The first issue in maintaining pike cichlids is housing: what size tank? The answer depends on the age of the specimen in question and, to some extent, the nature of the species. I find it best to start out with groups of 5-8 juveniles and grow them up together. The wise aquarist will select individuals that are nearly identical in size, thus violating one of the cardinal rules of cichlid keeping. You will remember that for most Neotropical cichlids, males tend to grow faster than females and a good mix of sizes is recommended to guarantee pairs upon grow out. The result of mixed sizes of pikes? Usually harassment and death of the smaller fish. In my admittedly limited experience to date with these fish, compatible pairs are often very close in size, with the male only slightly larger than his consort. Attempts to pair sexable adults of widely discrepant size usually spells disaster, even though in the wild, Lowe-McConnell (1969) reported that spawning males at least of Cr. saxatilis and Cr. alta were usually considerably larger (about 15%) than their consorts.

PIKE CICHLIDS

The wise aquarist will select individuals that are nearly identical in size.

I prefer to work with 4-6 inch individuals and raise them up. My reasons have to do principally with the ease with which they can be switched from live to prepared foods (adults are more challenging) and their generally more sociable mien at this age. Again, I stress that all individuals of a group should be approximately identical in size. I might keep these fish in a 40 or 50 gallon tank (35 X 18 inch bottom) or even larger and expect explosive growth rates that are characteristic of these eating machines: you may have to move them up! I favor a tangle of bogwood on a substrate-less tank, with some floating plants to cut back on the illumination.

Since these are heavy eaters, I recommend some kind of power filtration and regular, significant (25-50%) water changes. As to water chemistry, with certain exceptions (the dwarfs are such an exception), most any water will do as long as it is kept clean. Certain pike cichlid species seem susceptible to neuromast erosion ( Head-hole ) which, in part, is due to water condition. It may also be due to undefined chemicals (or their absence) in the water. It is the experience of several neotropical fanatics that activated charcoal may be actually damaging to some cichlids. Actually, we believe that the problems (head-hole is one of the associated problems) are related to the quality of the charcoal used cheaper charcoal may leach metals and other no-nos into the water and certain species seem particularly sensitive to them. My preference: use Polyfilter instead of charcoal in your filterbox. I also prefer to keep my pike cichlids warm, 78-85°F, although several of the species hail from decidedly subtropical regions (Kullander, 1981).

However, the most important aspect of maintaining pike cichlids is: PVC piping. The fish seem to feel more secure when there is some kind of a cave structure they can escape into. One to three inch diameter PVC piping cut into 6-8 inch lengths, or somewhat larger than the fish you are keeping, seems to do the trick, although perhaps not aesthetically. I include at least one tube per fish, but recommend many more. This is the antidote to very belligerent fish! If they can get out of each other s sight, the aggression is minimized. The strategy works! When a local wholesaler, Metro Pet of Irvington, NJ recently received two dozen Cr. cametana from the Rio Tocantins, a particularly violent pike cichlid, they were beating on each other within minutes of dumping the shipment into a fifty gallon tank. They were quickly netted out and housed in individual plastic pails (!) until enough PVC scrap pipe could be rounded up. That same fifty gallon tank when filled with dozens of 2X6 inch pipe shards, became a rather peaceful community of pike cichlids. Of course, you rarely saw any of the fish (they came out to eat) and caught them by netting pieces of pipe, but the belligerence was controlled.

Why bother with these fish you can't see and enjoy them? Remember the end goal: to obtain a compatible breeding pair. Once a pair bond forms, adults are usually excellent and relatively peaceful consorts! And we can always hope that the aggression will diminish in ensuing captive generations. Moreover, my example, Cr. cametana is definitely the end point of the belligerence scale. Most juvenile pike cichlids are not nightmares. They're actually quite cute and often just as tame and responsive as Kullander (1990) noted for Cr. hemera.

PIKE CICHLIDS

The most important aspect of maintaining pike cichlids is: PVC piping. The fish seem to feel more secure when there is some kind of a cave structure they can escape into.

