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cichlid compatability

3K views 22 replies 4 participants last post by  CaliforniaFishkeeper 
#1 ·
Hi i have recently realised my tank is over stocked and i want to do something about it before its too late.
so i would be getting rid of my blue gouramis, golden algae eater, plec. so i would be left with 1 peppered corydoras 3 royal rams (which i think are cichlids anyway) and a red tailed black shark. so i am going to get a bigger tank and i was thinkin off getting cichlids. so too my question, can cichlids be kept with cory catfish red tailed black shark and royal rams :) thanks in advance :)
Tom
 
#2 ·
Hi i have recently realised my tank is over stocked and i want to do something about it before its too late.
so i would be getting rid of my blue gouramis, golden algae eater, plec. so i would be left with 1 peppered corydoras 3 royal rams (which i think are cichlids anyway) and a red tailed black shark. so i am going to get a bigger tank and i was thinkin off getting cichlids. so too my question, can cichlids be kept with cory catfish red tailed black shark and royal rams :) thanks in advance :)
Tom

Hey,

I currently have about a 2 year old black shark in with several different specices of cichlids..
Some people may tell you it isn't a good idea due to the aggressive nature cichilds can have..however I've found with mine..clearly,over 2 years has survived and is thriving.

I don't know the size of your tank...but mines currently in a 180 gallon..so..It could be working because of the vast size and my ability to not over stock.

I have a ram in my smaller 55 gallon with a baby( as You cannot seem to buy adult-ish size specimen at the LFS) with a red tail shark..they get along great! I've never had issues..but I also realize that once he/she gets larger It will be moved over.

Hopefully this help...but like anything..every fish is different


Kat
 
#4 ·
Honestly I've never been one to have any type of fish species except for semi-aggressive. so..cory's aren't my specalty. However.. I suspect thats a 30 gallon tank? Not sure..you'd prob know more than me:)haha

But ..if you do intend to keep the red tail shark..just realize they have the potential to become rather large haha and a tank smaller than what my baby is housed in atm (55 gallons) would seem a minimum to me. My red tail is housed with some sort of small sized pleco( I honestly have no clue..but I didn't want a regular one as the size was unsuitable to the tank I wanted to house him in for his life) and the pleco doesn't have a mark on him..He's about the size of a canadian dime?

I don't honestly see a problem at the beginning if the stock you suggested is what you plan on keeping yours in.

I would just watch to make sure the RTS isn't chasing anyone.:)
 
#5 ·
okay i will check about the cories and its not the end of the world if i have to sell my cory it would just mean getting my tank quicker as i have to buy it myself "/ and rams are cichlids too right ?? and i think it must be about that becuse my current tank is 60litres/ 15 gallons
 
#6 · (Edited)
Yeah..I have a blue Ram..and they're considered a cichild species so..I'd assume yours is to:) I honestly believe red tail sharks and black tail sharks are one of the few"sharks" that can be placed in some sort of community tropical fish type setting.

Rams are known to be rather friendly anyway so..with that being said..You maybe able to keep your cories:)

I think you stated that you still have to purchase this tank?or are setting it up?
It might work in your favour to keep rams..as they are a true reflection of your water perameters and quality. They, as you probably know require near perfect conditions to thrive:)
 
#7 ·
l have to buy the tank but it will give me time to sell the current fish that can no-longer be kept. and i got the rams on monday so 2 days ago and the are all acting healthy atm so its all good so far. and what would you reccomen to put with my 6 other fish ( rams shark and cory) ??? :)

Tom
 
#8 · (Edited)
l have to buy the tank but it will give me time to sell the current fish that can no-longer be kept. and i got the rams on monday so 2 days ago and the are all acting healthy atm so its all good so far. and what would you reccomen to put with my 6 other fish ( rams shark and cory) ??? :)

Tom

Actually..haha my 55 I kind of forget about SOMETIMES as to what is actually in there.

I'll tell you what I've kept my ram and shark with....

Right now I have a school of some sort of larger tetra I believe..(6 of them). They remind me of big black skirt tetra's but they aren't black..and are facinating..I'll take a picture tonight..maybe someone could tell me haha.

A school of Rosey barbs..which are very hardy I've found...

I had a fire eel in there..who recently passed away:(.(due to a freak accident on flying out of my tank and on the floor)
The ram and the smaller species of pleco I mentioned previously.
I have a black ghost knife fish in with them ..which I purchased about a month ago..and like i mentioned..to small
to live with my larger fish.

The Red Tail shark is in there..he is still small,as previously mentioned..and will be moved to the larger tanks once he becomes of size.

I guess technically I do sort of have a community type set up in there haha...
 
#9 ·
The Red Tailed Shark is in our fish profiles, please have a look at that. It is not a suitable fish for what you are planning from the aspect of tank size and having other bottom fish; both issues are mentioned in the profile.

