Stocking ideas / help for my new severum tank

Ritam23

Ritam23

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Hi all. I have recently got a severum - a red spotted one - which is housed in a 450 ltr tank. It is decorated with some robust plants (vallisneria and few similar hardy plants with very strong root system) + a large drift wood + rocks.

The severum is juvenile - approx 2 inches in length currently, and is alone in the tank. My idea is to make it the centre piece fish and add a school of smallish fish that will stay mostly at the middle layer of the tank. I understand as the severum grows it may consider the small fishes as food, but I will try to keep it well fed to reduce that.

Not looking for any large schooling fish like rainbows or congo tetra.

Any suggestions please?

Thanks in advance.
 

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Severums are pretty peaceful as cichlids go and don't have enormous mouths. Black Skirt or Bleeding Heart tetras would be fine, but you'll definitely want a larger school though so that they feel comfortable and won't get bullied. Larger rasboras like scissortails would also be good.
 

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There are many larger tetras that would be suitable as tank mates, other possibilities include diamond tetras, Colombian or bentosi tetras. I have some silver tetras (Gymnocorymvus Bondi), they work fine as well. If you want more cichlids you could have a small group of Mesonauta (festivums). My severum did not eat plants when she was young, but definitely does now, no more Vallisnetia in my big tank! However she does not eat water lettuce. You might have more luck if plants are well established, I also had two Uarus and they were worse than the severum at eating plants. I never tried Java ferns in that tank (I did in the smaller tank that I had the severum in when she was still quite small, she didn’t eat it) but Java moss gets eaten. At over 5 years old my severum is huge. Quite a calm fish that doesn’t dash about the tank.


IMG_1413.jpeg
 
I should perhaps clarify that the tank where I have my severum is about twice the size of your tank Ritam23, it measures 200 x 65 x 65cm, in the photo you can only see a small portion of it so I would not recommend the Geophagus for your tank, however there would be room for an acara or something like that if you want.
 
how about barbs? there are many sized barbs, consider the 2 inch checkered , the 3-4 inch rosey or the 5-6 inch denison barbs.
 
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T
Severums are pretty peaceful as cichlids go and don't have enormous mouths. Black Skirt or Bleeding Heart tetras would be fine, but you'll definitely want a larger school though so that they feel comfortable and won't get bullied. Larger rasboras like scissortails would also be good.
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Thank you, will look into this.

I should perhaps clarify that the tank where I have my severum is about twice the size of your tank Ritam23, it measures 200 x 65 x 65cm, in the photo you can only see a small portion of it so I would not recommend the Geophagus for your tank, however there would be room for an acara or something like that if you want.
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Thank you, will look into the tetras you mentioned. I did consider for acara and even bolivian ram. But I was told they are not schooling fish so I had to let go of the idea.

Th
how about barbs? there are many sized barbs, consider the 2 inch checkered , the 3-4 inch rosey or the 5-6 inch denison barbs.
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Thank you :) completely forgot barbs so yea thanks for reminding. I don't think checkered are available here. So will look for rosey and denisons. Also, can tiger barbs work with severum? I have kept tiger barbs in the past so know they are hardy and fast, but not sure if they will be compatible with a severum. Any ideas?
 

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I agree with the Black Ruby Barb & Denison recommendations. I currently keep both species.

The Black Rubys have the basic shape of Tiger Barbs, but IMO are more durable & far less aggressive than the Tigers.

Denisons are very mellow, long lived schoolers, not to mention very colorful.
 
The reason I suggested tetras rather than barbs is that I personally prefer to keep fish from the same general area together (continent at least). I appreciate that for many people that isn’t important. I also have much more experience with tetras. I do agree with the comments about tiger barbs, I think they are too hectic and aggressive for the much more sedate severum, other barbs may be fine.
 
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I like de
I agree with the Black Ruby Barb & Denison recommendations. I currently keep both species.

The Black Rubys have the basic shape of Tiger Barbs, but IMO are more durable & far less aggressive than the Tigers.

Denisons are very mellow, long lived schoolers, not to mention very colorful.
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I like denisons as well. But (correct me if I am wrong please) aren't denisons bottom dweller or at least swim at the bottom level most of time? I may be wrong, so please correct me here.

Will look for black ruby for sure, thanks.

The reason I suggested tetras rather than barbs is that I personally prefer to keep fish from the same general area together (continent at least). I appreciate that for many people that isn’t important. I also have much more experience with tetras. I do agree with the comments about tiger barbs, I think they are too hectic and aggressive for the much more sedate severum, other barbs may be fine.
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My other tank has neons and would have loved to keep another big school of neons, but will get eaten for sure. Also kept serpa tetra in past, but they turned out to be fin nipping ones, so returned them.

Will look at both the tetras you mentioned plus the barbs.

Thanks :)
 
Yes, neons are too small but the other tetras mentioned are fine. Bleeding hearts tend to stay near the bottom, diamonds or Colombians mid-tank mainly, but go all over. The severum I would say is a mid tank swimmer most of the time, not so much of a bottom dweller as many other cichlids. When you had serpaes perhaps they were in a smaller tank or a smaller group?
 

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I like denisons as well. But (correct me if I am wrong please) aren't denisons bottom dweller or at least swim at the bottom level most of time? I may be wrong, so please correct me here.
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No, they're pretty active mid-water swimmers.
 
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Yes, neons are too small but the other tetras mentioned are fine. Bleeding hearts tend to stay near the bottom, diamonds or Colombians mid-tank mainly, but go all over. The severum I would say is a mid tank swimmer most of the time, not so much of a bottom dweller as many other cichlids. When you had serpaes perhaps they were in a smaller tank or a smaller group?
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Yes, it was a much smaller tank and crowded that time. Maybe that's why the serpaes became nippy

No, they're pretty active mid-water swimmers.
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Thank you for this

By the way / off topic - I keep on getting some 403 forbidden error from time to time which delays my replies.
 
Yes, it was a much smaller tank and crowded that time. Maybe that's why the serpaes became nippy
Thank you for this

By the way / off topic - I keep on getting some 403 forbidden error from time to time which delays my replies.
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I have been been getting that too, when out of the house ( not on WiFi).
 
I have been been getting that too, when out of the house ( not on WiFi).
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Yeah same was travelling and it completely blocked me. Around where I live it's fine but if I go out of the city I get it.
 
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