tank mates

Question
QUESTION: Hi!
I have 8 barbus(tiger-green-albino)3 odessa,4 gold barbus, 2 plecostomus,1 synodontis multipunctatus, 1 green severum,2 corydoras emerald green and 2 corrydoras sterbai. Just added a male baby jewel cichlid. Since i added him yesterday, he has been hiding behind a plant at the bottom.At the petstore, the told me that it could workout with all my other fish, but as i read, i'm scared that when he grows up that he will kill my other fish. I have lots of live plants and a few rocks and decorations. It's a 65 gallon aquarium, and i have put for now a seperation to protect 1 of my green barb's that has only one eye, so if i see that it doesn't work out, i could transfer all the barb's on the otherside, but since i only have 1 jewel cichlid, do you think it could work out fine? If you want, i can take a picture of my aquarium if it can help out.
Thanks!

ANSWER: Hi Tricia,
  It is impossible for me to say for sure.  If you get a second jewel cichlid of the opposite sex, then I could say for sure that it would not work out, because then the jewels would mate and at that point, they would "clear out" the tank.  I have my suspicions that as your jewel gets older, particularly if it is a male, he will start to get territorial on the off chance that someday a female should suddenly appear... fish are forever hopeful...

-- Ron C.
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Ron!

My Jewel cichlid died 2 days after i put it in my tank, the fish was weird... it would just stand there and even go right in front of my severum, bump in my plants and rocks... anyways... i reserverd another jewel cichlid, but a female, do you think it would be better? if not, what kind of fish that gets at least 4 to 6 inches would you recommend for my fish tank? i want to keep my barb's as i still find them cute, but i want another fish that gets big and goes well with all my fish.

Thanks again!

Tricia

Answer
Hi Tricia,
  I think you are trying to do something that won't likely work.  If you put a large fish in there (4-6 inches) it is going to cause trouble for your other fish.  

-- Ron C.
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>