Pearsei in the house, tankmate ideas

[DMD123]

Well I had not expected to go down this path again but a pearsei is back in the house. Looking for some tankmate ideas. Smaller, mild manner cichlid that get around 6”-10”. Cant be too small or else endli will eat them.

 

[Modest_Man]

If you want something from the same general area (Atlantic side of Guatemala and Southern Mexico) P. splendida would do well. The males do get bigger than 10" but they are gentle for their size. Their mouth design doesn't allow for much roughness. I'm partial to the wild form but have only owned the red morph myself.

Cribroheros robertsoni, Cryptoheros cutteri, Oscura heterospila, or some Thorichthys sp. would all fit the bill for the same general wild location, temperament, and size.

 

[DMD123]

If you want something from the same general area (Atlantic side of Guatemala and Southern Mexico) P. splendida would do well. The males do get bigger than 10" but they are gentle for their size. Their mouth design doesn't allow for much roughness. I'm partial to the wild form but have only owned the red morph myself.

Cribroheros robertsoni, Cryptoheros cutteri, Oscura heterospila, or some Thorichthys sp. would all fit the bill for the same general wild location, temperament, and size.

In the past with my old pearsei I had a red bay snook and heterosplia. The snook got aggressive and challenged the pearsei and she backed down. The het did pretty well but funny to see a 10” het constantly face off with a 16” pearsei, lol.

The old regani that came from you via @lloyd378 also was a tankmate to the pearsei until that boy got 13” and realized the pearsei was no threat and took over. Pretty much same story, pearsei backed down to any cichlid with a bigger attitude or personality that pushed at it. Then they got rehomed… till it was just the pearsei.

 

[DMD123]

The fish is settling in...

 

[DMD123]

Should have mentioned the fish would have 2 large bichirs and 3 large bala sharks as tankmates already but was looking at cichlid tankmates in particular.

 

[fishguy1978]

G. Brasiliensis are gorgeous, if only you could find some locally.

 

[DMD123]

G. Brasiliensis are gorgeous, if only you could find some locally.

I was looking towards Cribroheros robertsoni because it is from the same general area. But realistically just another eartheater type like the G. Brasiliensis. Not against it just really concerned because in the past the Pearsei has always been a push over. A huge fish getting pushed around by a fish much, much smaller. Thats why I was leaning towards something even less than 12" maybe more in the 10" category. Im probably fine with the balas and the lone pearsei. Was looking for some ideas that maybe hadnt thought of yet. Will keep the Brasiliensis offer in mind.

 

[fishguy1978]

I was looking towards Cribroheros robertsoni because it is from the same general area. But realistically just another eartheater type like the G. Brasiliensis. Not against it just really concerned because in the past the Pearsei has always been a push over. A huge fish getting pushed around by a fish much, much smaller. Thats why I was leaning towards something even less than 12" maybe more in the 10" category. Im probably fine with the balas and the lone pearsei. Was looking for some ideas that maybe hadnt thought of yet. Will keep the Brasiliensis offer in mind.

A choco would work. Nice size, cool colors, not overly pushy or aggressive.

 

[DMD123]

A choco would work. Nice size, cool colors, not overly pushy or aggressive.

That may work.

I had a gold sev with my other pearsei and it was the ruler of the tank at about 8" and the pearsei was easily 12"+ and being submissive to it. Pretty much if the fish has attitude, found the pearsei will eventually just submit. Then again my last one I believe to be female so if this one is male that may change.

 

[Modest_Man]

I've had both C. robertsoni and G. brasiliensis and the robertsoni were much more like a firemouth than a Geophaugs, (and the G. brasiliensis weren't really like a Geophagus either). I actually kept them together in the same tank.

 

[lloyd378]

Still think you should add a mbu puffer….. I really don’t think it will outgrow your tank as the biggest I’ve seen in captivity were a mere 20”.

with that said, I do like the idea of a chocolate cichlid.

OR, you figure out if the new one is male or female and then you get it a mate and then you’ll get the experience and joys of breeding and raising up fry

 

[DMD123]

I had forgotten how much fun the pearsei can be. This one is already very responsive with me and feeding very well. Been doing daily gravel vacs keeping it really clean and the fish has been healing really fast. Torn, tattered fins almost fully healed along with its lip.

@Madness had thought it would be cool to mix smaller fish with it. I can imagine a huge school of rainbows with it… and then my big endli eating them all, lol. The polys will always be an issue.

So far the idea of a Chocolate is the most interesting…