# advise on stocking questions plz.



## CapeKate (Oct 4, 2007)

Hello
after I found out from the great folks here that I had a JD and a Firemouth and not d.cichlids at all, I decided to keep them rather than return them. A week after introducing them, I went out and bought two jewel cichlids to add to the 55g tank with them. A long story short.. the two jewels have been terrorizing the tank and the JD has been pretty well beat up. Hiding from them along with the Firemouth. I plan on returning the jewels tomorrow and would like to get a replacement.
Can anyone tell me what is a good tank companion for the JD and Firemouth? I was thinking of two convicts but am wondering if i will have the same aggression issues that I have now?
My PH is 6.6 btw so I know that I have to find fish that thrive with that PH.
thanks so much, ~ kate


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## rmcder (Jul 9, 2005)

That jd is likely to eventually want the 55 for itself. A male could get to 8-10". It might tolerate the firemouth if they grow up together. Beyond that, I'm not sure you could get away with any others.


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## cage623 (Feb 2, 2008)

This is a 55 right? I don't think you have much room for much else, especially not cichlids. If you went with two cons and they paired off they would take over the entire tank. I think that the JD and firemouth could work it that tank if they are growing up together. You could alway get a raphael cat or pictus.


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## CapeKate (Oct 4, 2007)

thanks... the JD and the Firemouth who are both only about 2 inches at best were in a tank together by themselves at the LFS when I bought them. They seem to be getting along great together, and as you say, since they are growing up together they may get along fine for awhile.
the JD is a female, but I do not know the gender of the firemouth if that matters at all.
My other idea is putting the JD and the firemouth in a 29g by themselves and let them grow out there. Move the inhabitants of the 29 to the 55g. Then when the time comes, move the JD and the Firemouth back to the 55.
I was told that silver dollars would work with the JD and the Firemouth, along with Giant Danio's?
If I kept them all in the 55?
thanks for all your help... I have to make the decision on what to do soon, as Im taking the two Jewels back to the LFS today and looking for an exchange of fish.


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

I agree with everyone! But I do have to add this:



> My PH is 6.6 btw so I know that I have to find fish that thrive with that PH.
> thanks so much, ~ kate


Really PH doesn't matter much any more! A lot of cichlids now are being tank rasied and are extremely tolerable and flexible with tank parameters. More than likely your LFS has close if not the same PH. So really whatever they have you can have. Also a lot of CA's will tolerate that low of PH! I wish my PH was that low! My ph is 8.4 and I have kept and bred Sajica, Texas, Convicts, and Salvini. I have also kept Keyholes in this Ph. And they did fine! So really you dont have to worry about the PH but you have to watch who all can fit in the 55 and be happy.


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## CapeKate (Oct 4, 2007)

CiChLiD LoVeR128 said:


> I agree with everyone! But I do have to add this:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 thanks for the reply. I have always wanted to make sure that the fish I put in my tank, are in as close to possible their native PH. that is why I am only interested in the CA and SA cichlids, since their natural PH is low. I would love to have an African Cichlid tank, but they really do need a much higher PH than 6.6 to really thrive. Your right though, so many now are tank raised and bred to much different levels of PH than their wild relatives, that it makes the issue of being strict on the PH requirements that much less stringent. 
As of now, I brought back the two demon Jewels.. and my little baby JD is not doing so well. He was really beat up pretty bad and lost a fair amount of fins that I think it is affecting her swimming capabilities. She's hanging around the top of the tank and not swimming around a lot. I have API stress coat that I am going to use in tomorrows water change and see if that helps in the healing of the torn fins. I am not buying anymore cichlids at the moment til I know what is going on with her. For now there is just the firemouth and one very large A. rainbow in the 55g tank with the JD. And the JD and Firemouth are only 2 inches in size. At some point I would like to try Keyholes with them and when the time comes I can look forward to upgrading the tank size for them.


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

> thanks for the reply. I have always wanted to make sure that the fish I put in my tank, are in as close to possible their native PH. that is why I am only interested in the CA and SA cichlids, since their natural PH is low. I would love to have an African Cichlid tank, but they really do need a much higher PH than 6.6 to really thrive.


That is very good of you to try and keep them to as close as their native enviornments. That statement and action really shows that you are an excellent aquarist and that you try and do everything in your power to make sure they are happy and healthy! And I salute you for it! I also try to do this! You can keep Africans in this low of ph and they will do just as great! I have kept Kenyi, Auratus, and Electric Yellows and have had fry from the Kenyi for about a year and a half before I got really into CA and SA. Personally I am happy I made the switch! They were cool dont get me wrong but CA's and SA's are MUCH better in every way than Africans! I was actually getting rather bored of keeping Africans.



> At some point I would like to try Keyholes with them and when the time comes I can look forward to upgrading the tank size for them.


