# are these good tank mates?



## electriccichlid (Jul 26, 2011)

well i have a 55 i just bought used i orderd new filters and powerheads i have all my gravel and rocks heres what i was thinking for fish 
striped rapheal cat-1 
albino bristelnose plecco-1(already have from a friend) 
firemouth-1 
convict-2 (already have getting froma friend) 
electric blue jack dempsey-1 
jack dempsy-1 
jewel cichlid-1 
gold severum-1

i had a german ram on the list to until i founnd that they like diffeent water the plecco and the cat i might get two of and i might get two of another fish i have yet to decide maybe a texas or something just no oscars whatso ever they get to big and my experiance with them has not been good


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## jegrego1 (Jan 24, 2011)

JDs get huge and grow fairly quickly in 55gal. That sized tank will eventually only be big enough for maybe two of those. My money's on the JD being the last one left. 
I have a pair of JDs and the barely let the cat fish and crayfish roam around... Do more research on tank size and fish especially cichlid compatibility.


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## jegrego1 (Jan 24, 2011)

The cons are vicious specially a breeding pair I'd say keep what u have and maybe add a long fin catfish or a schooling group of tiger barbs or some kind of dither fish. 
Hope this helps.


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## allierw (Apr 20, 2006)

Are the cons going to be a pair? If so, they will take over the tank. Sevs get too big. You could probably do 1 con, 1 firemouth, 1 JD, and 1 jewel, and the pleco. I wouldn't do any breeding pairs.

Edit--I saw where you did say the cons are a breeding pair. I would go with the above poster's advice, just do the cons only and get some tetras for dithers. They will go after anything else you put in the tank.


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## electriccichlid (Jul 26, 2011)

so do you guys think that basically if i ditched the convict pair that i would be okay i have a tank i can use for the convict pair


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## jegrego1 (Jan 24, 2011)

electriccichlid said:


> so do you guys think that basically if i ditched the convict pair that i would be okay i have a tank i can use for the convict pair


I don't know what this means?


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## electriccichlid (Jul 26, 2011)

i meant if i ditch the convicts as in put them in a different tanknot in this tank that this would be okay sorry after reading it it is confusing


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## jegrego1 (Jan 24, 2011)

Yea the pair would probably do best in a 30 gal with good water parameters. My advice for the 55 is jack dempseys they're awesome and very easy to keep. But the JDs need a Min of 55gal


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## allierw (Apr 20, 2006)

You can't leave the cons in the 10, though...30g (30" footprint) is the minimum. If you want the EBJD and the JD to be a pair, start with a few of each and then sell the others when 2 of them pair off. When you do pairs, it limits how many fish you can have...either do 1 of each or 1 pr of a single species. Still no severum, though...too big for a 55g.


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## MonteSS (Dec 8, 2008)

albino bristelnose plecco-1(already have from a friend) 
firemouth-1 
convict-1
jack dempsy-1 
jewel cichlid-1

This is what I would do with a group of 6 Tiger Barbs.

....Bill


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## electriccichlid (Jul 26, 2011)

okay guys thanks for the advice but i have more questions so i got a 30 gallon tank now off of craigslist i need plants and gravel what do you guys think i should put in it i was thinking the convicts and a ton of barbs of various sorts or i was thinking a community tank with two rams as the boss's of the tank what do you guys think?

and what tank minimum do you guys think that i need for a severum i really want a severum to go in the cichlid tank but everyone on here says against it but at work and other local fish stores they say that aseverum would be fine in the list mentioned at the top


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## Adrian101 (Jan 24, 2011)

a sev needs a 75 minimum due to its size and activity level.


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## MonteSS (Dec 8, 2008)

I also think a 75g is minimum for a sev.

55g is not a great sized tank for medium/large cichlids.

