moon Sand, washed. I have lots of river rock down there too.

Sadly, my Pink Con got his face torn up and he died - I think trying to lip lock battle with my Jack. Otherwise everyone else is ok...


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## mlancaster (Jul 24, 2009)

Hi truckpoetry,

Your tank looks great; I really like the way you 'scaped it. Thank you for posting the image.

Thanks,
Matt


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