55 Gallon Tank Geophagus Tapajos - South American Tank, would this work?

While traveling for work this week, I visited a LFS in the Kansas City area that had juvenile Geophagus Tapajos for sale. This has been a bucket list fish for some time and I've always thought of adding 1-2 to my SA/C Cichlid tank. After seeing them and finding out that they stock them regularly, I'm really intrigued and am trying to determine the fit.

The tank's stocking is currently with 2 Electric Blue Acaras, 5 Rainbow Cichlids, 2 Firemouths, some smaller Emerald Cories, 3 Black Skirt Tetras, and 2 Plecos (BN and Clown).

In this scenario, I would rehome the Firemouths and the BSTs. The Firemouths have always been a tad too aggressive for the tank and I feel like the more docile Tapajos would fit better with the EBAs and Rainbow Cichlids.

I'd welcome thoughts here. I'm not completely sold, especially because I'd need to bring the fish home on a 7 hour drive to get them home. But would really love to give these fish a shot.

 

Interesting, I can appreciate that you would like to get some they are really nice fish. But they do better in groups, and even though they are not as big as most Geos, they still get to a fair size. I think you already a lot of cichlids for a 55 gallon tank, even without the firemouths. I have a 240 litre tank, that is about 63 gallons I think, I have five young festivums in there and an Apistogramma, but I have a feeling the tank will be too small for all of them when they are full grown.

 

I have no experience with these guys. However, I would have thought that even just 5 Rainbow Cichlids plus 2 EBA's (plus the pleco's) would represent a very well stocked 55 when fully grown?

 

I do appreciate the thoughts and opinions. It does seem that popular opinion is that the Geophagus would be overstocking even without rehoming the fish. I was teetering on that already as well, so unfortunately, I'll have to table that thought for some other future time.

I would consider a 63 gallon with 5 Festivums and 1 Apisto as pretty lightly stocked depending on filtration and WCs. But to each his/her own.

I do prefer a more fully stocked tank and my tank is likely overstocked now, but it it is well-filtered with 2 Penguin 350s and 2 sponge filters, and I do weekly 50% minimum water changes. Other than the larger FM, there is really never any aggression in the tank, the nitrates stay in check with the weekly WCs, and the fish are healthy. Even having said that, I understand that with Cichlids, especially SA ones, you need to make sure that there is room for territories. The tank does seem to do well with that. The Rainbow Cichlids are pretty interesting and almost shoal together most of the time.

I will likely still rehome the FMs as they just don't seem to fit the temperament of the tank anyhow.

 

What age/size are they currently? My Rainbow Cichlids grew to about 5 inches (females a bit smaller) and BA's a bit bigger.

 

What age/size are they currently? My Rainbow Cichlids grew to about 5 inches (females a bit smaller) and BA's a bit bigger.

Mine are a little over 3". But they have not really grown for some time. I have a feeling that I have a RC Sorority! My EBAs are 4.5" and 5" and they have pretty much topped out as well. They grew super-fast the first year that I had them, but tapered off after that and I don't think have grown at all for probably a year.

Believe it or not, I actually had a couple of Bolivian Rams and an adult Severum in the tank before along with a few more Cories and BST. That tank was extremely peaceful as well. In fact, there was probably more peace in that tank than now given my fiesty FM. Most of the fish are about the same size now as they were back then.

 

I would consider a 63 gallon with 5 Festivums and 1 Apisto as pretty lightly stocked depending on filtration and WCs. But to each his/her own.

There are actually a BN pleco and clown pleco as well. It does look lightly stocked at the moment, and for a while I had my female Cichlasoma in there too, but the biggest 3 festivums are so far only about 2” and were tiny when I first got them. I am thinking of when they get to full size and maybe any possible aggression issues as they mature.

 

There are actually a BN pleco and clown pleco as well. It does look lightly stocked at the moment, and for a while I had my female Cichlasoma in there too, but the biggest 3 festivums are so far only about 2” and were tiny when I first got them. I am thinking of when they get to full size and maybe any possible aggression issues as they mature.

Admittedly, I don't know a whole lot about Festivums. They're pretty cool looking though. I have really enjoyed a pretty peaceful SA Cichlid tank as the EBAs and Rainbows are less aggressive than some Tetras and Barbs that I've had.

 

I have a feeling that I have a RC Sorority!

You might be right about that. I think you would have seen them pairing up and breeding by now.

 

You might be right about that. I think you would have seen them pairing up and breeding by now.

True! And they really are such a fun fish, especially in a group. They have such goofy behaviors it's almost like if Cory Doras became cichlid. And so easy going. I had a Bolivian Ram that used to chase them around they're so docile.

 

True! And they really are such a fun fish, especially in a group. They have such goofy behaviors it's almost like if Cory Doras became cichlid. And so easy going. I had a Bolivian Ram that used to chase them around they're so docile.

Yes even when breeding mine only defended a small area. For a while I had a pair of Keyholes in with a pair of breeding Rainbow Cichlids, which says something. Keyholes usually get nervous when another fish looks at them the wrong way.

 

Yes even when breeding mine only defended a small area. For a while I had a pair of Keyholes in with a pair of breeding Rainbow Cichlids, which says something. Keyholes usually get nervous when another fish looks at them the wrong way.

It's really funny how that is. I have my Keyholes in a tank with Cherry Barbs and Kuhli Loaches and two of them still hide and only really come out of the plants when I'm feeding. They may be bigger scaredy cats than the Kuhli Loaches!!