# Mixing Rbp With Spilos Or Macs?



## Co. Caines (Feb 14, 2011)

i have 22 juvenile RBPs and my friend is looking to take a few off my hand but i am only willing to consider this if i can add another species Spilos or Macs to my tank. i want to know if anyone has been successful at doing this for more than a year.

when i picked up my RBPs i was unaware that Spilos or Macs had been successfully shoaled. other wise i would of gone with a group of those instead. And now that i have them i dont want to let them go, so i was curious if they have been successfully shoaled in a home aquarium. my tank is a 180g. i dont want to do piraya or caribe because they get too big.

any help will be greatly appreciated and if the mix is not possible so be it.


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## THE BLACK PIRANHA (Dec 8, 2003)

22 Reds even in a 180 will not work for more than 6 months and if you try and add Macs the Macs will pick on the reds and nip fins. It can be done but I advise against it. I think you need to slim down your shoal by half cause your reds will reach up to 12".


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## Co. Caines (Feb 14, 2011)

yea i know eventually i will have to get rid of more than half, but i know natural selection will take care of some of it for me. thats why i was considering spilos since they length average is lower, so they will take up less room overall...


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## SandNukka15 (Nov 16, 2010)

golds might not take up as much space as red bellies but they are more aggresive and in return require more gallons per fish. IMO you would be able to fit more red bellies in an 180 then golds or close to the same but def not more golds then reds


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## Co. Caines (Feb 14, 2011)

yea but i want to take out about 6 reds and replace them with one ruby red spilo. is that possible but i want only a small 2" spilo


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## Guest (Apr 9, 2011)

How big are your reds now?


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## Co. Caines (Feb 14, 2011)

2-4"


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## Guest (Apr 9, 2011)

I wouldn't try to co-hab anything even if you get rid of 6 that's still a lot of fish.


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## Co. Caines (Feb 14, 2011)

yea i know thats why over time, when they grow bigger the shoal will be cut down in half from natural selection or sold off... i am hoping to have 8-10 remaining by the 6-7" mark. and i wanted one of them to be a Spilo.


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## Guest (Apr 9, 2011)

You can try it, though you'd probably end up loosing the spilo.


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## Co. Caines (Feb 14, 2011)

why the spilo? i figured the reds will go quicker, or they would attack the dither fishes more. or exodons will be exterminated


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## Guest (Apr 10, 2011)

Exodons? you have exo's in too?
Sounds like a party in your tank lol


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## Co. Caines (Feb 14, 2011)

Yea there is 15 exodons in there as well. About 10 tetras 2 3" plecos 2 guppies and 3 small convicts. The convicts and guppies and tetras were suppose to be food. But the RBPs r taking there time eating their feeders. Whenever an exodon attacks a fish the RBPs finish it off. I am hoping the final outcome is exodons and RBPs and a hopefully a spilo.


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## Guest (Apr 10, 2011)

IMO that tank is overstocked. Common plecs grow huge and produce a lot of waste.


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## Smoke (Sep 8, 2010)

Got any videos of your setup?


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## Co. Caines (Feb 14, 2011)

My tank is way way over stocked. Since I am new to the hobby I got more than i planned to keep so I have a cushion and dont need to replace anything. I have a quick video on iPhone that I took after a gravel vac and water change so the water is quite cloudy. I will post it. I am at red lobster now so I can't do a new one.


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## Piranha-Freak101 (Dec 8, 2010)

pics or i dont believe it


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## Smoke (Sep 8, 2010)

Co. Caines said:


> My tank is way way over stocked. Since I am new to the hobby I got more than i planned to keep so I have a cushion and dont need to replace anything. I have a quick video on iPhone that I took after a gravel vac and water change so the water is quite cloudy. I will post it. I am at red lobster now so I can't do a new one.


Cool beans.


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## Co. Caines (Feb 14, 2011)

Quick question how do you embed on this site ?


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## Smoke (Sep 8, 2010)

See the orange rectangle... that's the "insert media" button... just paste the YouTube link there...