Keyholes are VERY awesome fish! The only problem with them is they are not very personable and very shy! You will look in the tank and think to yourself do I have any fish in here? I have tried spawning them but I gave up because I dont have a whole lot of tanks to begin with yet. I didn't really want to wait a year before they MAY spawn. And also I never really got to see them much! However, in the very near future as I get more tanks I will DEFINATELY get them and try spawning and keeping them again! Their colors, nature, and beauty is AMAZING!! :thumb: Many of times here lately I wish I never gave up on them and kept them! And everytime I see a picture of them I just want to go out and find some and try again!


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## CapeKate (Oct 4, 2007)

That is very good of you to try and keep them to as close as their native enviornments. That statement and action really shows that you are an excellent aquarist and that you try and do everything in your power to make sure they are happy and healthy! And I salute you for it! I also try to do this! You can keep Africans in this low of ph and they will do just as great! I have kept Kenyi, Auratus, and Electric Yellows and have had fry from the Kenyi for about a year and a half before I got really into CA and SA. Personally I am happy I made the switch! They were cool dont get me wrong but CA's and SA's are MUCH better in every way than Africans! I was actually getting rather bored of keeping Africans.

Keyholes are VERY awesome fish! The only problem with them is they are not very personable and very shy! You will look in the tank and think to yourself do I have any fish in here? I have tried spawning them but I gave up because I dont have a whole lot of tanks to begin with yet. I didn't really want to wait a year before they MAY spawn. And also I never really got to see them much! However, in the very near future as I get more tanks I will DEFINATELY get them and try spawning and keeping them again! Their colors, nature, and beauty is AMAZING!! :thumb: Many of times here lately I wish I never gave up on them and kept them! And everytime I see a picture of them I just want to go out and find some and try again! [/quote]
Hello again
I have heard that keyholes are shy fish, didnt know they were that shy! I know what you mean by thinking you have an empty tank! lol Once I had a SA bumblebee catfish, that I never saw!
I fellow member on another fish forum where I am a moderator has such beautiful Africans that are forever breeding, she does such a fantastic job and Im sure that she is a member here but I do not know her user name. Anyway, her Keyholes have spawned and I saw some photos of hers and I never realized that they can actually have that gorgeous blue tint on their caudal and pelvic fins. I see that you are raising the Salvani cichlids. They are really gorgeous fish, I have been interested in them as well. I love their markings. Can you tell me a lilttle bit about their behavior and needs etc? My 55g was originally a Discus tank a year ago, and I am down to two now due to poor quality stock and aggression. Between them and the Angel fish that I have had for a year, I have had to do some shuffling around the 3 tanks trying to keep the peace. 
If I were going to go with the keyholes, how many do you think I can keep in that 55g til they get too large? My uprade will be a 75g tank and I will then be able to split up the cichlids between the two tanks when the time comes.
thanks for all your help, I really appreciate it.
~ kate


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

> Anyway, her Keyholes have spawned and I saw some photos of hers and I never realized that they can actually have that gorgeous blue tint on their caudal and pelvic fins. I see that you are raising the Salvani cichlids. They are really gorgeous fish, I have been interested in them as well. I love their markings. Can you tell me a lilttle bit about their behavior and needs etc? My 55g was originally a Discus tank a year ago, and I am down to two now due to poor quality stock and aggression. Between them and the Angel fish that I have had for a year, I have had to do some shuffling around the 3 tanks trying to keep the peace.
> If I were going to go with the keyholes, how many do you think I can keep in that 55g til they get too large? My uprade will be a 75g tank and I will then be able to split up the cichlids between the two tanks when the time comes.


WOW!! Really I would love to see Keyholes spawning colors! Keyholes are very peaceful for cichlids. And they are also considered a dwarf cichlid which means they will only get anywhere from 4-5 in. A 55 gal tank will be more than enough for up to 5 Keyholes. Keyholes dont like to be alone! They like to be with one or more of its own kind. Which is true for a lot of SA fish. WOW!! You have kept Discus! I have heard they are a challenege! But beautiful fish! :thumb:

Salvini don't really have any special requirements. Just the usual variety of foods and frequent water changes as most CA's. Salvini when spawning is like a whole different fish! They are hyper aggressive when spawning! Here's a video of my current Male and his old partner:











My Male









My old Female with fry

Salvini have a lot of personality. They are rather skittish though! But as they become familiar with the enviornment and their owner they can become rather personable with you! At least my Male does. Everytime I step in the room he sees me heads to the side of the tank and swims in circles until I put food in. And I always feel like he knows what I am thinking. Salvini can be very aggressive but if kept as just a single fish it wont be any different than a Convict, Texas, or any other cichlid.


