Spekky Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 Hi, i have a 5ftx2ftx18inch tank. i am wanting to get 1 Texas, Jaguar , 2 severums, a sailfin gibby and salmon cat. will all these fish be happy together? is that to many for my tank? i am having real trouble deciding on which fish to have They are all sooo beautiful Thanks. any advise would be much appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fullychichlid Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 Hi Good question the answere is hard. It depends on aggression level and the size of you tank. If you put juvies in together you have a better chance. I have had a Jaguar that beat up my large green terror, my green terror beat up two massive oscars which i took out ,. At the moment I have my large Green terror and a female one, with a red terror pair. they are all getting along fine. I will be addiding Jack Dempsy about 12cm and red devils about 12cm. these fish wont threaten the GT which is about 20cm and are quick and tuff enough to evade the GT. Think about agression levels before you decide on fish. Nothing worse than seeing fish getting beaten up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crick13 Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 Hi, i have a 5ftx2ftx18inch tank. i am wanting to get 1 Texas, Jaguar , 2 severums, a sailfin gibby and salmon cat. will all these fish be happy together? is that to many for my tank? i am having real trouble deciding on which fish to have They are all sooo beautiful Thanks. any advise would be much appreciated! i totally agree, buy juvies . much better chance if they grow together they can stay together. sure u get the odd crazy fish but generally they will learn to co exist. and dont worry , before u know it those tiny fish that make your tank look empty will grow to be big beasts with big personality. enjoy your americans they are great fish to keep. u can check out some of my americans on youtube under smoothoperatork1. theres some vids of texas and jags, not to mention others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spekky Posted March 16, 2010 Author Share Posted March 16, 2010 i totally agree, buy juvies . much better chance if they grow together they can stay together. sure u get the odd crazy fish but generally they will learn to co exist. and dont worry , before u know it those tiny fish that make your tank look empty will grow to be big beasts with big personality. enjoy your americans they are great fish to keep. u can check out some of my americans on youtube under smoothoperatork1. theres some vids of texas and jags, not to mention others. Thanks very much. i just looked you up on utube and it turns out that your fish were the fish that inspired me to get the jag and texas as i was watching your videos the other day. i especially love your jag. i was also thinking of getting a festae but that might be to much for my tank. Do you know much about Paratilapia Polleni (Marekeli)! They seem to be very attractive too! I will get juveniles, for sure! as i love watching them grow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crick13 Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 i totally agree, buy juvies . much better chance if they grow together they can stay together. sure u get the odd crazy fish but generally they will learn to co exist. and dont worry , before u know it those tiny fish that make your tank look empty will grow to be big beasts with big personality. enjoy your americans they are great fish to keep. u can check out some of my americans on youtube under smoothoperatork1. theres some vids of texas and jags, not to mention others. Thanks very much. i just looked you up on utube and it turns out that your fish were the fish that inspired me to get the jag and texas as i was watching your videos the other day. i especially love your jag. i was also thinking of getting a festae but that might be to much for my tank. Do you know much about Paratilapia Polleni (Marekeli)! They seem to be very attractive too! I will get juveniles, for sure! as i love watching them grow! thats cool, didnt realise u had already seen my fish, as for polleni ,ive always liked them but have never owned one. my friend has a couple and she loves them. the males look awsome... as for festaes , they are an awsome fish but they love to fight. mines still young be hes got serious attitude. lucky my other fish are big enough to laugh at hes attacks. it will be a long time before he pushes jag around. have u considered a trimac. ? thay look great when they colour up. or a jack dempsey . they have cool personalities too. but they dont get as big as a jag or even an oscar. mines a big sook but looks cool. anyway nows the most exciting part. getting to choose your new fish . its very rare i go to the shop and not come home with a fish or two. currently i have 15 tanks in my garage plus my 6*2*2 inside. and still need more tanks. very addictive hobby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spekky Posted March 17, 2010 Author Share Posted March 17, 2010 Yay!!!I just ordered some fish from my LFS I ordered: 1 Jaguar 1 polleni 1 festae 4 Salmon tale cats and i bought 5 severams and 2 common Plecs. Plus i already had 6 bristle nose of various types. Apparently Texas are on the noxious species list. im also considering a GT! Tah for all your help crick13.if i had not seen your