Looking for a wet pet cichlid...

[Ratlova30]

NOTE: I looked through about 4 pages of "wet pet info" when i did a search and didn't find the info I'm looking for so I hope you guys can help.

I just recently got into cichlids and I'm loving it so far. Right now I have 3 BP's whom are full of personality. I love it when I come into the room and the dash for a hiding place and then they'll poke their head out to see who it is. When the realize it's me then they happily swim out. So needless to say I love them very much but I would rather not support this hybrid in the future. My plans are of course to keep these guys for as long as they live, wouldn't ever dream of parting with them. Once they all pass away though is when I want to get a new species of cichlid. Any cichlids will have to be able to fit in a 55gal standard tank. I want them to have just as much personality/interaction with me as my parrots, if not more. I don't care if it's an only species tank. No Africans please. I don't want Discus. Also would like any future cichlids to be able to coexist with a breeding pair of bushynoses.

I know a lot of you will recommend upgrading to at least a 75gal and getting an Oscar. No need to recommend it because I'm already actively searching for a bare 75gal tank so that I can get an Oscar, but I'm still looking for something smaller that would fit in a 55gal in the future.

Also I'm worried when I get down to one BP will it be lonely? Will my bushynoses be enough companionship for a lone BP?

I may have more Q's later. Thanks.

[thrak76]

Angels have a lot of personality, and get along with most other fish. You could probably only have 2 or 3 in a 55g though.

[rockhoe14er]

I really like Green Terror's and Firemouth's. They have such great personalities and the green terror always looks like he is smiling.

[Ballyhoo]

I love my severums :)

[Ratlova30]

I fostered a Severum once for a couple weeks, he as well as two African cichlids(I know, bad) were in a tank I bought. I found the Severum and Africans separate homes. The Severum seemed very uninterested in me but who knows. I'll do research on those three fish. As far as Angels go, I don't think I want to go in that direction. I've always had plans to sneak in another tank after I get my Oscar so that I could have Angels but I don't want angels in this particular 55gal. Do the green terror and firemouths interact with you?

[Piranha86]

Does it absolutely HAVE to be a cichlid? Goldfish are kept as wet pets. Also, some people get a single piranha to interact with and it becomes a wet pet when it accepts you into its shoal. I don't know if firemouths interact but I was under the impression that green terrors do.

[Ratlova30]

Piranha, I do have goldfish. I'm building a pond for them now, with all the goldfish intakes I've been getting a pond seems like what I need to do in order to keep them happy. I do agree they are very interactive, absolutely love them. I will have a large tank for any fancys I take in but right now I just have comets and commons, and trout! My trout babies are growing fast, really excited about them. But yeah definetly want this tank to be a cichlid tank. I have a lot of time to do research on exactly what I want, my BP's are young still.

[user_name]

Your BP's would b upset to know that your planning to replace them with.... IME the most "friendly" pet I've ever had was my JD, Trotsky. I had mine in a 55 which I don't really have problems with..... but hey, I'm not an expert on stocking. I know that you said chiclids, but DP's (dwarf puffers) are amazingly friendly....

[user_name]

oh, and ps. do you have any pictures of the trout?

[user_name]

I noticed that you have a few vacant 5 gallons, you could get a DP for one of those....

[Ratlova30]

I'm not replacing my BP's just not buying anymore. The 5gals are in case anyone drops off bettas, I take in unwanted fish. Not too interested in puffers. I've thought about JD's but not sure on them, from what I've read their a really shy fish. Trout are still too small to get pics of at the moment.

[Vicious_Fish]

If you have the space I'd recommend a Jaguar Cichlid. They have LOTS of personality. Even my friends who aren't into fish are amazed by how much my Jag craves interacting with people.

[Jill-O]

I also love blood parrots and have some of them. They remind me of living cartoon characters. Another "water puppy" of a fish are flowerhorns. Love ours, however, they are best kept alone.

[rockhoe14er]

Do the green terror and firemouths interact with you?

Yeah It's really fun if i put my face up to the tank they stop what their doing and will swim up to the side of the tank and look at me. Furthermore, they also seem to be really interested in what i am doing (or hopeful that i will feed them). These fish are great imo.

[user_name]

I've thought about JD's but not sure on them, from what I've read their a really shy fish.

Everyone i know who has a JD says that they are active and friendly. I raised mine from about 1.5" into adulthood, so maybe that had something to do with it.

Plus, there is ussually lots of JD's that outgrow their 10 gallon homes provided by
cruel idiots that eventually decide they don't want their abused fish anymore...
:swear::swear::swear::swear:

[GEV83]

I got a breeding pair of JD's and they arent shy at all. When I had them on the bottom of my stand they use to freak out alot but now that I put them up on top they are happy and dont freak out at all anymore. Green terrors are nice too though there very interesting.

