I found the severums to be quieter and docile. I'm going to raise Discus and other black water fish. These are docile as well. But the ones you listed going into the 300 gallon, wow those are like the top fish of agression.
Hi Ben. I've been watching quite a few of your videos for african cichlids. I have been keeping American Cichlids for many years and got into African cichlids recently. I strongly recommend trying a male Umbee in a solo tank!
I have found a much wider selection of low to moderate aggression south and central American Cichlids. Geophagus are communal fish and need to be in groups of minimum of 4. All my central and South American in fact are in groups of 4 or more which seems to be working well for me. Good luck they are nice looking fish
As al always good content and pleasant to watch. I acquired a salvini with the tank down size as well as a cichlid I can't identify... been thinking about posting it on Facebook for a fish ID. I like how my salvini keeps to himself in his cave unless another fish gets close to the entrance then he chases it halfway across the tank passes six other fish on the way back to his cave.
Great video Ben I went through pretty much the same learning curve as you when I switched from Africans to Americans….all the fish you’re mentioning I have kept, or have tried to keep. I’ll give you a lil tip right now, which you kind of nailed with keeping Sevs and Geos, and fish like Electric Blue Acara’s in one set up and Vieja or other Central Americans in another set up. My tip is tank size plays a huge role with the Central Americans, to the point where bigger will always be better and mean the difference of life and death for some fish. For Vieja if that’s the route your looking to go in, I’d say the 300 can work. But you will need to very carefully pick the fish that are going in there. And be ready to act quickly because those fish don’t fight, they kill each other, and really quickly. The Jack Dempsey may be ok in there with other centrals, but I WOULD NOT risk adding a green terror in there. They aren’t nearly as tough as the name suggests in my experience. Just my 2 cents from what I’ve seen and tried in the past. Salvini could possibly co exist in there , but again…those vieja when they get bigger are really really aggressive and don’t nip at fish, they usually just kill any fish they don’t like. Balance is possible….check out Mike at MBL aquatics on Instagram, his Central set up is amazing, and he’s a real nice guy as well👌🏼 As for Severums and Geos….they are my go to these days and are some of the most rewarding fish that I have ever kept…can’t say enough about it, but you will see as you go though this learning curve that keeping some Americans is way more challenging than keeping Peacocks and Haps. I’m almost inclined to say abandon the Central American idea and go all South w that 300 because there are so many colorful Severums you can do with beautiful geos like Sveni and Altifrons, and even Oscar’s as well because of the big dimensions. But either way you go I wish you luck my friend and may the Force be with you 🙏🏻🤩
And heads up, South & Central American Cichlids hold grudges too! I started out in the hobby with a Hoplarcas Psittacus (True Parrot), a Green Terror, and some others. The Green Terror established himself as tank boss, and was brutal especially towards the true parrot. The true parrot grew a lot faster and became tank boss. When the true parrot became tank boss, he turned all the rest of the tank against the green terror. They all ganged up on him , he’d no where to go. And even after I removed him for a while and then re- introduced him, they killed him any way. After that they all live happily ever after. Lol 🤷🏽♂️
Being I have African peacocks haps, south and central American cichlids, and shell dwellers, I'm getting away from the peas and haps, s/c have far more interesting personally. But I'll keep my shellies
Crazy fish ! I have an OB peacock that will dig with the best of them! He will dig to the bottom of the glass in a 125g tank. I have pretty deep substrate too.
My Severums and Surinamensis Geophagus dig so much, I took out 1/4 of the substrate to discourage them from making tall mounds in the corner front glass. Next thing you know they are getting substrate from the other side, bringing it over, and making more mounds in the corner front glass. 😳🤷🏽♂️
@@HalfManHalfCichlid yeah I definitely use less substrate in all my other tanks. I was really just testing the theory that a really deep substrate will get you closer to the (holy grail) complete cycle. Lol
I keep South Americans and still learning. I keep them because they are big and beautiful. I like peaceful. I did the boo boo of getting a baby sevrum (growing up in another tank) to add. I have sence realized the sevrums are plant eaters. Now I have doubts on adding it in the others.
Eheim are great but very large. Recently I’ve been impressed with the AQQA line of heaters. Consider adding a controller that shuts the power off when the tank hits the desired temp. It will prevent the most common issue with heaters which is over heating the tank and killing the fish. Go for 5 watts per gallon. This old video of mine gets into what I’m referring to: th-cam.com/video/MPWxY2nahjM/w-d-xo.html
Lmao. Omg I have a breeding pair and the looks I get if I move or add something to THEIR tank, still makes me laugh. I tried a sponge filter once. Woke up to black pieces floating everywhere. Quickly checked that off my list of things not to ever use with them again. Lol
I even had difficulty keeping intake tube extensions and strainers on my exterior filters when I had oscars. They'd yank those puppies off every time! I finally gave up trying and just made sure the water level didn't drop below the intake tube they COULDN'T yank off.
