Cichlids to comm.tank. Who to move?

[Weasel6]

You can see what setups I have below with my stock. I want to move the cichlids to the 75 gal. when they get a little bigger,only 1"-2" now. When I do,who needs to move out into the 10 gal. from the 75? I'd like to keep the severum, Red hooks, G. Jurupari, Red-tail, plecos and tinfoil barb if at all possible. If ya'll say they have to go then they have to go. I'm gonna be getting a 20-30 gal. tank in the next week or so so the 10 gal will be extinct.
I just like the Convicts and Firemouths personality and feel that they'd be better off in the 75 in the long run. I'd rather put them in the 75 than split them up between 2 - 20-30 gal. tanks and instead lighten the load in the 75 into the 20-30 so the newbies will fit.
Let me know because I'm ready to do something soon. I'll have the news tanks in a few days and the 75 is better viewing than the 10 and the cichlids are very intresting to watch I must say.
Yes, I know I already have cichlids in my 75 but they aren't Convicts or Firemouths.

[Weasel6]

Well then. No opinons?

[NickH]

My opinion is that your 75 gallon is already overstocked. You can move the Firemouths to that tank if you wish, but I would not even try the Convicts. When they get larger they will eat or kill your schooling fish and make life harder for the other cichlids.

[Scooter]

How big's that severum now? I don't think I'd mix those cichlids in the 75 either. At best, someone's gonna get hurt. At worst, someone's gonna get killed, IMO.

[Weasel6]

So I have more room to distribute my current stock.. The severum is healthy and about 3 fingers in size. He's the current boss of the tank. Gonna start setting up the 28 soon because I need to split up the Firemouths and Convicts before to much longer.
Are they just not gonna mix with the severum at all? Neither of them? I was thinking of maybe the firemouths, convicts, severum, geo. jurupari, red hooks, redtail, bala, plecos and tinfoils in the 75. If not then maybe drop either the firemouth, convict or severum into another tank and the rest of the stock, barbs etc. to 10 or trade in for supplies. What ya' think on that.

[Scooter]

Personally, I think you're asking for trouble if you put all those fish together. That severum's probably gonna get big and I would imagine he'll get more bossy (and more hungry) as he gets bigger. Though the 75 is not a bad sized tank, I wouldn't keep all those cichlids together, but maybe someone on here has had a similar mix and can provide their thoughts.

[Harry Tolen]

Unfortunately, there is no good long-term solution that includes all of the fish you have listed, unless you are planning to get a much larger tank. The 75 gallon setup could probably include the jurupari or the firmouths or the convicts, but the rest of the cichlids and the tinfoil barbs and the redhooks will have to go. The problem is that your tank is full now, but most of your fish are still juveniles. The tinfoil barbs, for example, grow to be over a foot long, the jurupari can get to be 10", the severum a good 8", and the firemouths and convicts and redhooks 6". And these fish are either territorial, or extremely active, or both, so combining them in a small space just isn't a good idea. (BTW, a 30 gallon tank is also too small for all of the cichlids you have listed once they reach maturity).

If you were looking to keep as many of these fish as possible, I'd still get rid of the tinfoil barbs and the convicts, but would get a 125 where you could probably keep the firemouths and the redhooks and the severum together, perhaps even adding a few more redhooks to get a nice school going. You could then leave the jurupari in the 75, and perhaps move your smaller schooling fish into the 28 gallon tank where they will be out of the way and safe.

[Weasel6]

Well, maybe I want to much. Here's the cichlid list and tank options and you plug them in where they need to go along with suitable, non-cichlid tankmates.
2 firemouths, 2 convicts, 1 severum, 2 Geo. Jurupari. Would like to get 2 Salvins also.Will they get along with anything or fit?
Tanks are 75gal, 28gal, 30gal and 10gal. The 10 gal. I was thinking of as a fry tank
the 28 and 30 are not up and running yet, still putting them together and getting equipment.
I'm willing to dump the rosey and neon barbs. and danios right off the bat if necc. The wife and 9 y/o won't let me get rid of the tetras, gourami or tigers. Gotta compromise somewhere I guess.
Let me know co if anybody has to go I can trade them in on some equipment and/or supplies for the 2 new tanks. Looking at hopefully having all up and running and possibly occupied in a month.

[NickH]

Well, maybe I want to much.

