Gold Severum Tank Mates

Anyone have any ideas on viable tank mates for an already somewhat territorial Golden severum? He's about 3-4 inches. He gets along wonderfully with his current tank mates. Just hasn't always taken well to new additions (those being his size or bigger) Based on previous advice, I am going to attempt to remove the severum, change the tank around, add the new fish(s) and then put the severum back in.
Also in my stock I have:
 
1 x Pearl Gourami
1 x Rainbow Shark
1 x Clown Pleco
4 x White Skirt Tetras

55 gallon tank

Thanks in advance! - See more at: http://www.thinkfish.co.uk/forums/general-fishkeeping-advice/gold-severum-tank-mates/#sthash.LnFbQBT6.dpuf

Looking at your other thread, you've tried a blood parrot (severum bullied it) and a convict (bullied the severum).
Even with moving the decor round I would be reluctant to try another cichlid as those are what the severum has problems with. Maybe try again if you get that bigger tank you mention in the other thread.

I've just looked again at Seriously Fish and in particular its tank size requirements. I now think the reason you are having problems with the severum and other cichlids is tank size. SF recommends

Its not really suitable for tanks less than 48″ x 18″ x 18″ (120cm x 45cm x 45cm) – 243 litres in size.

You currently have a 55 gall tank. If that's American galls, it's 208 litres; if it's Imperial galls, that's 250 litres.

The sev is behaving like this because it is stressed as its tank isn't big enough. Even if your galls are Imperial, the tank is the minimum size the sev needs. Fish often behave against type when they are stressed, becoming either more aggressive or more timid.


I would not get any more cichlids until you have upgraded to the 100 galls you mention in your other thread. But you do have room for non-cichlids. Using the Community Creator and 209 litres (ie 55 US galls), you have a lot of 'unused' space. In the fish profiles, rainbow shark is called ruby shark and skirt tetras are black widow tetras (just different colours of Gymnocorymbus ternetzi).
[I used American galls in the CC as they are more common in fish keeping].

Until you upgrade, personally I'd get more white skirts (white widows) and maybe 10 to 12 of another shoaling species. But I would wait until after the upgrade before trying more cichlids.






PS - are you located in the USA? I just wonder as you give tank sizes in galls rather than litres and you call your tetras white skirts rather than white widows.

When thinking about stocking, always think of the fish as adult. Just because the sev is not fully grown yet doesn't mean it won't behave like an adult if it has reached puberty already. Just think about teenaged human behaviour 


Sevs and tetras are soft water so I assume you have soft water? If so, most tetras above 2 inches should be OK. Nothing small enough for the sev to eat when it is fully grown. If you don't mind about having fish from different areas of the world (and you already have some Asian fish) maybe barbs, though check on the nippiness of a species since you have a gourami.

You could always get some black skirt (black widow) tetras as they are the same species - Gymnocorymbus ternetzi - so they should get on. Rosy tetras (Hyphessobrycon rosaceus) or red phantom tetras (Hyphessobrycon sweglesi) would be OK if you wanted more colour. A biggish shoal should avoid nippiness problems. Or perhaps emperor tetras (Nematobrycon palmeri).
Seriously Fish reckons a tank of 90 x 30 cm (36 x 12 inches) minimum for buenos aires tetras so they are do-able in your 55 gall, and definitely in the upgrade if you want to wait that long.