T-Bar Cichlid - Cryptoheros sajica

[Clerk]

Well, I know that these guys keep getting shifted around to what genus they belong to, but I have 6 of these little guys, about the size of a quarter. I have read up a bit, and some from the club members, but I would like to set up a Central American/SA tank with a pair (after they pair off I will trade out the rest.) I was planning on keeping some BN in the tank, since I read they will be fine.

I would like to know some good tankmates, that are not larger then the sajica, but that will still be okay. Maybe rainbow cichlid, curviceps?

Tank Size is 55, so I know I have limited options.

[Gourami Swami]

In a 55, why not have the one pair of sajica plus a bunch or rainbowfish and your plecos? Sounds pretty stocked to me.

[Clerk]

I have been doing some research and reading, and am leaning towards the final goal of...

1 Sajica (male or female?)
1 pair of keyhole cichlids or 1 pair of Rainbow Cichlids
Emperor Tetra (dithers)
BN

[redpaulhus]

I like the rainbowfish as dithers, since many of them do better at the higher pH and hardness (which the CA's prefer) compared to most tetras, as well as being a bit larger and more robust.

Rainbow cichlids would work as "target" cichlids to help the Sajica's pair off. Firemouths could also work.

[Clerk]

Well, I was leaning towards the emperors because I already have 5, as well as 5 arulius (sp?) barbs, which could also work.

As for water properties, I generally believe stable water conditions is superior then constantly trying to adjust it. The emperors, barbs, and sajica were all spawned locally in the same water.

[redpaulhus]

Originally Posted by Clerk

As for water properties, I generally believe stable water conditions is superior then constantly trying to adjust it. The emperors, barbs, and sajica were all spawned locally in the same water.

Agreed.
Unfortunately, my local water is liquid cotton - soft soft soft - and my pH generally stabilizes somewhere between 6.0 and 6.5 unless I buffer like mad.
Sadly, I've found that CA and Rift Lake fishes really hate my water, unless I bring it up to something they find more comfortable in terms of pH, KH and GH.
At which point my softwater fishes get irritated. So most of my tanks are pretty much totally either soft water fishes or hard water fishes - only one tank really features a mix of the two.

If you've got water that can support both emperor tetras and sajicas - more power to ya !

How assertive are you emperor tetras ? I've never tried them in a tank with non-dwarf cichlids. I do agree that they would look sweet with the sajicas.

[Clerk]

They seem to be boisterous enough. As previously mentioned the Sajica are very young, (nickel-quarter size), and the emperors are still not full size either, (full size around a stocky 2.5" (parents of the ones I have), and are large enough to be safe IMO.

My main issue is trying to find a proper stocking balance, between dithers and the cichlids I actually keep.

As I mentioned I am leaning toward

1 Sajica (male or female?)
1 pair of keyhole cichlids or 1 pair of Rainbow Cichlids
Emperor Tetra/Aruluis Barbs (dithers)
Bristlenose Plecs

or

1 Pair Sajica
1 Pair Rainbow Cichlids
Emperor Tetra/Aruluis Barbs (dithers)
Bristlenose Plecs


I primarily need advice on the stocking amount, and ratios of fish.