Corydoras must be kept in groups or they will be under stress and that means deteriorating health. A group of 5 is best, 3 will do if space is an issue but in your proposed tank 5 would be better. But not with the shark as noted in the profile.
 
#11 ·
Appearances can be deceptive. Unless you are an ichthyologist, I would heed what those people advise. I don't make this up.

A Red Tailed Shark needs space to grow to its 5-6 inch length; without it can become stunted with internal organ development (or non-development) problems. Small spaces also make potentially large fish more likely to be aggressive, especially as they mature. A baby black bear may be cuddly and "relatively" harmless, but as it matures it will not be the same. No different with fish.

There was a thread not long ago, someone had a RTS and after a while it suddenly became a terror and killed off a couple other fish.

Please read the profile and understand about what your fish require, and be prepared to provide it or reconsider the fish. That is only humane to the respective fish.
 
#12 ·
okay i shall read the profiles :) and this is why i am getting i larger tak as my lfs wrongly told me that theses fish would be okay in my tank and we have already returned my albino tiger barbs as we were told they we comunity fish but found that they would not be suitable for my set up :(
 
#13 · (Edited)
well...I'm assuming bryon knows what he's talking about..but from my personal experience..it's worked out..but like i mentioned..larger space.


The first picture is of the one in the 55...as you can see..in comparsion to my almost year old black shark(in the 180 gallon)..totally huge difference in size..dont know if you can tell in the second picture the black tail shark IS the size of the crayon pencil lol:)
 

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#14 ·
That is the point. A 55g is providing the necessary room for the shark to properly grow and develop; a 30g does not. The shark will be better off in a 55g and less likely to become overly aggressive, though one must not forget that nature has instilled certain instincts in the fish. The black bear analogy I mentioned earlier still applies--you can "tame" (to some extent) the bear, but it is still instinctively a wild animal that expects to be master of its domain. And my second point was having other substrate fish; this is encroaching on the area that the shark regards as his.
 
#16 ·
my black tail is about three and a half inches and he has a white bit at the top of his doral fin. does this mean he is fully grown as that is what i read somewhere? and i will be gettting a larger tank asap :) i have found a 125 litre one for £214 which i thought was rather good as they are about £300 elsewhere :)
 
#17 · (Edited)
Like my pictures show..my small red tail shark is nearly half the size of it's counter part nearly year old. My red tail i nowhere near done growing..Nor is my black tail ........but my black tail is probably a good 6-8 inchs or so in length..at LEAST. It's just hard to show in the picture..but..like mentioned..my redtails in with my ram and ect in the 55 gallon while my black tail is in a 180 gallon..

I've never been good at converting litres to gallons so ..lol hopefully 125 litres is big:)
 
#18 ·
60 litres=15 gallons...so 125=31gallons <--- rough estimate
the 125 is 32 inches long so if the shark gets to 6 inches it would have rather alot more swimming space haha and then the rams will be okay as the minimum recommendation is 12 gallons and the cory the minimum is 60 litres :)
with that it is about 55% full and 125 litres is about 38.8 us gallons i found out of aquadvisor :)
 
#19 ·
Bryon Will probably tell you that is to small..and like I mentioned, I have no experience with anything smaller than 55 gallons. My previous knowlege/research on the blacktail and red tail sharks have told me they can reach quite a large size...as mentioned my black tail which will be a year old shortly is almost 8-9 inchs already!...so thats averaging about 4 or more inchs a year....basically I think people on here try to prepare you for a long term happyness of aquatic life ..and a 38 gallon won't be sutiable for a shark long term...

That being said..If you do within the next year plan on upgrading to at least a 55..You maybe okay for another period of time....

My 55 is just over 4 feet long...and my redtail about the same size as your guy right now.

Hopefully all works out,and let us know how it goes:)..as you can see in the first picutre...the redtail shark and ram get along well haha.
 
#21 ·
As it says in the profiles the red tailed shark needs a 4-foot tank at a minimum. A 55g is 4 feet in length and that is the smallest tank one of these fish should ever be in.

I previously mentioned that fish growth can be adversely affected by too small a space. Fish grow all their lives, unlike us, and are continually developing. Good aquarium husbandry means knowing the fish's needs throughout its life (which for these sharks can be many years if they are properly provided for) and be prepared from day one to provide what they need. If not, the fish should not be acquired.

These are lessons all good aquarists must learn. I did, and sadly I lost many fish along the way because I thought I knew better. I don't, none of us do. Only acquire fish that will suit the environment you can provide for it. Our profiles provide information on what each fish species needs to be healthy and live to its full potential. This is no more than the fish deserve.
 
#22 ·
i see what you are saying byron :) i would love a four foot tank if im honest haha but its not the money thats the problem. its will my mum let me as i am only 14 and we were told that the sharks and others would be survive in my tank and would not outgrow it "/. i have already had to return my albino tiger barbs because we were told that they would eat most little fish that were out in so i do not think it is entirly my fault the pteshop contributed but i will say i think i should have researched the fish that i wanted to put in
 
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