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## Co. Caines (Feb 14, 2011)

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQAFRLXeJsQ&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL


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## Smoke (Sep 8, 2010)

Wow I think that looks really nice man! I didn't expect them to look so harmonious. I mean damn, they looked like some happy fish! Nice cave setups etc.


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## Co. Caines (Feb 14, 2011)

Yea how I accimilated them they became very docile. No one believes they coexist. When the LFS sold them to me he garaunteed I would be back in 3 days to return them. It's been almost two months of this complete cohab... I know if I remove some fish and add the spill the Cohab will be thrown out the window.


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## Co. Caines (Feb 14, 2011)

Where can I get a baby spilo from online


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## Smoke (Sep 8, 2010)

Co. Caines said:


> Where can I get a baby spilo from online


What kind? Ruby Red or Gold? I see our sponsors have some available, depending on size and type...


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## Dolphinswin (Jun 26, 2010)

First off, Those exodons and tetras will be taken out, I'll bet my tank on it. Second off you toss a ruby red spilo int there its going to pick off a few red before it gets pick off. You cant/shouldnt keep macs or ruby reds with pygos.

step one: Get rid of the plecos
step two: Place the exodons in a seperate tank or sell them.
step three: Enjoy your red bellys without having to toss in a much more expensive fish.

Sponsors dont get small ruby reds often if at all


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## Smoke (Sep 8, 2010)

Dolphinswin said:


> First off, Those exodons and tetras will be taken out, I'll bet my tank on it. Second off you toss a ruby red spilo int there its going to pick off a few red before it gets pick off. You cant/shouldnt keep macs or ruby reds with pygos.
> 
> step one: Get rid of the plecos
> step two: Place the exodons in a seperate tank or sell them.
> ...


George has 3" RRS currently available. I'm sure the OP wouldn't mind taking on your bet if you give him a valid time period, and you are really willing to ship him your tank







j/k..


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## Dolphinswin (Jun 26, 2010)

Smoke said:


> First off, Those exodons and tetras will be taken out, I'll bet my tank on it. Second off you toss a ruby red spilo int there its going to pick off a few red before it gets pick off. You cant/shouldnt keep macs or ruby reds with pygos.
> 
> step one: Get rid of the plecos
> step two: Place the exodons in a seperate tank or sell them.
> ...


George has 3" RRS currently available. I'm sure the OP wouldn't mind taking on your bet if you give him a valid time period, and you are really willing to ship him your tank







j/k..
[/quote]
Hes talking 1-2" small I believe. Anyways its a terrible idea.


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## Smoke (Sep 8, 2010)

Dolphinswin said:


> First off, Those exodons and tetras will be taken out, I'll bet my tank on it. Second off you toss a ruby red spilo int there its going to pick off a few red before it gets pick off. You cant/shouldnt keep macs or ruby reds with pygos.
> 
> step one: Get rid of the plecos
> step two: Place the exodons in a seperate tank or sell them.
> ...


George has 3" RRS currently available. I'm sure the OP wouldn't mind taking on your bet if you give him a valid time period, and you are really willing to ship him your tank







j/k..
[/quote]
Hes talking 1-2" small I believe. Anyways its a terrible idea.
[/quote]

Oh an AE has 1-2" Gold Spilos...


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## Guest (Apr 11, 2011)

To the OP,
Impressive set-up and although your tank is over stocked, you know it is so you know what you have to do and when.

As far as adding an RRS or Mac to the shoal, I personally wouldn't risk it, not saying it can't be done given the right conditions but personally I wouldn't. If you do decide to do it the sites sponsors usually have them. The better option would be to get another tank to house a single RRS or Mac and maybe try cohab's with tetras.
This hobby is often trial and error, and experimenting though many don't encourage it is essential. That being said, the cohab your looking for has been done and I believe someone on here is trying a similar cohab but I can't remember who.

If you want to risk it for the chocolate biscuit, by all means go ahead, but keep in mind it might or might not work. Also becareful with your water params, as everything grows in that tank your filtration will need to be able to deal with it.

ps. Pay no attention to Dolphinswin do what you want as long as you know what could and might happen.


