Archocentrus sajica & A. spilurum

[SpanishGuy111]

Has anyone kept these fish and would like to lend some information? I am planning on keeping a group of each in a 35G possibly with some Salvinis and/or rainbow cichlids. My Convict, Fluffy (see avatar) will also be living there.

35G Standard 36x12x18
EHEIM 2213+Kit B1
AQUACLEAR 300
Ebo Jager 200Watt heater

any suggestions as to decoration, etc?

Current plans food wise are:
Cichlid Complete (Hikari)
Veggie Flakes (HBH)
Frozen Mysis shrimp and blood worms (Hikari)
Green Peas
Noori
Omega One Marine Flake

Temperature planned: 79F

I know the spilurums have VERY fragile skin so no sharp rocks etc...

 

[wayne]

Yes I had four I got from a friend who bred them. They were quite colourful, relatively hardy and ludicrously easy to breed to the extent that locally you really can't give them away. I also found them , compared to popular rumour, that they were mean little s.ob.s and not much better than cons.
Keeping a group with these in a 35 with the spilurum and a con will cause no end of bother with the spilurum likely coming off worst. Salvinis are pretty mean as well, and would not be out of place with a single pair in the 35.
Water - neutral, moderately hard, mid 70's thanks. Big , rounded boulders, bits of wood, gravel. Apparently the fry feed on the parents mucus, but I've never seen this.

 

[SpanishGuy111]

So, you think I should skip the sajicas? Or the Salvins?

I have to keep the 4 spilurum and the convict, who are all good friends and sleep together in a little group.

When you say large boulders, do you mean arranged to make caves, or just randomly placed about the aquarium?

I noticed they become EXTREMELY aggressive when caves are available.

Oh and I live in Toronto so 8-10GH KH about 5ish PH 7.4-7.6

 

[wayne]

It's up to you. I'm surprised you think you can keep any of these as little groups long term. What do you think is goingto happen when the spilurum pair off - they're not as bad as cons, but will still become pretty nasty, particularly to the other spilurums. This all good friends sleeping cosily together is going to last a couple more months, but I doubt much more. I kept my 4 with other fish, and then one day one of them, the largest sajica, had no fins courtesy of a busy night by one of the others. They were an inch and a half at that point, in a 4 foot.
3 foot by 1 foot tank says keep a pair of the spilurums, the con, and try to get a pair of something dissimilar, like Thorichthys elliotti (?). My opinion is mixing more than one pair of Archocentrus in a 3 foot is asking for trouble