Big Community Cichlids

DMD123

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fishman09 said:
Chanchos hit 16+
Yep the books say that, cant find any. YouTube has a video of a XXXL and its only 14"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0g3X0T6VFvc

Even MFK does not really show me a big one just that they can get 16". Supposedly Midas can get 16", Ive never seen one. I am not trying to be argumentative just what is said/written and the proof in pictures and video dont match.

Fish like Pearsei, Ive seen videos of big fish, talked with a few MFK owners and seen lots of reports on 15" fish with some having up to 17". I remember back in the old days... seeing Oscars that were easily 16". That was back in the 80's and I have not seen any since. Almost as if we now have a smaller breed, but I'm sure Ive seen some around 14".
 

Zerc

New Member
I think the longfin oscars are pretty neat, not sure if you can find one the color you are looking for though.
 

fishman09

Member
Probably due to the lack of chancho keepers as to why theres no monsters. Give mels some time and im sure theyll be 16"+ he has midas around 15" or so
 

Madness

Well-Known Member
Staff member
I believe Mels adult Chanchos are real close to 16". But if you think that my choices were a bit on the more aggressive side, than Chancho is out also.
 

DMD123

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I love the amphilophus, but if I were going to have it as my center piece fish it will have to be mellow. So most likely a hoga or lyonsi, not monsters (size wise) by any means but right temperament.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Personaly I wouldent keep the bleekeri, there more aggresive then what it sounds like you are going for. I would stick to something like the pearsei, or bocourti. And did you give those godmani a look? There awesome, I have always wanted some, just never got em. Kevin at apfp almost always has them in stock. Dude honestly there's so many awesome choices. I really like what it sounds like your doing here. It reminds me of my 110 when its all grown out. 1 bocourti (14"), 2 robertsoni (10") and 7 aureus (5"). My dand robertsoni don't seem to like growing much though no matter what I do. But just keep reading, and looking for ideas.

You wanna know what I would do if the tank was sitting here staring at me and wanting fish in it? I would start with one main fish (for simplicity sake) let say a jag. I know jags from lake nicaragua, lake managua and a few others. So I would research all the fish from all the lakes that the "jag" comes from and find the lake with 1 or 2 fish that I like the most. For instance (again to keep it simple) let's say lake nicaragua. I would pull up a page with all the cichlids from that lake like: http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?105399-The-Cichlids-of-Lake-Nicaragua-Part-I ... then I would find the fish I liked most. Let's say H. Nicaraguensis and isletes (isletes are not listed there because its an old artical and isletes are newly found). Then I would set up the tank with 1 breeding pair of each of the smaller ones, or maybe a group of one and a pair of the other and have my "center piece" be solo. I also like to try and not mix fish from the same genus. IE no two parachromis, amphilophus etc. That way your chances of there being any cross breeding are much lower.

Now I do things a bit like a nazi, and most don't do it the way I do. They admire, and respect the kind of reading and research (and countless emails to Juan Miguel Artigas Azas) that goes into finding out all the specs on the diffrent waterways of central america. Its work, but I have a lot of compiled info writen in note books from my own research, and I don't mind shareing.

Of course, this is just what I would do, and you already know how I opperate, so I don't even know why I wrote it all out. But that's me.......
 

vancouver_98683

New Member
Giant Gourami...????? You want big, this is pretty big. I had one.... This is just opinion, it was fun until GG pooped out a 3 inch long, 1/2 inch round turd.
 

DMD123

Administrator
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Contributing Member Level III
Thanks guys,

VW, to tell you the truth with the school of silver dollars and having a pleco in there, I was leaning toward SA cichlids. Thats why I had considered the Oscar.

I mix SA & CA fish but I have never put Asian or African fish into the mix. So I try to keep it close.... Not quite as hard core as some!

I actually liked Zerc's idea of the bass, but that particular species is not readily available and not cheap. But I could see one of those with a large O and a school of red hooks.
 

DMD123

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Actually in a SA themed tank I could do the Oscar, Caquetaia kraussii, Green Terror, and maybe a 'belly crawler' pike. :scratch: Lots of ideas for my SA tank. :D
 

Madness

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DMD123

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The CL dont fit into the SA theme! But the rest of the mix might be what I am shooting for.
 

DMD123

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I do have the two pleco but they hide a lot. I think the sailfin will loosen up when it gets bigger but the sunshine is strictly a night owl.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
There's loads of catfish from south america, I'm sure it won't be hard to get something to your liking. I like the way your going with this tank.
 

Madness

Well-Known Member
Staff member
fish_n_vw said:
There's loads of catfish from south america, I'm sure it won't be hard to get something to your liking. I like the way your going with this tank.
And wheres that, empty? :lmfao:
 

DMD123

Administrator
Staff member
Contributing Member Level III
madness said:
fish_n_vw said:
There's loads of catfish from south america, I'm sure it won't be hard to get something to your liking. I like the way your going with this tank.
And wheres that, empty? :lmfao:
Not empty, bare bottom!

We really should see about adding that emoticon!
 
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