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Is it safe to keep cocholate cichlid with german blue rams ?

anewbie

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BIt of a question if a chocolate cichlid would be able to eat german blue rams (well gold colour) ? Trying to decide how to stock a 400 gallon tank. The primary fish will 6 to 8 winemiller (geo) and 6 to 8 rams. Trying to decide what to put around them - considering among the following (not all) 2 cocholate cichlid, 4 mesonauta egregious, 4 pseudohemiodon, cupido, dicrossus maculatus, pair of angel fishes, ...
 
BIt of a question if a chocolate cichlid would be able to eat german blue rams (well gold colour) ? Trying to decide how to stock a 400 gallon tank. The primary fish will 6 to 8 winemiller (geo) and 6 to 8 rams. Trying to decide what to put around them - considering among the following (not all) 2 cocholate cichlid, 4 mesonauta egregious, 4 pseudohemiodon, cupido, dicrossus maculatus, pair of angel fishes, ...
I’m not sure if rams will be a great fit with the geophagus. The geophagus are not aggressive but are pretty sizeable and may intimidate the rams. I think all the other fish on your list seem like a good fit except the two dwarf cichlids species which I think will be too timid and outcompeted by the rest of your stock.
 
I’m not sure if rams will be a great fit with the geophagus. The geophagus are not aggressive but are pretty sizeable and may intimidate the rams. I think all the other fish on your list seem like a good fit except the two dwarf cichlids species which I think will be too timid and outcompeted by the rest of your stock.
Yea. My hope (perhaps false hope) is that they would not occupy the same area of the tank. The tank will be 8ftx4ftx22 inehs (l,w,h); the though was the geo would stay toward the open area in the middle front and rams would take the sides with heavy plants.
 
Yea. My hope (perhaps false hope) is that they would not occupy the same area of the tank. The tank will be 8ftx4ftx22 inehs (l,w,h); the though was the geo would stay toward the open area in the middle front and rams would take the sides with heavy plants.
I mean it’s a bloody big tank so there’s plenty of space there. They will however occupy the same space, after all rams are microgeophagus. I think the biotodoma would be a better fit and fill a similar niche, they look pretty similar to rams too.

Cheers
 
I mean it’s a bloody big tank so there’s plenty of space there. They will however occupy the same space, after all rams are microgeophagus. I think the biotodoma would be a better fit and fill a similar niche, they look pretty similar to rams too.

Cheers
Why do you feel cupid biotodoma would be a better fit with geo? To a degree they look like mini winemilleri but is there something about their behavior that makes them better fits ?
 
Why do you feel cupid biotodoma would be a better fit with geo? To a degree they look like mini winemilleri but is there something about their behavior that makes them better fits ?
Much larger than a ram and better able to compete with geophagus who although are pretty gentle for their size are pigs and will be first to any food you put in the tank. It’s a big tank so may be worth a go regardless. I don’t think aggression will be an issue with these species due to the tank size, it has a massive footprint it’s more a case of trying to compete for food.
 
Much larger than a ram and better able to compete with geophagus who although are pretty gentle for their size are pigs and will be first to any food you put in the tank. It’s a big tank so may be worth a go regardless. I don’t think aggression will be an issue with these species due to the tank size, it has a massive footprint it’s more a case of trying to compete for food.
So what - 6 winemilleri; 8 cupid; 2 chocolate; some pleco and cat fishes and what in the upper reaches ?
 
So what - 6 winemilleri; 8 cupid; 2 chocolate; some pleco and cat fishes and what in the upper reaches ?
My kind of tank!

Any of the deeper bodied tetras would be good. Bleeding hearts are a good choice due to their size, Colombian tetras, diamond tetras etc.

Hemiodus are a good choice and look great in a larger tank. Iguanodectes if you can find them.
 
My kind of tank!

Any of the deeper bodied tetras would be good. Bleeding hearts are a good choice due to their size, Colombian tetras, diamond tetras etc.

Hemiodus are a good choice and look great in a larger tank. Iguanodectes if you can find them.
Originally i was going to do serape but my research suggest the winemilleri will eat them and the other larger tetra . Do you think one of the headstanders would work - maybe chilodus punctatus; Iguanodectes adujai is 3 inches but streamline - not sure if the chocolate or winemilleri would eat it. Hemiodus gracilis is larger - or at least longer.
 
Originally i was going to do serape but my research suggest the winemilleri will eat them and the other larger tetra . Do you think one of the headstanders would work - maybe chilodus punctatus; Iguanodectes adujai is 3 inches but streamline - not sure if the chocolate or winemilleri would eat it. Hemiodus gracilis is larger - or at least longer.
I think chilodus would be a good fit. Or in a tank that size you could go for one of the large aonostomids like psuedanos if you can find them. The iguandectes should be large enough to be safe. I think the cichlids would struggle to eat anything larger than a small serpae but I could be wrong. I’ve kept large geophagus but never chocolates.
 
Have you kept the aonostomids ? My concern was if they would be nippers or maybe i'm confusing them with abramites.
 
Have you kept the aonostomids ? My concern was if they would be nippers or maybe i'm confusing them with abramites.
I’ve kept chilodus they’re definitely not. Pretty sure psuedanos are ok but I’ve never kept them. I think you’re right with abramites being nippers along with anostomus and leporinus species.
 
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