Pictus compatibility

[erin14]

Would one pictus do okay with my african cichlids in my 55g?? I have lots of hidey holes and places for him to escape if they were to pick on him and i have a 50g. that, if aggression issues arise, he could go into (except i'd have a heck of a time catching him probably!). That 50g. tank is in my signature too. The Africans i have are in my 55g. signature. Right now there are no bullying problems going on, quite peaceful actually for a african tank. I would really like a bottom dwelling fish as all my fish are top-middle dwellers. Before you suggest synos, the only ones i'm able to find around here are the upside down ones and i really don't like them. I'm having a hard time finding any africans around here so the stocking probably won't change a whole bunch for a while. I'm trying to find a good canadian site to order fish online but so far no luck...and i mean no luck, at all. Thanks!

[jpappy789]

It should be ok. Just be aware of any aggression :)

[toddnbecka]

Aside from the difference in water conditions (pictus are river fish, not overly fond of really hard, alkaline water) keep in mind how large they will grow. Any cichlid fry will become catfish food. I can't believe no one in Canada is breeding Syno's. S. lucipinnis (formerly S. petricola) has become quite widely available, juvies are much less expensive than most WC Syno's.

[erin14]

Aside from the difference in water conditions (pictus are river fish, not overly fond of really hard, alkaline water) keep in mind how large they will grow. Any cichlid fry will become catfish food. I can't believe no one in Canada is breeding Syno's. S. lucipinnis (formerly S. petricola) has become quite widely available, juvies are much less expensive than most WC Syno's.

I thought their full grown size was like 7"?? No? And its not that no one in Canada is breeding or has them its just that I am in a smaller city (about 42,000 people) and the availability is limited...REALLY limited. We have 3 fish stores here and the only store i've seen with any synos is the one i work in and we only have the upside down synos and i don't like them. I have to drive about 2.5 hours to Winnipeg (which is the capital of Manitoba) and they have a decent selection there but I do work full time and rarely have time to leave for a full day to the big city. The pH of my water here is inbetween 7 and 7.5 so its not really that hard. My Africans have been doing fine in it for almost 6 months now. As far as cichlid fry becoming food goes, I tried to pick out males and so far thats all I have, no females as I don't want any major aggression issues. I would order fish online but I have yet to come across any canadian company. I have googled it with hardly any success. I found BigAls but that was it. If you know of a good online canadian site, please, let me know!

[Aaron89]

pictus are very fast so if they feel afraid they will speed off knocking up sand behind them and they will find places to hide just, when you add him to the tank feed your fish so they are distracted from him so its easier for him to settle

[lovemybarbs]

Mine is at least eight inches right now.

Great fish though.