Ide have to agree with Vicious though Jags are awesome fish and seak out humans. I dont think mine wanted interaction though he just wanted to get people out of his territory. Miss my big guy he scared several people out of my room. My Jag didnt go after hands and fingers so everyone would put there face to the tank my Jag would just watch. The moment the person moved there face back my Jag would attack and he went full force water would splash out from the back leaving my wall soaking wet. I loved it. For a 55gal I would recommend aiming for a female Jag if you go that route. Males get to big for a 55gal.

[Vicious_Fish]

My last JD was a freak and would spazz out for no reason half the time. In the past I've had ones that were shy while other ones that were super friendly like an oscar.

[dougp]

i have laetacara dorsigera in my community tank these guys are really great

[Ratlova30]

You know I was looking in one of my fish books and I wrote down Jaguar as a fish to research. The book said they were full of personality.

Jill-O I love BP's too and their a fish that I planned on having for as long as I lived but I don't want to add to the problem anymore. It certainly has been hard trying to find a fish(besides an Oscar) that can even compare to their personality.

User_name, there was this one time when I was on CL and someone was trying to sell a pacu that was living in a 10gal tank for $40. The Pacu was as big as the tank, couldn't really move. I tried to email them asking if I could have the pacu for free as I didn't have the money but they never replied back. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep him but I had a lot of tanks much bigger then a 10gal that he could have lived in until a large enough home was found for him. Definitely made me feel sick to my stomach. There's been a lot of Osacrs being sold in their 20-29gal tanks too. Makes me sad for sure.

I'm still undecided as to what type of fish I want for this tank, I may just leave it open for anybody who has a larger cichlid their trying to get rid of.

[Piranha86]

Another non-cichlid wet pet is a Fahaka Puffer. Those look cool. Idk, do convicts interact? Maybe a giant gourami? For a cichlid, I would go with a severum or maybe a keyhole cichlid. Good luck on your choice.

[Ratlova30]

Would Severums or Rams be okay with Blood parrots? Or what about Angels?

[Jill-O]

I don't know the answer to that, but Rainbow Cichlids can work great with blood parrots. We have some we raised from fry and they are beautiful and personable fish. They are community tank friendly as well.

[Kalen]

Would Severums or Rams be okay with Blood parrots? Or what about Angels?I have a show tank with Blood Parrots as well as a breeding pair of German Blue Rams and a breeding pair of Angels (all of which are in separate tanks.) With that said, I wouldn't consider mixing any of the three together. Severums, however, seem like they would work with Blood Parrots. I personally keep Firemouths, Albino Bristlenose, and Blue Acara with mine and have had no trouble with that mix.

[67chevelle]

If you have the space I'd recommend a Jaguar Cichlid. They have LOTS of personality. Even my friends who aren't into fish are amazed by how much my Jag craves interacting with people.
Jags get too big for a 55

Would Severums or Rams be okay with Blood parrots? Or what about Angels?
You want to keep something in the tank with the BP's? If you have 3 BP in there now,your fully stocked.

[user_name]

Would Severums or Rams be okay with Blood parrots? Or what about Angels?

rams and BP's shouldn't have problems together....

[Ratlova30]

I'm not looking to stick anything in with the BP's now but when eventually when I'm down to one I don't want it to be in the tank alone.

[Kalen]

I'm not looking to stick anything in with the BP's now but when eventually when I'm down to one I don't want it to be in the tank alone.From my experience BP's need tank mates in order to feel secure and be active within the aquarium, otherwise I find them to be shy and reclusive.

[Vicious_Fish]

Jags get too big for a 55.

Opps. That's what I get for not reading the whole thread.

[67chevelle]

Opps. That's what I get for not reading the whole thread.
LOL, happens to me all the time.

[RhondaAnn]

When I bought my BP's as juvie's I kept them in a 29 gallon tall. As they grew I moved them to a 55 and now a 90. They have never once bothered any tankmate they've had. They've been housed with angelfish, severum, congo tetras, columbian tetras, rainbows, german blue rams, mystery snails. It does depend on your individual fish, because I've read other people say their BP's were aggressive towards other fish. Mine are just "special" I guess. (tee hee) I now have them housed with some rainbows and a juvie chocolate cichlid.

[RhondaAnn]

I'm not looking to stick anything in with the BP's now but when eventually when I'm down to one I don't want it to be in the tank alone.
That could be 10/ish years unless you are going to rehome a couple. Just look out for a bigger tank, more fun that way!

[Ratlova30]

No I'm not looking to rehome any of them, they know who their mom is. In a couple years when I move so that I have more room for fish I'll upgrade them regardless. I'm hoping to get floor to ceiling 75gal stacker tanks.