4 L. curviceps in a 33 gallon tank?

[Jayhawk]

Hi all,

I picked up 4 L. curviceps to add to a 33 gallon tank (36" long by 12" wide). They're tiny right now (1" to 1.5" in size approximately - I asked for two bigger and two smaller ones from the same shipment), so I have no clue what I have sex-wise yet.

However, with the tank heavily planted, with driftwood and a few caves/rocky areas to break up sight lines...do you think the 4 will co-exist even as adults in my tank?

Just curious - I've had a pair of curviceps years ago (pair being just two fish - they never spawned to I'm guessing they were of the same sex), but I've never had 4 at once so didn't know how peaceful they'd be as they grew up and maybe, hopefully, a pair forms.

Thanks,

Eric

 

[element]

curviceps are very peaceful for cichlids . they should co-exist even as adults fairly well . if they decide to spawn you may have to remove the other two . although every fish is an individual and i have had one curvicep that was much more aggressive than any of the others . he refused to allow an other curviceps into his territory , except ripe females . he is now in a show tank and gets along fine with the clethiacara and creniacara which share his space. hope this helps.
-Jason

 

[Mike Wise]

I have a pair of L. curviceps that finally produced a spawn after about 5 years. The problem? They were in a 20 long aquarium (30x12x12" / 75x30x30 cm) with 2 other males, one a very dominant male who wouldn't let them have space to breed. Once I moved them to a tank of their own, it was less than a week before they spawned.

 

[Jayhawk]

Sounds like a wait and see situation - they might do OK or need to be separated after (if) a pair forms. Considering how small they are, I know I have some time before I need to decide.

They must feel they've seriously moved up in life going from a 15 gallon tank (with a square footprint) to the 33. They're quite active, eating well, and hang out quite a bit together at this point.

So far, the only aggression in the tank is the blue finned killi who for some reason likes to display at the curviceps and then chase them if they decide to swim away. He's about as long as the curviceps, but only about 1/3rd the size since his body is so much smaller. The curviceps are slowly learning to ignore him...which causes him to swim off and try an intimidate other fish in the tank.

Eric