IS this all wrong?

Chefva

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Jan 30, 2004
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Okay I'm so confused! I just recently started up a 55 gallon tank that I was going to make semi-agressive. I had 2 gold severums, and a pleco. I went to buy fish today and was told that I couldn't have this fish, that fish, the other fish. So I came home with a jewel chiclid and a convict...are they going to hurt the severums? And what could I add to my tank now if they won't hurt them? Was I led the wrong direction....I don't want any of them to get hurt and I feel like I just made a BIG boo boo. Can anyone help me out?
 
both jewels and convicts are wicked nasty. i tried to mix convicts and severums in a 75 gal. the severum was a little bigger than the convict, and in no time at all, the severum was hurting. if you want semi agressive, i would get rid of the convict and the jewel. the convict is one of the most aggressive cichlids
 
I'll not say that Convict one of the most aggressive. Convict is just aggressive.

In 55g tank, 2 severums are enough.
 
Agreed, two severums in a 55 is plenty. I would return the Jewel and Convicts for a trio of Silver Dollars or something similar (ie non-cichlid schooling fish that doesn't get bigger than 6 inches or so).
 
Jewels

I respectfully disagree.

I have one of my jewels in my 45 gallon with a breeding pair of severums a female JD and a hoplo cat.

I also have one female convict in my 33 gallon with a jewel and a breeding pair of rainbow cichlids.

Jewels for the most part tend to only get nasty when breeding. They can be pushy with fish of equal or smaller size and more docile temperments but tend to not bother with the bigger fish when solo. I have found this to be true with all of my jewels in most of my tanks.

As for the convict. If you want one. Get yourself a female and set her up with a nice little cave she can call her own. Every now and then she will give the odd chase but for the most part there should be no incidents.

Keep in mind though. All fish have personalities. What works in one tank may not work in another.

In this case however. I would have no qualms at all with putting a jewel and or a convict in a 55 with a pair of severums. I have done it. Assuming that the severums are not smaller or equal size to the jewel.
 
It isn't the aggression I was thinking. Let's assume that Chefva will not upgrade the tank, 2 fully grown Severums can take up a lot of spaces in 55g tank.

Don't get me wrong, I have mixed a male convict with a few of my severums. No incident ever broke out from that. Before my Convict was moved, he lived with my JD, GT, and Carpintis. Around these cichlids, seemed to bring out some aggression from convict too.
 
Gone Gone

Okay after watching the convict terrorize the severums for a day I decided to get rid of him. But I've kept the jewel since he or she seems to be getting along just fine with them.

So my next question is...

Can anyone tell me a good place online to purchase no agressive cichlids? I've read that the Urau, Green Texas and Egyptian Mouthbrooder would workout okay. What's the concensus??

Thanks to everyone for thier input.
 
Ive never had any success in keeping convicts with anything else than convicts...they usually either harrass the other fish constatly or end up killing them off. They are nasty little fish with REALLY bad attitudes, but if you want convicts, make it a convict tank only.
 
In a large enough tank mixed with other Central American cichlids, Convicts are easy to keep.

Chefva, when you have two 9 inch Severums in your 55 gallon tank you are going to need a larger tank if you want to keep them with other cichlids.
 
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