Help needed with tankmates

Hello all

I am hoping someone can help here with this big guy.

First some backstory. I rescued/bought this Vieja (I believe) Synspilum who looked like he was really unhappy in this tank the shop had shoved him into. Being the soul I am I made a plan with a bigger tank and got him home. I was told that he was given to them because he had gotten aggressive with his tankmates. I put this down to the usual factors, tank size, kind of mate etc, but the shop couldnt tell me much other than that. I bought a highfin pleco as a tankmate, but he just got bullied to the point of having to be unceremoniously dumped into another tank where one was already (they had a scuffle but it settled in less than half an hour).

The Synspilum looks more than happy being on his own, he plays hand chase with my daughter, and seems to love people. I tried to give him a little interest in the tank by adding rock, wood and a plastic plant- ewe. Everything bar the wood gets moved around, and that plastic plant is just a good way to throw things at the glass, so hes testy.

He has to be moved to a bigger tank and a more permanent home in the next few weeks, and this is my dilemma. Do I take the risk of getting another 5 or 6 foot and adding a few American cichlids, or do I custom build him a 4 foot and leave him on his own? My gut tells me to put him in on his own, but as I don't know the type that well, I thought I would seek advice. Additionally would a mate help in either circumstance? I have read that its is extremely difficult to just introduce a mate. I have no desire to buy him a mate and then have to re-home her as well. The tank count in my house is already raising the wifes eyebrows, and shell just think its an excuse to get more .

Anyone with some experience here on this?

Thanks and cheers

 

Oh dear, no replies, lets hope the bump gets something.

 

hello Angotull,

i had paratheraps synspilum before they are very agressive. dou you have a male or female? i had a similar situation you can try to some redhump eartheate like i did.

 

Hi

So mine is a male, but I dont know how old he is. Did they work for you?

 

not the best idea trying a community as CA cichlids are just mean and nasty and you never know if it will work
they do really well in a single fish wet pet environment and interact with you becoming real pets best when kept alone
would not try community in anything less than 1000ltr and 500ltr with a divider for a pair

 

@Angotull... I have no experience with Viejas however thebehaviour he is displaying is just like am adult Oscar that once in the tankfor a while he thinks he is king
My past experience in this situation with Oscars is, allother fish must go into the tank first, let them settle 2 or 3 weeks and then Iadd the big Oscar.
By doing this, he is the stranger/new comer to the tank andaccepts what is in the tank, if he goes in first and then you add other mates,they are intruders into his world
I have done this numerous times and it has worked for me,with Oscars.
I even introduced a breeding pair to a tank with babyloaches and they all well and alive
If you want to give a try at tank mates, I think you mightfind the same will work for you

 

Oh I agree... sometimes you don't win...
But if I was determined to give it a try, that's how I would do it

 

I would put it alone, or with a female, but with a divider or places for her to hide. I would also get a bigger tank, 5 or 6 foot rather than a 4 foot. But it's up to you, you could always try a community knowing that there will be a lot of aggression.

 

Thanks for the input all. The latest idea here is I am probably going to acquire a 2.5 m tank on the weekend. I am thinking I might set that up as a CA community tank and see if after a while this guy will acclimate, if not, ill divide the tank and setup another for him.

 

I just started keeping CA/SA's in a large tank with plenty of hiding places, added them as single specie juvies, within a very short period of time. So far so good, have a few spare tanks that I can use to separate fish if war breaks out.

 

Agree with what you plan... Good luck.