4 FT 90 Gallon American Cichlid Tank

[RyBamJo]

Hi Guys,

As referenced in my previous post I will be starting a new thread to show my 4FT American Cichlid tank, enjoy!

Stocking is currently below:

- Gold Severum
- Green Striped Severum
- Nicaragua Cichlid
- Geophagus (not 100% sure what species to please let me know!)
- Jack Dempsey
- Salvini Cichlid
- Ornate Bichir (only in there temporarily as growing out)

I did have an electric blue Jack Dempsey as well at the start of the tank's life cycle but around 3 months in it started having some health issues that I attempted to alleviate but I just couldn't help unfortunately and he passed away while I was on holiday. The rest of the fish are all perfectly healthy! They occasionally show signs of aggression towards each other but no serious injuries and usually subside within an hour and the tank is peaceful again. The fish I have had the longest is the Nicaragua and the Gold Severum and the most recent additions have been the Geophagus and the Bichir. I recently rescaped the tank with fake plants (not my favourite) as I had live in there but the Severums wouldn't leave the anubias alone and the Geo/Salvini would constantly dig up any rooted plants.

I am aware that the Bichir will likely outgrow this tank before long and I do have the money/space for a 6ft tank once one becomes available that I like the style of locally to me but I still think I have quite a while to wait before it becomes needed. I think over the next year I'd like to pick up that 6ft tank and move over some of the larger inhabitants (Severums and Geo + Bichir) and have the 4ft for the slightly smaller Cichlids. I have REALLY enjoyed keeping the Nicaraguan Cichlid and she has buckets of personality and does not let anyone boss her around! I also want to transition the next (in its next iteration) to a black sandy bottom but unfortunately, here in the UK I cannot seem to find ANY affordable options (let me know if anyone has any experience with black sand in the UK)

Any tips please let me know as I'm always looking to learn!!

 

[BeachCruiser]

Nice! I've always liked the new world cichlids.

Kept a huge Texas Cichlid for almost a decade. His iridescence was just crazy! But yeah, live plants don't last long...

 

[RyBamJo]

Nice! I've always liked the new world cichlids.

Kept a huge Texas Cichlid for almost a decade. His iridescence was just crazy! But yeah, live plants don't last long...

I loved the look of those but I never see them locally to me!! Plastic plants for now unfortunately

 

[TClare]

Nice fish, eventually you might need a bigger tank...or to separate them if any aggression occurs.

 

[chromedome52]

All of those fish will outgrow a 90 gallon tank. The eartheater is Geophagus pyrocephalus, the Red Headed Geophagus. Bear in mind also that the Trichromis salvini is an ambush predator, and males often get very aggressive and territorial. If you start seeing ripped fins, it's probably him. Your "green striped Severum" is actually a Red Shoulder variety. I suspect that your Gold is actually a Red Spotted Gold, from the color intensity.

The tank looks nice and peaceful for now, but you already know that this is temporary. When sexual maturity kicks in, so does territoriality and aggression. Good luck!

 

[BeachCruiser]

I loved the look of those...

He was awesome! Would let me pet him underwater & gently ate shrimp from my hand. Had to give him to a friend when i did a multi state move...he lived for several years after that!

 

[RyBamJo]

All of those fish will outgrow a 90 gallon tank. The eartheater is Geophagus pyrocephalus, the Red Headed Geophagus. Bear in mind also that the Trichromis salvini is an ambush predator, and males often get very aggressive and territorial. If you start seeing ripped fins, it's probably him. Your "green striped Severum" is actually a Red Shoulder variety. I suspect that your Gold is actually a Red Spotted Gold, from the color intensity.

The tank looks nice and peaceful for now, but you already know that this is temporary. When sexual maturity kicks in, so does territoriality and aggression. Good luck!

I am collecting a 5x2x2 mid-next week so I'll be splitting the fish across the 2 tanks once they are slightly larger but still have a decent amount of time before I think they will get too large for that 4ft!

Thanks for the information about the species!! I had no idea which Geo it was and same for the Severum. I think I remember now getting the Red Spotted when I bought it but I forgot to list it as such

Out of curiosity what age would you suspect sexual maturity kicks in?

 

[RayClem]

A 90 gallon tank is great, but a six foot 125 gallon is even better for larger fish like cichlids.

I had a 90 gallon which I used as a community tank. I always included a Jack Dempsey as they are beautiful. I also liked accompanying it with a few larger fish such as Tin Foil Barbs and Silver Dollars. I found that I could keep a small shoal of fin nippers like tiger barbs in the tank as the Jack Dempsey play marshal over the tank and keep the tiger barbs from becoming nuisances.

 

[RyBamJo]

A 90 gallon tank is great, but a six foot 125 gallon is even better for larger fish like cichlids.

I had a 90 gallon which I used as a community tank. I always included a Jack Dempsey as they are beautiful. I also liked accompanying it with a few larger fish such as Tin Foil Barbs and Silver Dollars. I found that I could keep a small shoal of fin nippers like tiger barbs in the tank as the Jack Dempsey play marshal over the tank and keep the tiger barbs from becoming nuisances.

Yeah next step for me once the grow out is to split them across the 4ft Tank the 125 I'm getting next week!

 

[TClare]

Do you know how you are going to split them, who is going where?

 

[RyBamJo]

Do you know how you are going to split them, who is going where?

Plan at the moment is to leave the 4FT alone as its developing quite well and split out once some (if any aggression develops). Will also see when they are fully grown about moving the larger fish over, namely the Severums and Bichir.

The tank I'm getting next week is coming with 2 Oscars that I'm temporarily rehoming as the owner doesn't want them anymore. I think I will be giving them away to an owner with a larger tank or to my LFS once I have everything setup as I think the tank they are in (5x2x2) is a little small for 2 fully grown Oscars.

Lots of options though I'm just looking forward to having 2 large tanks