I am going to buy a a 125gal tank in the future,I plan on for now:
1 jack dempsey(this is the main fish i want)
1 firemouth
1 convict
i would also add like a green terror( a fish similar to the jack in size and aggression)
and some others the cons size if possible.
My main question is i had up a 29gal tank with some Africans in it some time ago. I have some experience with them but none with the central americans that i want to get for my bigger tank in the future. i was wondering since the CA get large if they are any smaller ones i can keep in my 29 so i get some experience with them(there personality's, water levels and requirements,etc..) so i have an idea what to expect when i get My main tank.
if any one can help me i need to know which ones are small enough for me to keep and how many. i am just looking for a few to learn from.
thanks ....
( i have some experienced with cons)

oh ya if any one has any advice what to keep with my jack in the future please feel free to help with that to i was thinking a green terror or a texas.

just get a male female pair of cons but find a place for the fry first they pretty much sum up most of the CA attitude but please find out what u can do with the fry first thy have alot and dont stop once they start

It should work but I could see the firemouth being picked on by the convict alot, so just make sure you have alot of hideing places for them.

In a couple of years you may have to remove the Green Terror as they grow well over the 13" mark (depending on witch GT you have) and those guys can give a nasty bite as well.

Cich1 has a nice looking one and can tell you more about there agression.

so you don't think a Gt will mix with a dempsey
I would like something the same size

Same size as the dempsy or the GT?

Intersting fact about JDs, they were named after the boxer jack dempsey, when cichlids were relatively new to the general hobbyist, as the overall aggression of the JD was considered to be in the EXTREME back in the time when the general community tank was GOD.

Now we realise that the JD is actually about run of the mill in aggression for CA cichlids, but i still wouldnt recommend putting it in with a firemouth (i can see it dead tbh)

Also i can forsee problems if your convicts spawn, they will get far more aggressive with fry and i figure they wont hesitate to attck the JD if they think the fry are threatened.

Have you maybe given thought to keeping anything other than cichlids in the tank?

i lost my saum awhile back bro. :bye:

you could do a firemouth and convict in that tank and some tiger barbs for targets.

If the GT and JD were fed properly I could see them out growing a 29 in a couple months, possibly less, were they alone... I would strongly suggest following the suggestions of other such as cich1.

the GT(actually gold saum) i had was pretty aggressive with tankmates of the same size and general build(I.E. may be a problem with a dempsey). i would wait for the 6 foot tank before you try mixing those 2.

sorry i havent been on this site in a while, i might of confused u the jd and gterror are just questions for my bigger tank(125 in the future) I was just askin advice about them now.
for my 29gal i just ment like 3 fish: cons,salvini,firemouths,rainbow,sajica etc.. and a few barbs. you know smaller cichlids. i need some advice on these also sorry, and thanks for all the help.

i would say you could go with a convict and a firemouth or a rainbow and a sajica, or just a pair of either four fish. definitely wouldn't recommend a salvini though with any of them. tiger barbs would be a good target fish to have in that tank.