@@dawnt6791 I have a friend that actually used silicone to secure the wood ect in his tank. When mine where younger they just didn't want anything in the tank, as they've gotten older, they've actually stopped redecorating so much. Except the sand, everytime the breed, sand gets thrown everywhere. Of course that's cichlids in general lol
@@stayathomecichlidmom3579 I did that with the large rocks I had in my oscar tank - the silicone trick. They initially moved those puppies all over the place, despite their huge size, so I had no choice but to either remove them or secure them in place. I let them shuffle gravel around to their hearts' content, but those rocks.... I just knew they were going to break the glass if I didn't stop that. They were a lot of work sometimes, and I had to let them go to a new home when I had some serious health issues. I miss them. Would love to have one or a pair again. If I ever get a space big enough for a tank big enough. Silicone will be my friend, no doubt. LOL
My breeding pair of Oscars are sooo mellow. 2 Plecos are the only other guests in their home though lol. I literally have to drop food in their mouth otherwise if it floats to the bottom, they will not use the energy to go get it. I put a few Africans with them, for a few days until I set up a tank and they became very stressed out with them flying around at 100mph which led to 2 very pissed off Oscars. At me and them. Lol
South and Central Americans generally have different temperaments. Moving the centrals are a wise move. Then suggest getting more Geos they do so much better in groups of 5 or more. I know it can be confusing If you think about getting a geo braziliensis they would be better with the Central Americans not south 😂
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I get so excited when I get off work in the morning and I'm scrolling through TH-cam and I see a new video makes my day!!! Thanks for all the content!
fishtastic vid Ben!
I found the severums to be quieter and docile. I'm going to raise Discus and other black water fish. These are docile as well. But the ones you listed going into the 300 gallon, wow those are like the top fish of agression.
Keep up the great work Ben 😎 Always learning here as well 👍
Hi Ben. I've been watching quite a few of your videos for african cichlids. I have been keeping American Cichlids for many years and got into African cichlids recently. I strongly recommend trying a male Umbee in a solo tank!
and to learn about American Cichlids' aggression, definitely try Parachromis and Amphilophus!
Love my new set up. Central American with a Few lovely Firemouths especially my Blue Flash. Touch wood at the moment no real problem’s.
I have found a much wider selection of low to moderate aggression south and central American Cichlids. Geophagus are communal fish and need to be in groups of minimum of 4. All my central and South American in fact are in groups of 4 or more which seems to be working well for me. Good luck they are nice looking fish
Great video has always Ben. Quick question. Have you thought about getting another starry night (bleekeri) ?
Funny you should ask, I was thinking about that yesterday. Quite a beautiful fish.
As al always good content and pleasant to watch. I acquired a salvini with the tank down size as well as a cichlid I can't identify... been thinking about posting it on Facebook for a fish ID. I like how my salvini keeps to himself in his cave unless another fish gets close to the entrance then he chases it halfway across the tank passes six other fish on the way back to his cave.
Great video Ben
I went through pretty much the same learning curve as you when I switched from Africans to Americans….all the fish you’re mentioning I have kept, or have tried to keep. I’ll give you a lil tip right now, which you kind of nailed with keeping Sevs and Geos, and fish like Electric Blue Acara’s in one set up and Vieja or other Central Americans in another set up. My tip is tank size plays a huge role with the Central Americans, to the point where bigger will always be better and mean the difference of life and death for some fish. For Vieja if that’s the route your looking to go in, I’d say the 300 can work. But you will need to very carefully pick the fish that are going in there. And be ready to act quickly because those fish don’t fight, they kill each other, and really quickly. The Jack Dempsey may be ok in there with other centrals, but I WOULD NOT risk adding a green terror in there. They aren’t nearly as tough as the name suggests in my experience. Just my 2 cents from what I’ve seen and tried in the past. Salvini could possibly co exist in there , but again…those vieja when they get bigger are really really aggressive and don’t nip at fish, they usually just kill any fish they don’t like. Balance is possible….check out Mike at MBL aquatics on Instagram, his Central set up is amazing, and he’s a real nice guy as well👌🏼 As for Severums and Geos….they are my go to these days and are some of the most rewarding fish that I have ever kept…can’t say enough about it, but you will see as you go though this learning curve that keeping some Americans is way more challenging than keeping Peacocks and Haps. I’m almost inclined to say abandon the Central American idea and go all South w that 300 because there are so many colorful Severums you can do with beautiful geos like Sveni and Altifrons, and even Oscar’s as well because of the big dimensions. But either way you go I wish you luck my friend and may the Force be with you 🙏🏻🤩
I’d say in average, Central American cichlids are more aggressive than SA or African cichlids. CA cichlids also grow, on average, the largest.