....Bill


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## electriccichlid (Jul 26, 2011)

yea i realized when buying the tank i was limited but i was just trying to get an idea this is basiclaly a recreation of the 55 galoon cichlid tank my dad had like 10 years ago so i am still up in the air right now i got a 30 gallon i think that i will be putting theconvicts in and then possibly turning into a community tank or putting ramndom barbs in but again i have yet to get an exact plan ironed out


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## justin3p0 (Apr 5, 2010)

in my 55gal JD tank i got lucky and have two very passive JDs...

3-gold gouramis (4in)
1-convict (2in)
2-JDs (4in/5in)
5-tiger barbs(1.5in)
1-pleco (6in)

tank is very peaceful... other then the con chases the tiger barbs sometimes lol


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## electriccichlid (Jul 26, 2011)

im probably doing 
1 firemouth 
2 convits
1 striped raf cat
1 albino bristlenose plecco
1 gold severum- will be traded when older
1 midas cichlid 
1 either jack dempsey or manguenese cichlid 
1 chocolate cichlid
then if the cons become a problem they get throw out of the equation via trade for a new younger con and that will be my tank


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## Adrian101 (Jan 24, 2011)

Again a chocolate reaches at least a foot, probably a bit more so that may get a bit big for the tank. And i may be wrong so sorry if i am but i thought midas got to a foot also and were one of the most aggressive fish there are. Just my input.


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## MonteSS (Dec 8, 2008)

electriccichlid said:


> im probably doing
> 1 firemouth
> 2 convits
> 1 striped raf cat
> ...


     

Glad our advice helped.

....Bill


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## Adrian101 (Jan 24, 2011)

A 55 is not that big a tank. I think you need to research the fish that you want. In my experience no fish should be over 8 inches in that tank, 10 at a push. I appreciate that you may work in a fish store but i very rarely take advice from lfs workers as its almost always geared towards selling. Just to sum up what i think everyone is gettin at, i wouldnt put that stocklist in my 150gal as i dont think the tank would be big enough. Thats all the advice i can give. The mods on here are the best source you will find anywhere from my experience so please listen to them.


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## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

electriccichlid said:


> im probably doing
> 1 firemouth
> 2 convits
> 1 striped raf cat
> ...


You definately need to re-think this before you go ahead and take the plunge! Longterm, cons maybe the least of your problem. Generally, in this size of tank, a midas cichlid becomes a very deadly fish......you could easily end up with a lone specimen (a wet pet) after just a few months. A jag as well can be quite aggro, and is likely to be a rival and contender for supremacy of your tank.

If a severum is to big for a 55 gal.......midas, jag and chocalate are way too big. Any of these can easily double the body weight of a severum. A jag, potentially many, many times that size.

IME and IMO, a tank with fishes like midas and/or jag end up getting too rough for severums and chocalates. Years ago there were no guide lines on aggressive CA/SA communities.....all the literature was about how to get a pair and breed a cichlid; nothing about long term maintenance and nothing about CA/SA communities. So we tried all kinds of fish. Tried sevs and chocalates a number of times with large aggressive CA, 25-35 years ago. Sometimes it worked for a while, but always the same fate. Here's a pic from about 25 years back, in a 6 ft. 180 gal. that was run by a female RD/midas amongst other large CA 'bruisers':










Note the slight damage on the chocalate.....That's nothing :lol: Just the beginning. Sev got bullied a lot more by the other tankmates, and started to take it out on the chocalate. Both got killed in this tank.

I think MonteSS's suggestion of 1 con, 1 jd, 1 firemouth, 1 jewel, 1 bristlenose plec, and 5 tiger barbs is a good start. Though i'd probably add a little to it: a blue acara and /or festivum and/or male krib; blue gourami.