videos i would still be trying to make up my mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killiguy Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Ive kept most of the fish on your list and just a few comments: Severums are quite placid fish and I think will get picked on/killed. Polleni is absolutely murderous when big,the jag may be able to hold his own but Im not sure about the others Salmon tailed cats get to 2 feet at least so your tank is way to small.I kept my 14 inch Jag in a 4x2x18'tank by himself and had trouble keeping ammonia down despite big water changes and big filters,these fish produce enormous amounts of waste The fish may initially be OK but disaster is around the corner with that stocking level sorry t spoil the fun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pride Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 I would just pick one of those species and try to get a pair and setup the tank just for them. Nothing better than watching an adult pair of Americans herding their fry around a tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batty Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 I have done exactly that with a pair of Convicts, no need for a big tank either so can be very rewarding for a relatively small outlay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 I find severums to be quite robust and able to handle themselves well, especially if they are slightly bigger at the time of introduction. However, that mix of fish will (I'm sorry to bear bad news) probably implode. The aggression may be somewhat quelled if the fish grow up together, but it will still be very bad. I don't believe any responsible LFS should recommend that mix for that size tank. If I may make a suggestion, based on a lot of experience: Cancel the P. polleni and the festae. Cut the salmon cats from four to two. Get a GT (they're awesome and ok for your tank). Consider replacing the Jaguar with a Cuban cichlid (if you can find one) because they look very similar but are not as dangerous to tankmates. Then, look at some others like synspilum, JDs, Chocolates, etc. You must also have some dither fish in there - I think red-hooks or silver dollars would do best in there. Hope this helps, Andrew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fullychichlid Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 Hey Mate Like I said all juvies together might work. Larger fish look out it is a balancing act of what you put in. At the moment i have 5 green terrors and 2 red terrors all living fine in my 5x2x2. I tried two huge oscars and they got smashed by my large GT , so I sold them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spekky Posted March 19, 2010 Author Share Posted March 19, 2010 Thanks everyone for your heads up. Im a bit sad now and P@*#ed off at LFS. But it is better to find out now. what if i get two texas as they seem to be the most placid out of the lot (apart form the severams) corect me if im wrong . I already have 5 severams that are 2.5inch, so they will be bit bigger buy the time i get the more aggressive fish! And i will only get 2 salmon cats. The LFS convinced me that i needed 4 as they are a schooling fish and the will go silly if they have no company. Thanks again for the help. The last thing i want is to have unhappy fish! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 Hey Spekky, Salmon cats are a schooling fish, but the tank won't be big enough for four - they grow huge. If you want to see some full-grown ones, next time you're in Sydney, check out Sydney Aquarium. They have some monsters there... There are two fish referred to as "Texas". cyanoguttatum texas are relatively peaceful, although I have not seen these for years and (correct me if I'm wrong) I think the hobby here has lost them altogether. carpinte Texas, on the other hand, are readily available and most likely what you're planning on getting. They can go either way, but generally, I find them to be quite aggressive and well able to do major damage, although your tank might just be big enough for them. I'd limit it to one Texas though - if you get two males, one will kill the other or force it into hiding, leading to undernourishment. If you get a male and female and they breed, nothing else will stand a chance against them. Make sure the one you get is small to begin with. Have you looked up some of the others I suggested? Jack Dempseys rock, as does synspilum. Chocolate Cichlids (Hypselecara temporalis are another winner - big, boofy, colourful and peaceful. Petenia splendida is another one I highly recommend. Don't be angry with your lfs. There is a lot of misinformation out there and sometimes that filters into shop staff advice. Nothing is better than experience when giving advice, but if they lack experience with these things, they're probably just trying to help you based on what they've been told. You will find there is no set recipe. I have seen full-grown festae that are the epitome of peace, and I have seen severums that have gone haywire and killed everything. All we're advising you on is the likely scenario based on what most members of these species behave like. Andrew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbo40 Posted March 20, 2010 Share Posted March 20, 2010 Hey Spekky, Salmon cats are a schooling fish, but the tank won't be big enough for four - they grow