Hello, just trying to to get some opinions on a possible mix. I have a 5X2X2.5 tank with a single texas (carpinte) about 4inches which is going to go in there. Hopefully I'll be able to get a mate for him. However I would also like to be able to keep another pair in there. Is this tank big enough for another breeding pair? If so any suggestions for species ( was thinking maybe Tetracanthus)? If not, which size tank would be needed? Lastly Are there any suitable dither fish that could be added or possibly some type of catfish that i could add?
Cheers!
Regarding catfish i could make some suggerstions, but it depends if you want to try and breed your cichlids!
Synodontids are very tough, can be quite boisterous and will stick up for themselves, they are also very fast healers. The down side is that most are nocturnal and many will try and eat eggs and young fry
Plecos, especially the hypostamous and peckolita varities can be very tough and can withstand a beating, but my advice is to try and pick ones that dont have protruding eyes, all that armour is useless if the cichlids go for their eyes! Also as they are heavilly armoured and immune to most assualts, they do tend to nest raid other fishes fry.
I wouldnt recommend any of the mid water or large gulper style catfish (species from pseudo and platy brachysoma) as they tend to lose VS cichlids!
If i was to pick something out, id go for the feather fin catfish Synodontis Eupterus which is very tough, can and will fight back, all it requires is a smooth substrate and a place to hide. Males are stunning animals with an amazing finnage, and get to 8inch, females dont have the finnage but get a nice dappled pattern and can attain up to 10 inch in length. The added bonus is youngsters are relatively cheap, ive seen them as low as £3 each! Unfortunately you cant sex youngsters as they all look alike and change as they get older,
BUT i can also recommend that if you havent got your heart set on a catfish, you could try getting a Polypterus Senegaulus or a polypterus delhezi. These are relatively peaceful carnivores that want bust a gut to hunt baby cichlids if you keep them well fed! They are otherwise peacefull, very tough and armoured to boot. average sizes of p. senegaules is 10-12 and delhezi is 8-10 inch. Both prefer acid water, both require meaty diets such as blood worm, lance fish, cockles, earthworms etc etc. p senegaulus is a uniform pale grey with a mild attitude and can range in price from £3-£15 dependant on size. P delhezi is harder to find and more attractively marked, with a grey body with black dappling and olive green stripes, this can be bought for about £8-£20 dependant on size!
Btw your tank is about the right size to support a pair of medium cihlids or 2 pair of small ones, but if you wish to keep other fish in, id stick to the one pair, as they wont have any refuge, and be running form one chichlids territory into anothers
Sorry i cant help with your cichlids, im a bit useless with them, i only keep geophagus and they are a bit of a mystery to me!
you may be able to get away with a pair of cons with them but most likely there would be trouble in my opinion. i would stick with the pair of texas and some targets. Nandopsis tetracanthus(cuban cichlid) wouldn't be an option to mix in my opinion especially a pair of them.