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## Mr. Hannibal (Feb 21, 2003)

That kind of cohab has been tried many many many times before and i can't remember anyone that succeeded in the LONG term... but i remember a ton that failed







... those are your fish so you can do what ever you want but i won't recommend it...


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## Co. Caines (Feb 14, 2011)

I am more than well aware that the its less than a 20% chance it will work. especially if i keep the exodons in the tank. I am also expecting that all the small tetras and guppies and convicts will become food immediately which is what they initially intended to be but the Ps are too slow to catch them. i know a lot of this hobby is trail and error in terms of tank mates and most suggest rocks and plants should be the only thing in their tank. but if I or some other willing participants dont try we would never truly know the outcome. and all will be left to speculation. and with the right price i am willing to put the time and money in to try. and if it fails i just will can try again with different variables, or hope another tries with their own variables.

but i definetly appreciate all the input negative or possitive that members on this site has given, as well as their personal experiences to help alter my outcomes with my trails.

thank you everything said will be taken into consideration during my search to find a spilo before i decided if now is the best time to take that leap of faith.


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## Guest (Apr 12, 2011)

Keep us updated if you do go through with it








Good luck


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## Dolphinswin (Jun 26, 2010)

Terrible idea still. Its not doing anything for the hobby cuz if it did work for you it wouldn't work for the other 98 percent. They don't shoal together in the wild so why force them together in a tank? Take the time and think about what your doing with your tank, stressing other fish out and such. You should have exodons in there anyways or guppies. I also never said u could get gold macs at small size I said rrs is harder.


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## the_w8 (Jul 28, 2003)

G'LUCK!


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## Piranha-Freak101 (Dec 8, 2010)

water looks cloudy to me, what are your params.

personally i say when you try "these" cohabs atleast make the tank "natural" or close to their habitat.
I also say you ditch all those fish and keep those exos. Adding a RRS or Mac will just stress the fish out more than what they already are.


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

Co. Caines said:


> [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQAFRLXeJsQ&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL


Although it looks cool for now, I'll bet my right nut (everybody always bets their left nut... I'm gonna go against the grain on this one... lol) that your "cohab" isn't going to last very long.


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## Co. Caines (Feb 14, 2011)

I think the Cohab with the pleco and exos and RBP will last at least a year if I don't mess with the Cohab the way it already is. None of the fish SEEM stressed. All the other fish are there to be eaten. The RBP are not even that skittish. They are never hiding and always eat in front of me. The only time the RBPs and exos freak out is when I turn off the lights in the tank the swim to other lighted side of the tank. Compared to my friends RBPs that are 5 years old mine seem to be enjoying their captivity.

The reason the water is extremely cloudy is that I just finish doing a sand vac and I am still new to it thus a lot of sand becomes free floating for about 2 hours after.


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## Piranha-Freak101 (Dec 8, 2010)

why do people just buy all these fish and then use the excuse "All the other fish are there to be eaten". why waste their life like that. im not trying to preach here but i see no point in having all those fish packed in there when you can just give them to a lfs.


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## Co. Caines (Feb 14, 2011)

Because the fish were purchased with the intent to be feeders since i was advised by other members that minnows and goldfish are not safe. So I got what ever fish was selling 2 for $2. And the others were used to cycle the tank.


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## Piranha-Freak101 (Dec 8, 2010)

ok your tank should be cycled by now GET RID OF THEM !!







again not trying to bust you're "left nut" ( yea thats for you p-man ) im just trying to help you out


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## Co. Caines (Feb 14, 2011)

taking out the remaining 7 tetras that i paid a total of about $8 for and take them back to the store for credit seem to be uneconomical to me. the amount of credit i would potentially receive would be a lot less than the amount of money i spent on the gas to go to the LFS and back home. it doesnt cost me any extra to feed them because they eat the same food my Ps eat, and eat the scraps as well. they also decent dither fish for my Ps random aggression, when or if ever it occurs. as well as fish for my exos to de-scale whenever the urge arises.


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

piranha-freak101 said:


> ok your tank should be cycled by now GET RID OF THEM !!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hell, I don't even have a left nut anymore.
It's been busted so many times...

All I've got is this gigantic right one that's enlarged to take on the added workload due to it's now useless partner.


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