huge. If you want to see some full-grown ones, next time you're in Sydney, check out Sydney Aquarium. They have some monsters there... There are two fish referred to as "Texas". cyanoguttatum texas are relatively peaceful, although I have not seen these for years and (correct me if I'm wrong) I think the hobby here has lost them altogether. carpinte Texas, on the other hand, are readily available and most likely what you're planning on getting. They can go either way, but generally, I find them to be quite aggressive and well able to do major damage, although your tank might just be big enough for them. I'd limit it to one Texas though - if you get two males, one will kill the other or force it into hiding, leading to undernourishment. If you get a male and female and they breed, nothing else will stand a chance against them. Make sure the one you get is small to begin with. Have you looked up some of the others I suggested? Jack Dempseys rock, as does synspilum. Chocolate Cichlids (Hypselecara temporalis are another winner - big, boofy, colourful and peaceful. Petenia splendida is another one I highly recommend. Don't be angry with your lfs. There is a lot of misinformation out there and sometimes that filters into shop staff advice. Nothing is better than experience when giving advice, but if they lack experience with these things, they're probably just trying to help you based on what they've been told. You will find there is no set recipe. I have seen full-grown festae that are the epitome of peace, and I have seen severums that have gone haywire and killed everything. All we're advising you on is the likely scenario based on what most members of these species behave like. Andrew. G'day All, Yes LFS staff & even some owners can mislead customers badly, either through ignorance or delibrately to make a $. A few years ago I can remember when working in a LFS a very agitated bloke came in and asked abruptly, "Where do Barramundi come from?" I said, up in the tropical North, he turned red in the face and said, "Well why would the owner of a shop sell them to me for my fish pond here in Melbourne in winter time?" Of course the fish rolled over and died in the chilly water, this was an example of utter & disgraceful ignorance or a lie that does huge damage to the trade & the hobby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gav Posted March 20, 2010 Share Posted March 20, 2010 just on texas and breeding, i currently have two pairs of texas and a pair of green sevs breeding in my tank. the texas are not shy about taking on anything, though they are not causing any significant damage due to the amount of targets. as andrew mentioned, silver dollars or red hooks would do the job admirably in your size tank. if you do get any pairs, you must ensure a large range of targets to prevent serious injury to any single fish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted March 20, 2010 Share Posted March 20, 2010 Well said Gav, And great to see you're still sround! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spekky Posted March 24, 2010 Author Share Posted March 24, 2010 HI Sorry about the late reply but i ran out of internet , any how thanks HEAPS of all your advice. i have decided to to the safer option and get south Americans. I have now got: 3 Green horse face 3 Acarichthys heckelii 5 Severams 2 Green and 3 yellow. 2 common Plecos 6 bristlenose of various sorts and 3 Corydoras Sterbai i might have to thin them out when they grow and i really only wanted 1 pleco but i got 2 for one as one was really skinny. Both plecos are doing great and have got nice and fat Maybe later i will get an other tank and have a breeding pair of Texas as they are very cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killiguy Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 That looks a much better list,no killers in there. Is it still illegal in Victoria to buy and sell Texas cichlids???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 Spekky, that's a great mix! I'm looking forward to photos! Cheers, Andrew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spekky Posted March 25, 2010 Author Share Posted March 25, 2010 That looks a much better list,no killers in there. Is it still illegal in Victoria to buy and sell Texas cichlids???? I have heard that they are on the noxious list. does that mean that they are illegal to keep? And as for photos i ill post some as soon as i figure out how!!! They are all soooooo cute Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spekky Posted March 25, 2010 Author Share Posted March 25, 2010 Here are some quick pics!!! I hope you like them. Im going to change the gravel to sand shortly so that it will be a more natural environment. All the fish are still quite small. the little pleco is the one that was really skinny but as you can see he has put on quite a tummy. http://lh4.ggpht.com/_7D_ksE-4ks0/S6s0iP-A...%27s%20tank.jpg http://lh5.ggpht.com/_7D_ksE-4ks0/S6s0iYCI...12/DSC_1797.jpg http://lh3.ggpht.com/_7D_ksE-4ks0/S6s0ivQZ...tw/DSC_1800.jpg http://lh5.ggpht.com/_7D_ksE-4ks0/S6s0iwgC...Pg/DSC_1801.jpg http://lh3.ggpht.com/_7D_ksE-4ks0/S6s0jdHS...yA/DSC_1805.jpg http://lh5.ggpht.com/_7D_ksE-4ks0/S6s0xB0R...GsdUQ/pleco.jpg http://lh6.ggpht.com/_7D_ksE-4ks0/S6s0xCoS...Aw/DSC_1815.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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