# Tankmates for Rotkeil Pair



## ktluvsfish (Jan 13, 2008)

I am contemplating getting a female mate for my Male Rotkeil severum in my 80 gallon tank. I currently have two keyholes, a blue acara, a convict, a juvie male turquoise severum and a school of rainbows in the tank with him. I would plan on removing the keyholes, convict, and turquoise severum. Would I be okay to keep the blue acara in with the pair along with the rainbowfish? Would I be okay with a school of cories as well?


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

I would not keep anything but water with a "pair" of cichlids...


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## ktluvsfish (Jan 13, 2008)

TheFishGuy said:


> I would not keep anything but water with a "pair" of cichlids...


Really? Not even the rainbowfish? I have kept pairs of cichids with other fish, but nothing as big and boisterous as a severum pair though.


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## HiImSean (Apr 5, 2007)

you could prolly put a cat or pleco in with them. i am moving my severum pair to my 75g and just a small pleco and small cat


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

A cat or a pleco will attempt to eat the eggs at night.

Listen, here's the thing, if you want a pair to spawn and you want the fry... Then they need to have a tank to them selves. If you don't care about the fry then keep whatever you want with the pair... It's that simple... Well not really... Severums can pack a punch, so if they start to get defensive (especially the male) they will not hesitatye to kill tank mates or atleast mame them while defending their fry. So, that being said... if you value your fish, any of them, don't keep them with breeding pairs.


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## spxsk (Mar 29, 2006)

I kept a pair of Rotkeil in my 270 Gallon Tank, 84x24x31" in this tank the rest of the fish were kept in a part of the tank 24x24x31" by this pair. They kicked the snot out of anything that got near "their" part of the tank. Your tank is really too small for a pair and anything else besides dithers. Anything kept in your tank should/could be viewed as a target and that is it. If you want something to keep in there, the rainbows would be the only thing on the list you provided that I think "could" work.

I have since moved my pair to a 90 Gallon by themselves. My avatar is a photo of the pair.


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## ktluvsfish (Jan 13, 2008)

TheFishGuy said:


> A cat or a pleco will attempt to eat the eggs at night.
> 
> Listen, here's the thing, if you want a pair to spawn and you want the fry... Then they need to have a tank to them selves. If you don't care about the fry then keep whatever you want with the pair... It's that simple... Well not really... Severums can pack a punch, so if they start to get defensive (especially the male) they will not hesitatye to kill tank mates or atleast mame them while defending their fry. So, that being said... if you value your fish, any of them, don't keep them with breeding pairs.


I didn't realize that a cat or pleco would try to eat the eggs. I will probably move all of my fish out of my tank except for the sevs if I decide to go with a pair then. I may try to keep the rainbows in as dithers, but I have a back up plan if that doesn't work out.

On a side note, when it comes to the fry, how long can you leave them in with the parents? Will the parents raise the fry, or will I have to pull them out and put them in a grow out tank at some point?



spxsk said:


> I kept a pair of Rotkeil in my 270 Gallon Tank, 84x24x31" in this tank the rest of the fish were kept in a part of the tank 24x24x31" by this pair. They kicked the snot out of anything that got near "their" part of the tank. Your tank is really too small for a pair and anything else besides dithers. Anything kept in your tank should/could be viewed as a target and that is it. If you want something to keep in there, the rainbows would be the only thing on the list you provided that I think "could" work.
> 
> I have since moved my pair to a 90 Gallon by themselves. My avatar is a photo of the pair.


Your Rotkeil pair is beautiful  Thanks for sharing your experience. That definitely gives me some perspective on the situation. Sounds like I will have to go with a tank dedicated to my pair.[/quote]


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## HiImSean (Apr 5, 2007)

TheFishGuy said:


> A cat or a pleco will attempt to eat the eggs at night.


depends on the cat or pleco. i've got a banjo cat and L114 in my severums tank. both only come out when the lights are off but have never touched the eggs. the L114 chills right under the driftwood where they spawn


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

They will raise the fry. But it could possibly take a few times for them to get it right. But once they get it down you will have more fry than you'll know what to do with...


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