I would say...yes. The problem is you still have too many fish. You can't even think about Salvinis without another 40+ gallon tank. They are too aggressive to be housed with the other cichlids you have anyway. This is how I would break it down:

75g - Severum, 2 Juruparis, 2 Red Hooks, 1 Pleco
30g - Either the pair of Firemouths OR the pair of Convicts
28g - Gourami, Tetras, Tiger Barbs, 1 Pleco
10g - Your fry tank for the 30g

All the other fish you should dump. At least with these tanks the inhabitants should get along and will be able to grow to their full potential. Compromises are tough but we all only have a finite amount of space.

[Weasel6]

Yes, its the newbies downfall. Been in it a year now and I still want to much but its getting better in that I understand better. It not just who'll fit, its who'll get along too. Orginally went with quanity and I did ok I think but now I've discovered cichlids and the 2 is not gonna mix. I'm a cichlid newbie and don't know them all that well yet.
So basically, the convicts and the firemouths are not gonna mix with anybody else but themselves I take it? Nothing.
I'm gonna lighten the load in the 75 and was hoping to get a green Severum later but don't know. He gets along fine by himself now. Might need to add another Red hook because 1 keeps aggravating the other and might need a third to break it up. That again drops my capacity and increases the number to dump.
NickH,
When you say to dump everything else, does that include the Red-tail shark and the Bala shark? I though I ead somewhere that they would get along with the cichlids but maybe I'm wrong. Dump them from the 75? I know the Bala is gonna eventually have to go due him getting bigger but dump him now?
Me and my impulsivness. Now look at me, to many fish, to many wants and not enough tanks or room. Is it me or every aquarists pitfall?

[Scooter]

Hey Weasel. Don't beat yourself up. Everyone has experienced what you're going through, including myself. Cichlids have a tendency to show more personality than other fish -- good and bad. As a whole, cichlids also get bigger than other fish, which means they tend to do more damage (to each other and their environment) when they're pissed.

I would give up on the salvinis for right now because they can be as pugnacious as nearly any other similar-sized cichlid. IMO, the three most viable options are 1) get a bigger tank or 2) get rid of some fish, or 3) do both. You could try and utilize the two smaller tanks that you have and keep all the cichlids in your current stock, but I think it would be a mistake. If it was me, I would put the fish's needs in front of my wants. Better to have a few well-kept fish than many fish poorly kept, IMO. Hang in there.

[NickH]

Start saving for a 6ft. 125 Gallon tank....

[Weasel6]

Thought and thought about it and I guess I've come to a conclusion of sorts. I'm gonna put the Firemouths and/or Convicts in the 29gal. and the other in the 30 gal. and lighten my load in the 75gal. That I'm gonna do by dumping the following:
4- Barbs
2- Giant Danios
1- Bala shark
1- Pleco ( both are small and young )

I may replace all 8 with 1 young Grn. Severum to pair up with my yellow/gold one now and that'll be it.
Will that work out? I may trade the convicts for a pair of Salvins. The wife loves their color.
Whatcha think?

[Lynsey]

This is what I would do:

75 US gal. tank w/ rocky sub.
1-Java fern
1-Spotted Plecos
1-Golden Severum
1-Geo. Jurupari
1-Firemouth
and maybe a blue acara or the other firemouth or another severum.

Maybe keep the convicts in another tank. If you have a 29gallon tank, that would be great for a pair.

I would trade the other fish in for store credit if you can. You could alway buy food, you will need it with cichlids. You might want to figure out what kind of plecos you have because some get much too big. If it will get big, you might think about trading it for a bristlenose pleco.

I did the same thing when I first got into the hobby. I kept looking at my tank thinking it looked empty. I got an Oscar, and now I am thinking boy his tank looks small, what can I take out to give him more room :) Remember, the severums will get big (along with some of the other fish), and your tank definatly won't look empty.

[Weasel6]

The plecos' are spotted. I know they'll get to big and I plan on dumping them before they get TO big. If the Tin-foil barb keeps growing at his current rate then he'll be the next to go. Everybody else is growing sloooooow. Got a fast grower and a runt that won't grow.
Everyone learns in time I guess. The 1" per gallon rule is for fully grown fish, not babies. And you're right, it did look empty but its looking fuller by the feeding.
I like my Firemouths and Convicts. My first priority is spliting them up soon, then lighting up the 75 before somebody gets hurt in the 10. The Firemouths are alot more aggresive at this point than the Convicts but I'm sure that'll change. The Firemouths I know are male/female but the Convicts I can't tell yet.
The wife said " don't we have to many?" And of course I said "not yet." She doesn't much care as long as we keep the gourami, 2 tetras ( first fish ), tigers and tin-foil. Other than that it' s up to me.