Picked up a Tilapia Buttikoferi Possible Tank Mates?

[TonyS20]

After much consideration on stocking my 80g 48" long tank i decided on a Buttikoferi.

Seen this lovely 6-7" Buttikoferi in the LFS today and couldn't resist.

This is a grow out tank and any fish housed will be moved to my 8 x 2 x 2 in the next few months.

I realize these fish are extremely aggressive, but what else can be housed with them?

They had him housed with Malawi cichlids considerably smaller than the Buttikoferi in the shop and he didn't seem to care about them.

6-7" from head to tail and way over a inch thick.

 

[Gourami Swami]

Gorgeous fish! Nothing I can recommend you keep in an 80gallon with him. Since he didn't bother the small Africans, maybe that would work, but If it were me I wouldn't risk the other fish's lives for no reason. Especially since this is just a growout anyway, I'd just keep him alone for the few months or however long you plan on keeping him in the 80.

 

[duanes]

I agree with Gourami Swami, in a tank of only 80 gallons, I doubt there is anything that could be housed with buttikoferi.
My first buttis killed everything, including each other in a 150 gal 6 ft tank.
I moved them to a 300 gal rubbermaid trough, and the alpha would allow nothing else. He grew to about 20" in the 300 alone, before a suicidal jump.

 

[TonyS20]

Researching tank mate options mainly for the upgrade. Because its going to be a bit of an issue if he wont live with anything else after the upgrade!

Was speaking to a friend today who is fairly experienced and apparently his luck has been keeping Zebra Tilapias with smaller fish. He said that he had luck keeping a 10" male Buttikoferi with 15 x 4" Parrot Cichlids in a 180g for a few years. What do you guys think? smaller fish and more of them to disperse aggression?

 

[axs377]

Sometimes a large fish will ignore smaller fish that don't threaten his dominance. However, sometimes in close quarters they kill them anyways... I've had both scenarios personally...

 

[big54bob]

Rocks, Fake plants, A No fishing sign, a curvy peice of driftwood, a mag float, a replica of bikini bottom, etc. etc.