Actually some pike cichlids are reasonable cichlid community tank residents! Necessity is the mother of invention. It is also the mother of foolhardiness. Being perpetually pressed for space, I've tried some pretty amazing fish combinations lately involving pike cichlids, and most have worked. You see, the idea of tying up an entire large tank for a single species is not to my liking. For instance, I ve been raising an octet of Cr. geayi that are fast approaching six inches. They've been housed for nearly four months in a 55-gal tank with a sextet of Satanoperca pappaterra, a few singleton Cichlasoma alfari, rhytisma, spectabile) and assorted catfish with a plethora of PVC pipe and, with the exception of some exuberant chasing before and after feeding time, a few frayed fins, the mixed community is getting along famously. Did I mention the pair of six-inch Cr. species Tocantins Orange Pike living peacefully with them? This will no doubt, cease come spawning time if I am so blessed. I likewise have a forty gallon long housing eight Cr. species strigata that are nearly five inches long and they get along famously with each other and the Convict cichlids and three inch silver dollars they are housed with. Again, plenty of PVC pipe for everyone. In another 70 gallon tank, my trio of 10 inch Cr. cf. johanna seem to be tolerating each other and the large pair of Heros severus (8 inches) tanked with them along with a few assorted 3 inch expendable cichlids and a fleet of Corydoras. Finally the piece-de-resistance: in a 55 gallon tank housing a dozen Geophagus proximus, reside seven-inch single specimen of Cr. cf. johanna, Cr. geayi and Cr. sedentaria. Frankly I don't know why they are tolerating each other. And I don't expect that uneasy truce to last: as soon as one gets bigger than the rest, I predict mayhem.

But before you go down to your local retailer for some pike cichlids to add to your community tank, let me give you three counter examples. I was growing up four Cr. cf. johanna that were all about three inches when they started. One of the fish quickly established dominance and began quickly outcompeting the others for food. It quickly outstripped its cohorts and began bullying them. When he was removed the next largest fish began doing the same. And on, and on: I had to rear them all separately. I was fortunate this past year to acquire and be the first to spawn Cr. marmorata, the marbled pike from the Rios Tocantins/Tapajos area (Leibel, 1992). I started with five fish between 7 and 12 inches long and they rapidly pushed their way down to a pair which was completely intolerant of the other three conspecifics even in a six-foot 150 gallon tank: the unpaired trio each found a corner and made like silastic cement. They pair proved equally intolerant to any other fish I put in with them, including an 8 inch pair of Heros severus, even given the 150 gallons of water and an absolute tangle of bogwood for them to get lost in. And when they spawned, even the catfish (Orinocodoras sp.) were in trouble. Yet they were, and continue to be quite a loving couple and exceedingly gentle with their youngsters. I've since removed them to a 50 gallon tank and they are still compatible. Go figure! Finally, my friend John O Malley s pair of Cr. cametana, a six inch male and a four inch female, had the run of an 80 gallon community tank they were in, housed with, among other, a 10 inch pair of Aequidens tetramerus and several huge 12-18 inch Loricariid catfish. The male, that is. The female stayed behind the skimmer box of the tank s trickle filter except to feed! When moved to a smaller tank to make room for some rare pikes he agreed to summer-sit for me, the male made quick work of the female in the reduced space, despite tons of hiding places and other cichlids to chase. So, some of them are indeed nasty! But not all.

I chuckle when I recall a 125-gallon community tank of large Cichlasoma set up by the Cichlasoma Study Group at the International Cichlid Conference a few summers ago. The tank was filled with single specimens of some of the largest, rowdiest and most beautiful of the speciose genus Cichlasoma . The tank should have been labeled Battle of the Titans but, instead, the fish merely displayed harmlessly to each other. The sign on the tank said, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, This Tank Set Up By Professionals Do Not Try This At Home! Well the same goes for Pike Cichlid Community Tanks . Go slowly and keep your eyes open for trouble. Provide plenty of cover. And above all, make sure their companions are all equally rowdy and large enough to stay out of their mouths! Nuff said.

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