# Small schoolinh tankmates for Acarichthys heckelii



## the_evil_dickfeldi (Feb 17, 2006)

Hi I'd just like to know what kind of small schooling fishes could safely be kept(As adults) with an almost full-grown Acarichthys heckelli, and after the heckelii has reached full size.

Some I have thought about are;

Emperor tetras
X-ray tetras
Beckford's pencilfish(I like these; I've had some that spawned in PH8.2 Tanganika water...But I won't be doing that again of course!)
Dwarf neon rainbowfish
Bleeding heart tetras
Rosy tetra
Blue tetra(No idea on size though)

Some other things to be considered are;

Not to timid; the heckelii probably won't attack them if they're large enough but if they are afraid of him then they wouldn't work out on their part
Won't nip the long trailers that are signature of the heckelii
Good eaters  
Good color(I know black or red eye tetras could work out in terms of size but I don't like them colors....sorry fans  )

I hope somebody could help me  I have to think it well over before putting into action....Not many opportunities to buy fish.

Ted


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

i have no experience with heckeli but i love x rays. good color, active, school fairly well. im gonna add a large school with my severums. one idea i had... get a large school with both xrays and albino xrays (they have them at my lfs). i think it will be cool to have a school with all the same fish but half albino. i hope they still school together.

sorry i got away from your particular fish, but i vote xrays.


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## the_evil_dickfeldi (Feb 17, 2006)

Thanks for the quickly reply. I do love x-rays(Size, color, all) but as they are most common of the lot, I'd first try to get more knowledge on other species first.

Could any of the fist I listed eat NLS 1mm cichlid pellets? Because that's the staple of my heckell's diet, and of course they need to thrive by eatring it.

Ted


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## ikongoni (Apr 29, 2004)

Fed with a regular supplement of Red Mosquito Lavae, the Serpae Tetra colours up superbly.

These are without a shadow of a doubt the toughest Tetra that I have ever kept, and I would fancy them to not be intimidated by any other fish.

In my experience they 'school' in a different way to other Tetra too. 
Whereas other Tetra will swim in a jumbled group, the Serpae actually swim in single file.... :fish:


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## the_evil_dickfeldi (Feb 17, 2006)

Serpae's are one of my least favorite fish......Sorry  I just don't like them. And I heard they can be fin nippers.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

I'd go with the bleeding hearts on that list ... large enough to never worry about being eaten even with a full size heckeli, and fast. Not known for fin nipping either like the blue tetras or sepraes. Emperor's don't really school, and pristellas and the pencilfish don't get large enough. The dwarf neons rainbows would be second on the list.


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## DirtyBlackSocks (Jan 24, 2008)

praecox rainbows are one of my favorites


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

I agree *DBS*, one of the few dithers I'd do in multiple tanks ... just not sure if they are durable enough for a 12" pushy heckeli ... and they are spendy enough I probably wouldn't try it. But I've only kept them with dwarves thus far. Have you tried them with bigger cichlids yet out of curiousity? I know larger rainbows can handle themselves with larger centrals ...


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

what about some higher bodied barbs like tigers? i personally hate tiger barbs, they harass everything in the tank, but a heckelii wouldnt blink at them.

also, what about black skirts or black phantom tetras? i think congos are good too. just throwing things out there.


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## DirtyBlackSocks (Jan 24, 2008)

I've never had a problem with praecox and I've kept them in a 40 gallon with breeding convicts before - they're good dither/target fish, very fast and active. The males would even shimmy at the convicts in the mornings to challenge em'.

Don't know about a 12" fish, but honestly if I were going with dithers for somthing over 6" I'd go with the regular old T-Barb or Silver Dollars.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

Tiger bards and black skirts are nippers, wouldn't trust the trailers on the heckeli with them. Black phantoms would work, but like cooler temps (74-76) than the heckeli (80ish). Congos should work if the tank is long enough.


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## PsYcHoTiC_MaDmAn (Dec 26, 2005)

congo tetras, Phenacogrammus interruptus, big enough not to be worried by the heckelli, and not fin nippers. and they get fantastic colours when their settled in and happy.

obviously not biotope correct.



dwarfpike said:


> Congos should work if the tank is long enough.


well if its big enough for fully grown heckelli, then it should be big enough for congos.

for a more biotope correct choice. consider silver dollars and red hooks. peaceful sp, though they get big, and will destroy your plants


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## the_evil_dickfeldi (Feb 17, 2006)

Wow. Thanks for all the replies! I guess dwarf rainbows or Congos would be my best bet. I really love bleeding hearts, but they're rare here. I'm trying to find some though. If not, I'll go with either the rainbows or the congos :thumb:

And as I love plants.....Silver dollars are out of the list.... :lol:

Right now I keep my heckelii with a Satanoperca leucosicita and 6 hybird OB/jacobfreibergi peacock fry.....He doesn't pay the slightest attention to the fry, which are small enough to fit in his mouth.....But he chases the eartheater which makes me think try adding dither fish and if that doesn't work remove him. It also locks me onto this new question; why is he so aggresive towards the Satanoperca? He isn't the same species, and as of right now they have plently of space. He never chased any other cichlid, even a smaller heckelii, which led me to think he could live with the leucosicita....I was wrong 

Ted


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## the_evil_dickfeldi (Feb 17, 2006)

Oh yeah forgot.....WHat do you think about the spotted headstander, Chilodus punctatus? Not for dither fish, but as unusual tankmates? DO you think it could be okay? Or would there be problems?


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## DirtyBlackSocks (Jan 24, 2008)

Headstander's are most comfortable sitting still and...headstanding or whatever they do...think you might run into a problem with the tank mates stressing them into schooling constnatly rather than displaying their normal behavior.


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## the_evil_dickfeldi (Feb 17, 2006)

Oh I see......Thanks. Now I'll see if I'm going to keep my polypterus senegalus. If he stays, Congos. If he goes, dwarf neons. Bleeding heart aren't anywhere! 

Ted


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