Hey Ben! Any plans to get a blood parrot?
Not currently on the list
@@BenOchart What about Firemouth cichlid?
And heads up, South & Central American Cichlids hold grudges too! I started out in the hobby with a Hoplarcas Psittacus (True Parrot), a Green Terror, and some others. The Green Terror established himself as tank boss, and was brutal especially towards the true parrot. The true parrot grew a lot faster and became tank boss. When the true parrot became tank boss, he turned all the rest of the tank against the green terror. They all ganged up on him , he’d no where to go. And even after I removed him for a while and then re- introduced him, they killed him any way. After that they all live happily ever after. Lol 🤷🏽♂️
Fish don’t have short memories!
Being I have African peacocks haps, south and central American cichlids, and shell dwellers, I'm getting away from the peas and haps, s/c have far more interesting personally. But I'll keep my shellies
Crazy fish ! I have an OB peacock that will dig with the best of them! He will dig to the bottom of the glass in a 125g tank. I have pretty deep substrate too.
My Severums and Surinamensis Geophagus dig so much, I took out 1/4 of the substrate to discourage them from making tall mounds in the corner front glass. Next thing you know they are getting substrate from the other side, bringing it over, and making more mounds in the corner front glass. 😳🤷🏽♂️
I have gone with less than 1/2 inch substrate and it works great
@@HalfManHalfCichlid yeah I definitely use less substrate in all my other tanks. I was really just testing the theory that a really deep substrate will get you closer to the (holy grail) complete cycle. Lol
I keep South Americans and still learning. I keep them because they are big and beautiful. I like peaceful. I did the boo boo of getting a baby sevrum (growing up in another tank) to add. I have sence realized the sevrums are plant eaters. Now I have doubts on adding it in the others.
I have beautiful crypts with my severums. Made a video recently on this
Hi my name is Junebugg. What kind of heaters do you trust and use?
Eheim are great but very large. Recently I’ve been impressed with the AQQA line of heaters. Consider adding a controller that shuts the power off when the tank hits the desired temp. It will prevent the most common issue with heaters which is over heating the tank and killing the fish. Go for 5 watts per gallon. This old video of mine gets into what I’m referring to: th-cam.com/video/MPWxY2nahjM/w-d-xo.html
Love south and central cichlids and predatory catfish
My Oscar likes to eat the sponge filter, move his driftwood and digs up his sand when he decides to redocorate
Lmao. Omg I have a breeding pair and the looks I get if I move or add something to THEIR tank, still makes me laugh.
I tried a sponge filter once. Woke up to black pieces floating everywhere. Quickly checked that off my list of things not to ever use with them again. Lol
I even had difficulty keeping intake tube extensions and strainers on my exterior filters when I had oscars. They'd yank those puppies off every time! I finally gave up trying and just made sure the water level didn't drop below the intake tube they COULDN'T yank off.
@@dawnt6791 I have a friend that actually used silicone to secure the wood ect in his tank. When mine where younger they just didn't want anything in the tank, as they've gotten older, they've actually stopped redecorating so much. Except the sand, everytime the breed, sand gets thrown everywhere. Of course that's cichlids in general lol
@@stayathomecichlidmom3579 I did that with the large rocks I had in my oscar tank - the silicone trick. They initially moved those puppies all over the place, despite their huge size, so I had no choice but to either remove them or secure them in place. I let them shuffle gravel around to their hearts' content, but those rocks.... I just knew they were going to break the glass if I didn't stop that. They were a lot of work sometimes, and I had to let them go to a new home when I had some serious health issues. I miss them. Would love to have one or a pair again. If I ever get a space big enough for a tank big enough. Silicone will be my friend, no doubt. LOL
My breeding pair of Oscars are sooo mellow. 2 Plecos are the only other guests in their home though lol.
I literally have to drop food in their mouth otherwise if it floats to the bottom, they will not use the energy to go get it.
I put a few Africans with them, for a few days until I set up a tank and they became very stressed out with them flying around at 100mph which led to 2 very pissed off Oscars. At me and them. Lol
Btw your tanks are looking amazing as always. Those Geo'sv♥️
Imo i feel saca r more aggressive than afs prob cuz they get bigger
South and Central Americans generally have different temperaments. Moving the centrals are a wise move. Then suggest getting more Geos they do so much better in groups of 5 or more. I know it can be confusing If you think about getting a geo braziliensis they would be better with the Central Americans not south 😂
Will stick with the African cichlids for now.
Welcome to the wild World of central American cichlids