Big Community Cichlids

[DMD123]

Well the time has come to get new stock and I am looking for ideas for BIG community cichlids. Lots of things I read say a fish can get 16" but realistically only get like 12". As an example Midas are said to get 16" but it is rare, seems like most top out at 12-13". I am looking for a real BIG sized fish. So on my list is the lowly Oscar which seems like has no trouble hitting 14", also a Pearsei which are known to hit 16".

Other fish I wonder about.... Jag, Snook, Any other ideas?

I know Umbee, dovii get big. But too big for my 210g and not community fish so no go on these.

[Jantilla]

Yes get an oscar. I hope madness doesn't see this lol.

[Zerc]

P.Bass
Male red terror maybe?

I heard tilapia can get pretty big

Crenicichla strigata
Crencichla sp. venezuela

[Zerc]

you could get an ornate bichir too

[Zerc]

Pygocentrus piraya is a pretty big SA fish too.

and they love tankmates!

[sandnuka]

I advice against talapia, think its one of the most aggressive fish.... up there with dovii in my opinion... had nothing but bad luck with mine.

[DMD123]

I want a wild caught looking O. Like the Bumble Bee ones Rapp's was selling.


I love the P bass, but really too small a tank.

I dont like male Red Terrors, I think the females look nicer.

Not a fan of Tilapia unless its a food item.

Not familiar with pikes but would consider...

[Zerc]

Royal peacock bass grows to 22" max, probably smaller in an aquarium.

[DMD123]

Royal peacock bass grows to 22" max, probably smaller in an aquarium.

Not a bad idea.

Cichla intermedia

Only problem is that they are hard to find.

[Zerc]

oh our job is just to find names, its your job to go find the fish!

[sandnuka]

If I had a 210 I was puttin new worlds in I would have to have red terror, trimac, midas, those are probably my favorite new world guys. maybe some JD, and GTs too. but I dont know how well they would hold up against the other three I named.

[DMD123]

I had a Midas that I lost in the first batch of illness. He was freakishly peaceful. The chance of finding another that easy going is slim.

[Guest]

I would go with a pearsei, and a few medium sized cichlids, like salvini or something like that. You know something around the 10 inch mark. So you have one big "center piece" and some nice accents. Or maybe 3 big guys like a zonatus, pearsei, and regani. They would compliment eachothers shape and colors nicely. Also look into fish like chuco godmani and the like. I think they are gorgeous and have never owned them. Would love to see an adult.

[Madness]

Bifasciatus will reach 14-16", Bocourti will reach 14-16", Melanarus will reach 14", Zonatus will reach 14", Pearsi (already mentioned), Breidohri will reach 14", Lenticulata pike 16", strigata pike 16", Polypturus can range from 12" to 30", Black nasty (haitian) reach 14".

[DMD123]

VW, your on the track that I was thinking. One big center piece fish is exactly what I want. I want it to be a real 16"+ fish, not a can get... I know each fish is different but some are just known to be bigger fish, thats all.

Thanks for the ideas madness, a few of those are a bit more aggressive than I would like.

[DMD123]

I know there are a lot of Oscar haters out there, but if I got one I am looking for something like these:
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[fishman09]

Amphilophus chancho for the win. Id do an amph tank if i were u. Get some devils hogas isletas and chanchos and keep one of each the coexist the best

[DMD123]

Thats the thing, most of the amphilophus out there say they hit a certain size but it never happens. Its only a rare few that even come close, like jk's 14" beast. I want a 16"+ fish and really most of these hit about the 12" mark.

[fishman09]

Chanchos hit 16+

[Zerc]

If you're feeling brave you could try a largemouth bass... just need to quarantine it first!

[DMD123]

Chanchos hit 16+

Yep the books say that, cant find any. YouTube has a video of a XXXL and its only 14"
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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]

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

[fishman09]

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]

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]

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.

[aaronfeeney]

keep a Bleekeri for one of the accents, I know they aren't SA/CA but they are bad ***.

::EDITED:: language

[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: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] ... 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.......

[sandnuka]

lake specific, my favorite way to set up tanks.... I fish n vw

[vancouver_98683]

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.

[Zerc]

it was fun until GG pooped out a 3 inch long, 1/2 inch round turd.

[DMD123]

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]

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

[Madness]

Kraussi, Myersi, or some Spectabilis.

Ok I will admit, that Oscar you posted in that vid, did look cool. So your stock will be.

1) 1xfancy Oscar
2) 1xKraussi
3) 2-3xBlue Acara [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
4) smaller pike, say a Lepidota [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
5) a few Geophagus of some sort
6) about 3-4 clown loaches (yes they get huge, eventually)

[DMD123]

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

[Madness]

So!!! You need bottom guys.

[DMD123]

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.

[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]

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?

[DMD123]

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?

Not empty, bare bottom! [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

We really should see about adding that emoticon!

[Guest]

You guys are to much lol....

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