Is this a myth about firemouths?

[Lazersniper]

I'm interested in getting some firemouths and have been doing some extensive research about them lately. I have read on a few web-sites and forums that if you get a group of firemouths (4-6), and if they feel a threat, they will 'school' if you will. They will work together to help defend each other and to attack if need be.

I can't seem to find any confirmation about this. I've seen some forums where members say they will 'experiment' on this subject but I've seen no conclusions. I've seen this on some profile, and scientific information type pages, but no solid conclusion or evidence they they will.

I know that if you keep one or two in a tank they will most likely try to kill each other, or at least try to act macho to one another. However I'm wondering about getting 5-6 to put in my tank. I have a gt and a couple of oscars so I think that would make them feel 'threatened' enough to work together instead of kill each other.

Anyone else ever read about this, heard of it, or can confirm it?

[Shierkahn]

Well, I can provide you the confirmation you want. I have a fairly aggresive SA/CA tank. I've got 3 Firemouths in there with several larger more agg. fish. They will team up together and defend each other and a territory. They do a pretty good job too. They usually don't back down till they've proved there point and they are rather persistant at it also. :dance

[gonefishin]

My jewels go up against jack all the time, even though they are smaller individually, they kick his * all over the tank as a group. I think this is a common trait among cichlids. That doesn't mean it will happen evry time though. And I think it helps if they are from the same brood, or are bought together at the same time.

[Lazersniper]

Thank you Shierkahn for the confirmation. Do they only group together when they feel threatened, for example only if they're getting picked on, or do they pretty much stay grouped together even when the other fish aren't harrassing them? With them working as a team, how is their aggression towards each other? Are they more tolerable of one another or will they still bicker at one another until another fish starts to harrass them?

[Lazersniper]

gonefishin- yeah I plan on buying them all at the same time. I just hope they learn to live together well enough in the q-tank. My q-tank is only a 20 long, and I plan to keep them there for at least 7 days. They'll only be about an inch to an inch and a half so I don't think there will be a problem.

[gonefishin]

Think of them as a pack of wolves. There will be power struggles within the group. They will try to work out who is boss amongst themselves, but will also protect eachother (Do you have an older brother? its kinda like how he can beat you up every day, and thats ok. but if someone else tries to mess with you there toast).I hear its better to have more girls than boys. I always try to watch for a while to find the more dominant fish to buy. The clerks love it when you say, " I want that one" then they get to chase down one particular fish in a tank of many :)

[Lazersniper]

gonefishin- I know what you mean. However I don't want any females, I don't want the firemouths to pair off. I'm planning on getting a few from each store around here, so I hope they all play well together.

[mrsdorothy]

Lazersniper, I wish you lived near me. I could give you more firemouths than you wanted. I have 21 that's about 1.5" long in a growout tank, about 40 more tiny fry that's still with their parents, and about 200 eggs on the back wall of my tank. 15 of the 21 will go to my lfs next week. I'm trading them for electric yellows. The store only give you trade for more fish or fish supplies.

Dorothy

[Lazersniper]

That sucks. I would definately take you up on that offer. I don't like the prices/selection around here. They range from 2.50 to 5 a piece. As usual, the more you pay the healthier they are. The only place I really like to buy fish from doesn't get them in for some reason, so I'm stuck with places I really don't like. How are your 1.5 inchers? Are they aggressive towards each other? or just enough to establish pecking.

[Shierkahn]

All 3 of mine are males I believe. I wouldn't say they're always together but, they're never far apart either. 2 of them I bought together and added the 3rd later on after he was almost killed in my buddies tank. As far as the aggresion in the group goes they have there pecking order but, are pretty tolerable of each other. Sometimes I'll see a split fin or something like that but, never any real damage. I couldn't tell you if it's from fighting in the group or from another fish but, it's nothing that I worry about. Mine even go after some of the bigger more aggresive cichlids when they feel they need to defend a territory or they just feel they need to show they also have a place in the tank.

[Lazersniper]

Awsome, thanks Shierkahn. This gets my hope up then.

[mrsdorothy]

Right now they're not aggressive at all, maybe enough to develope a pecking order. They're almost 3 months old. They mostly school together as of now. So far, they have just began to develope a little red color. But, the breeding pair has very good coloring. If they develope the coloring of their parents, they will be some very gorgeous fish. The breeding pair is in a tank by themselves. Only their fry stays in the tank with them until they grow out a little.

Dorothy.

[Lazersniper]

Dorothy, how soon can you start to tell the sex of the fish? I've read that they can be hard to sex even once mature because the coloration could go both ways. I'm looking at getting 1.5 inche fish and I'd like all males. I don't want them to start breeding because I wouldnt' know what to do with them.

[Shierkahn]

Mine are 3-5". I forget the diff. but, the fins are different between the M&F. Mine are all one sex(I believe they're males) If you end up with a breeding pair you can always just leave them in the tank. They can just make live food for you other fish. People do this alot with fish that breed like mad. I leave my Salvini fry in the tank cause I don't want to worry about find some place that will take them.

[Lazersniper]

That would be a great idea, however I already have a pair of breeding convicts that I can use for tha purpose lol. However I wouldn't want a pair of convicts, and a pair of firemouths breeding at the same time in the same tank. It's a 125 but there are other fish in the tank and they would definatly have nowhere to run lol.