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## electriccichlid (Jul 26, 2011)

i finally bought fish i took into consideration and went completly different a school of tiger barbs
red devil
green terror
manguenese
midas
2 convicts 
i may be adding a pair of firemouths


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## electriccichlid (Jul 26, 2011)

only thing is i realize i jam packed the tank but they are all very small as small as you can buy without being fry and i will be taking them out when they get big


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## electriccichlid (Jul 26, 2011)

i am ettin gready to buy the fish and am thinking abouth leavinging out either the manguenese or the midas based on more research and sugestions


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## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

electriccichlid said:


> i finally bought fish i took into consideration and went completly different a school of tiger barbs
> red devil
> green terror
> manguenese
> ...


Well.....sometimes the best way to learn is to experience it yourself :lol: 
I doubt you have any clue what you are doing. Of course no way of predicting with certainty what the outcome will be. With aggressive cichlids, it's like rolling the dice.......but the odds of succeeding with this stock in a 55 gal. are heavily, heavily stacked against you. A lone specimen (a wet pet) is a fairly likely outcome in the not so distant futue. I would bet the green terror and the tiger barbs are 1st to go......though all sorts of possible outcomes with this stock.

Are you aware that aquarium strain midas and red devil (RD) are in fact, the very same fish? Very closely related species that have been crossed over the years. There is no real distinction between the two, if purchased from your local pet shop, other then the name they are being sold as. Just 2 of the same sex are quite unlikely to co-exist, even sometimes in very large tanks.......and a male and female, if they don't kill each other first, can breed and wipe out a tank quite easily, in small space.


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## electriccichlid (Jul 26, 2011)

well i realize i dont have very much experiance but my dad who is basically overseeingnthis had a 55 with a red devil a green terror a severum and a texas that lived together with a group of various barbs until he had to get rid of the tank probaly together three years

and i think i am not includeing the midas because the red devil looks so much better than him so we will see i will post pic this evening if i get fish


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## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

> i finally bought fish





> if i get fish


Something don't add up here. Either you have bought the fish already, or are still contemplating. Hopefully the latter.....then you can take your time, think it through a little better, and maybe consider some of the advice being given.


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## electriccichlid (Jul 26, 2011)

sorry i meant i am finnaly buying fish i was getting ready to head out and now i have the fish a red devil
green terror
2 firemouths
2 convicts 
and a group of tiger barbs


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## electriccichlid (Jul 26, 2011)

i realize that my tank is technically over stocked but whilst they are all little none over 2 inches they have a lot of time and room to grow i have plenty of cover they are all gettin galong fine i think i am going to have to get rid of one of the firemouths i tried for a m/f and i think i have two males they never stay together


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## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

electriccichlid said:


> none over 2 inches they have a lot of time and room to grow i have plenty of cover they are all gettin galong fine


Yeah, you definately have some time. And at 2 inches there is lots of room. Just keep an eye on things.....especially the red devil after it begins to grow a little bit. Often they end up being too aggressive in that kind of a space.......not always, but most often.


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## electriccichlid (Jul 26, 2011)

yes the only signs of agression he gives is standing up to the convicts who are a pair he doesnt back down but wont strike they are a little bit bigger but that is the only agression *** noted besides the occasional chaseing... that and the green terror seems to be very very passive he is afraid of everyone even the tiger barbs


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## luluxiu (Aug 2, 2011)

If you want to EBJD and the "Joint Declaration" is a right, the beginning of each number, and then sold to others, of which 2 fold. When you do right, it limits how many fish you can have ... ... or is every single species or 1 PR 1...


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## MonteSS (Dec 8, 2008)

luluxiu said:


> If you want to EBJD and the "Joint Declaration" is a right, the beginning of each number, and then sold to others, of which 2 fold. When you do right, it limits how many fish you can have ... ... or is every single species or 1 PR 1...


:-? :-? :-?

....Bill


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## ahud (Aug 22, 2009)

I think what he is trying to say is......oh wait I have no idea either. :lol:


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

It sounds like the beginnings of the scientific method haha


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## electriccichlid (Jul 26, 2011)

ok im glad im not the 0nly one who doesnt understand


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