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

Sorry I messed up on the video here this will work!

http://s100.photobucket.com/albums/m20/ ... V01741.flv


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## CapeKate (Oct 4, 2007)

CiChLiD LoVeR128 said:


> Sorry I messed up on the video here this will work!
> 
> http://s100.photobucket.com/albums/m20/ ... V01741.flv


 Hello cichlid_lover,
thanks for sharing the video of your Salvini. It was great, loved how the male was guarding the pot. The female had some beautiful breeding colors on her, or is that red belly a normal color for females? They are very pretty fish, I love the markings on them. 
I would love to have one of those in the tank and also am interested in trying the keyholes as well as they are probably a better size cichlid for the 55g. Im hoping they can be kept with Bolivian rams?
I love the Discus as well, and have kept them for a year. I have a blue Diamond and a pigeon blood. The pigeon blood was sold to me as a solid yellow juvi, over time, Lucy Lemon, became an orange Discus lol.. but the name stuck. The blue diamond was a runt when I bought it an has never really grown well, but the pigeon blood started off tiny and has grown much larger and rounder, shes doing great.
Thanks again for all the helpful information! ~ kate


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

Thanks! Yeah they do have some red bellies. But the red as well as other colors are more vibrant during spawning. The Female you seen there died about a month ago. She really had deep red! The current Female I have doesn't have as much red as she did. But hey! The Female that was in the video left me about 300 fry or so! And I am currently raising them!

Keyholes and Bolivian Rams will go GREAT together! They are both mild in aggression and really look great together!

That is awesome on your Discus! I am planning on trying them in the future!


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## CapeKate (Oct 4, 2007)

CiChLiD LoVeR128 said:


> Thanks! Yeah they do have some red bellies. But the red as well as other colors are more vibrant during spawning. The Female you seen there died about a month ago. She really had deep red! The current Female I have doesn't have as much red as she did. But hey! The Female that was in the video left me about 300 fry or so! And I am currently raising them!
> 
> Keyholes and Bolivian Rams will go GREAT together! They are both mild in aggression and really look great together!
> 
> That is awesome on your Discus! I am planning on trying them in the future!


Hi, that is great news that the rams and the keyholes can go together. I just finished doing a water change in both tanks and moved the JD and FM over to the 29g to use as a grow out tank. Plus the water is not as turbulent there and I think it may help the JD heal, that and the stress coat I added. I moved the blue diamond Discus and the marble Angel fish to the 55g along with 2 bolivians, they are joined now by 2 A. rainbows and 3 cardinal tetras and one unnknown teeny apisto. I turned the hood light out on the 29 and hopefully the JD and FM will not be too stressed by the move. The others are acting like they do this move all the time. LOL, well actually they did live in the 55 before, so they are all fine right now. I have another angel fish, that is a silver. its a shame that the two angels are so aggressive towards each other that I had to separate them. My other discus the Pigeon Blood is so aggressive that it tormented another Discus that I had, so bad, that the stress killed it. So for now, the silver and the pigeon blood are living in a divided 29g tank. Its all I could do.. 'angel' fish sure is not a appropriate name for these cichlids lol...
Well I think that I will have to look for some quality keyholes to add to the community 55. I think it would be great to be able to add them.
Just want to mention that keeping Discus is not as hard as some make it out to be. Its just the constant water changes required and higher temps. Just dont do like I did and make sure you get some quality, healthy Discus to start out with. Tho I loved my lil guys.. I knew they were stunted, and runts and unfortunatly sometimes with the best care, they are not able to over come that.
Im so sorry to hear that you lost the female keyhole in the vid. She sure was gorgeous, but happy to hear she left you with a brood to raise! :thumb:


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

> Im so sorry to hear that you lost the female keyhole in the vid. She sure was gorgeous, but happy to hear she left you with a brood to raise!


I know this is a typo but it was Salvini not Keyhole :wink: ! :lol:

Yeah I am too! I hope the Females in this batch turn out just like her! Than I will have replicas of her and in a way have her back again! I really do miss her  ! We both shared a great bond together! And the same with the Female in the 40 gal who decided to jump out one day..........this is the other Female I had.










I really was upset when I found the one dead on floor. And I was also upset when I found my other Female dead in the tank. They were both a week seperate from each other!  .

I am sorry I feel like I am hijacking your thread........ 

That setup though in will work GREAT!! I want to see pics of it when you find the Keyholes if you want!!


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## CapeKate (Oct 4, 2007)

Hi Cichlid_Lover...
Nooo I dont feel like you hijacked my thread lol.. IF it was someone else's then yah.. :wink: 
But I started the thread so I think that is ok. :thumb: 
yes, it was a typo.. I had keyholes on the brain lol... Your female Salvini in the photo is absolutely gorgeous. I really wouldnt mind seeing one of those in my tank someday. Like you, i do get attached to the fish I keep. They all have their own unique personalities and I really enjoy watching them. Im really sorry to hear of the way you lost your female. I would have felt devastated if I found one of mine on the floor as well.  
Good luck on your new brood that you are raising and I wish you success with them!  
*** enjoyed 'chatting' with you and thanks so much for your help!
~ kate


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

Ok good! Yeah I thought that was the case lol :lol:! Thanks very much! I wish you success with your setups as well!!  I have enjoyed chatting with you as well! Not a problem! Take care!


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