# 225 gallon population



## Zombie Cichlid (Jun 26, 2012)

Hello,
What do you think of this population for a 225 gallon fish tank?
How about my tank mate choices? are they all compatibles with one another?
What issues i might face long term?
I've been keeping them together for over a year now and so far so good but i wonder if it'll be OK once they are all at their full adult size.
Thanks for your help.

*Tank information:*

Tank: 225 gallons
Canisters: 2 x FX5 (they filter 400 gallons each, so 800 gallons total, which means i'm over filtering the tank)
Others: 2 x E300 and 3 x air pumps working 12/24 and 1 x UV lamp connected directly to one of the FX5 and on 24/24.
Favorite snack: Bloodworns (dry and frozen)
Regular food: Hikari cichlid gold floating and sinking medium pellets.
Water: Changes 40% once a week, no nitrite, no nitrate and ph stable.
Temperature: 27 Celsius degrees.
Video: 




*Population:*

1 Electric Blue Jack Dempsey 
1 Red Spotted Gold Severum
1 Short Body Flowerhorn
1 Short Body Red Devil
1 Tiger Oscar
3 Blood Parrot
2 Geophagus Jurupari
2 Geophagus Surinamensis
1 Cobitis Taenia (Spined Loach)
1 Erpetoichthys Calabaricus (Ropefish)
2 Polypterus Senegalus (Bichir)
1 Polypterus Ornatipinnis (Ornate Bichir)
1 Pimelodus Blochii
1 Striped Raphael
1 Spotted Raphael
1 Leopard (L 083)
1 Candy Striped (L 015)


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## metricliman (Sep 3, 2012)

You have no nitrate? Also, I think you have too many bottom feeders in the tank. What are the dimensions?


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## Zombie Cichlid (Jun 26, 2012)

No nitrate, almost 0.
Dimension is standard for a 225 gallon tank.


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## dsouthworth (Sep 7, 2011)

The case of a fully cycled tank with 0ppm nitrate if extremely rare. 
Make sure the test kit is still good and that you're shaking the bottles enough.


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## Zombie Cichlid (Jun 26, 2012)

Ok. So, is there anyone who kept those fish together and had problems?
I'm more concern about aggression among cichlids when they are all grown up to their adult size.
Are those fishes compatible with one another?


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

Zombie Cichlid said:


> Ok. So, is there anyone who kept those fish together and had problems?
> I'm more concern about aggression among cichlids when they are all grown up to their adult size.
> Are those fishes compatible with one another?


I think it likely depends on how similar a short bodied red devil is to a regular RD/midas, as well as how similar a short bodied FH is to some of the Trimac and RD/Midas based FH's.
If they have similar temperment, the odds of long term success are definately very much against you with this stock.

IME, severums can do fine for a few years with RD/midas (and other very aggressive CA).....but eventually the tank gets too rough and they start to get picked on excessively. My experience is in a 6 ft. 180 gal. 45 more gallons is not insignificant, but I beleive your tank is the very same foot print as a 180, so not so different when it comes to stocking.

"G". jurupari (Satanoperca jurupari) and other Geophagus, IME, did not fare well with aggressive CA. Never even had short term success with these fish.....did not last; never grew them to adult size. The only "Geophagus" I have ever had any long term success with, was "G". brasiliensis.....and I can't say it always did well in a tank with Trimac or RD/midas.

Oscars are very hit and miss with aggressive CA. Especially growing up, they often tend to get pushed around. Sometimes they work out well......but not unusal for them to get picked on excessively.

Never owned a EBJD. From what I read, and understand they tend to be sort of fragile and less aggressive then a regular JD. No first hand experience with the strain.....though from what i understand, less likely to fare well with aggressive CA then a regular JD. Blood parrots, again, no first hand experience with these fishes.....but from what I see on the internet they are stocked in all kinds of tanks  Ropefish is another I have never owned...though from what i understand it is very timid, even when it comes to eating, so may not be a good choice with most cichlids. Lot's of people have kept bichirs sucessfully in CA community tanks....though i have never kept one myself.

A raphael is a good bet. Virtually industructible, and stays out of the way.

I would say, If either of your SB RD or SB FH prove to be too aggressive at some point in time ( or by chance, some other fish)..... removing them might be a simple solution.


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## Zombie Cichlid (Jun 26, 2012)

BC in SK, thank you for your very complete answer and your time.
Actually, i've already kept a regular red devil and a regular flowerhorn and they were maniacs, fish killers. I loved them but i had to give them up so i could build a new different and diverse population.
The short bodies are not that aggressive, they have temperaments similar to blood parrots.
I've been keeping this tank for a year and the dominant is the EBJD, than the Red spotted Severum, than the Oscar and than the parrots and short bodies.
The ropefish is very chill but it eats a lot and has no problems doing so. It's 13 inches long and growing.
The Geophagus run one after the other (that concerns me a little) but not after other cichlids. And other cichlids ignore them as they are not seen as a threat.
Do you think that removing 2 geophagus and 1 blood parrot and adding a short body texas might work?
Thanks again for your help.


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

Zombie Cichlid said:


> The short bodies are not that aggressive, they have temperaments similar to blood parrots.


Sounds like you have pretty good chance, then, of your tank working out well. Not familiar with any of the short bodied, but was of the notion that they were similar, temperment wise, to their regular bodied cousins. So I couldn't say anything about a SB texas  
But I can say, IME, that temperments and CA community tanks can change a lot, over time. IME, alot of cichlids will actually mellow as they become much older.....with the exception of major rivalries, such as that between 2 male CA cichlids. As it ages, IME, fish often becomes more mellow towards most of their tankmates, but focus even more attention on a major rival.......to the point were one of the rivals eventually has to be removed or gets killed. Of course odds are always a lot better for 2 CA males of the less aggressive species tolerating each other over the long term.


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## Zombie Cichlid (Jun 26, 2012)

I've decided to drop 2 x geophagus and 1 x blood parrot.

Here's the final population:

Electric Blue Jack Dempsey 7"
Red Spotted Gold Severum 7"
Tiger Oscar 5"
Short Body Flowerhorn 5"
Short Body Red Devil 4"
Blood Parrot 5"
Red Parrot 5"
Geophagus Jurupari 7"
Geophagus Surinamensis 7"
Polypterus Senegalus (Bichir) 9"
Polypterus Senegalus (Bichir) 6"
Polypterus Ornatipinnis (Ornate Bichir) 5"
Erpetoichthys Calabaricus (Ropefish) 12"
Cobitis Taenia (Spined Loach) 6"
Pimelodus Blochii 11"
Striped Raphael 6"
Spotted Raphael 4"
Leopard (L 083) 13"
Candy Striped (L 015) 5"

Could I add a last cichlid? which one would you recommend?
I'd like one with an Oscar personality and with an EBJD colours.


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## Zombie Cichlid (Jun 26, 2012)

I've decided to add a firemouth and a red neck severum and i sold a blood parrot, a geophagus jurupari and a geophagus surinamensis.


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## Zombie Cichlid (Jun 26, 2012)

Well, after 1 month searching and trying i've decided the final population:


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