6 replies to this topic

[Craig96]

Recently got a nice 40cm dovii he's alone with a pleco
Any ideas on tank mates I want another one or two large fish that can hold their own just wanting some ideas
Cheers 👍

[Johnsy]

No real way of knowing for sure until you trial it. I've kept Dovii in a big American community tank before and been fine. But now he's in the tank alone, you may have trouble introducing other fish.

I've got a male Umbee that was okay with other fish until I moved him into his own tank. Now anything that goes into that tank gets constantly smashed.

[Peckoltia]

My thoughts have always been as follows -

 

Large Guapotes are a lot like dogs, it depends a lot on how they are raised and you keep them. Lots of people think dovvi must live alone, I've kept them in community settings many times, but it was well thought out and a methodical process - more thought generally needs to be put in than usually is. Having a tank with a big male then deciding it is a little boring and you would like more fish is generally never going to work (most of the time).

 

In your case the fish lives alone, and has most likely become accustomed to living alone - even if only for a short space of time. Adding fish in now would be very difficult. Especially doing it how most people would 1 or 2 at a time. The best chance of this fish living in a community set up would be adding this fish to an already established hierarchy/large community and letting the fish find its place that way.

 

Having an already established large male dovii and adding one or two more large fish would be very difficult in my experience. more catfish would be your best bet, in particular large plecos - as they can take a decent whack and generally occupy a different level of the tank and don't pose a direct threat/competition to the dovii.

 

Sometimes you see the odd set up with a big dovii and a RD or something similar. I find that this situation usually arises when a community type set up was the original goal/idea and these fish are the last couple standing and have managed to eventual create a balance between the two that works.

 

It is also largely dependant on tank size, which was not mentioned.

 

Alex

Edited by Peckoltia, 16 June 2015 - 02:05 PM.

[bigjohnnofish]

you wanna borrow a large rtc.... lol.... sort that dovi out

[Ausfishes]

Johnnos red tail cat sure is a beast, I can attest to that

Edited by Ausfishes, 19 June 2015 - 10:44 AM.

[Jules]

Bigger then Midland's one Johnno? popped in there on the weekend, that aint a bad size that one, still got growing to do id say, and the heli cat, phew that's a big one boy....

[Ausfishes]

I haven't been to midland for a while but based on what I remember of midlands and what I remember of johnno's, I'd say they would be a similar size or johnnos a bit bigger. Don't quote me though, wait for johnno himself