Frontosa

  • Get the NEW AquariaCentral iOS app --> http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1227181058 // Android version will be out soon!

countryboy

AC Members
Jul 20, 2012
176
0
0
CNY
Has anyone kept Fronts with any mbuna? I know the Fronts are timid sometimes and may not compete for food. I have seen the Fronts mixed in with other lake malawi cichlids at LFS and they seem to get along.
 

Manafel

AC Members
Oct 10, 2011
573
1
0
Tulsa, OK
Real Name
Kayla
Fronts will get along as long as they aren't with super aggressive mbuna. I don't do it because I like my fish to have pristine fins. It will stress them out more to have more spastic fish around. And tankmates can become food.

Sent from my PC36100 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
 

countryboy

AC Members
Jul 20, 2012
176
0
0
CNY
I had to go back and look but bluegrass aquatics web site states that Fronts are a good addition to a malawi tank. Anybody?
 

Manafel

AC Members
Oct 10, 2011
573
1
0
Tulsa, OK
Real Name
Kayla
Fronts are from lake tanginikya, I'm not saying it won't work, but don't be surprised if your fronts get bullied. Plus if you keep fronts, you will need 3+ because one is lonely, two will kill eachother. They are more comfortable in a colony. Plus a proper setup will have to be at least 125 gallons and 5 feet long.

Sent from my PC36100 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
 

Pittbull

ALL BOW DOWN TO THE FIN GODS
Apr 14, 2007
7,549
4
0
Louisville Kentucky
Real Name
Mike
Mbuna will usually beat them up and even kill them if they are small, I have seen several Front's in a Mbuna setup have their fins almost totally ripped up.. Not a good ideal to keep these together but if you do at least put in larger Front's like 4 to 5" to give them a good start..
 

countryboy

AC Members
Jul 20, 2012
176
0
0
CNY
Okay.....so no one has tried this? Yes manafel I know they're Tangs and having to have a 125 gal. tank is just not true. Since they max out around 12" tank width is more important. You can start comfortably with a 40 grow out because they grow slowly.
 

Manafel

AC Members
Oct 10, 2011
573
1
0
Tulsa, OK
Real Name
Kayla
Okay.....so no one has tried this? Yes manafel I know they're Tangs and having to have a 125 gal. tank is just not true. Since they max out around 12" tank width is more important. You can start comfortably with a 40 grow out because they grow slowly.
No, Nobody here has done it because it's a bad idea, and we like our fish more than that. Saying they need width over length is like saying it's ok to keep them in a 75 for life, as long as they have enough room to turn around. The longer the tank, the more room to set up a territory. I take it that you have never had fronts, otherwise you wouldn't be saying that. Even with mbuna, length is more important than width. a 40 breeder would only be good for about 6 months, because a 75 is enough room for a year. Fronts can actually get as big as 14 inches. I'm not going to say I am a pro at keeping fronts, but I have had them for a while now, and pitbull knows his tangs better than anyone else here. If you still believe Bluegrass aquatics more than the members here, go to a forum that specializes in frontosa and ask your question.
 

countryboy

AC Members
Jul 20, 2012
176
0
0
CNY
No, Nobody here has done it because it's a bad idea, and we like our fish more than that. Saying they need width over length is like saying it's ok to keep them in a 75 for life, as long as they have enough room to turn around. The longer the tank, the more room to set up a territory. I take it that you have never had fronts, otherwise you wouldn't be saying that. Even with mbuna, length is more important than width. a 40 breeder would only be good for about 6 months, because a 75 is enough room for a year. Fronts can actually get as big as 14 inches. I'm not going to say I am a pro at keeping fronts, but I have had them for a while now, and pitbull knows his tangs better than anyone else here. If you still believe Bluegrass aquatics more than the members here, go to a forum that specializes in frontosa and ask your question.
So far I know of 3 ppl that haven't tried it.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/c_frontosa.php
Give it a read. You might learn something about housing Fronts. If you have a single or 4 it's okay to keep them in a 75 as long as they can turn around I would however say that 12 or 13 would be too many for a 75.
 

jpappy789

Plants need meat too
Feb 18, 2007
26,364
5
89
33
Gainesville, FL
Real Name
Josh
You probably wont find someone who has...I would NEVER try it myself because I think it is a very, very bad idea. Why risk the mix when you already have been told it would NOT be the most successful way to keep Fronts?

It seems like you're just trying to find someone to back up a tank stock that you're already set on trying. Quoting from the same source you posted...

In the wild, frontosa live in large groups called colonies. In the aquarium, they should also be kept in larger groups, although they can be kept successfully in groups as small as four individuals (1 male:3 females). You'll have the best luck keeping only one adult male, and if your colony is larger, a second, subdominant male who will eventually replace the alpha-male. If you're growing your Fronts up, the "best" method is to acquire 12-15 individuals (all unrelated and from the same race) and put them in a tank of their own.
40 gallons will work well as a grow-out tank. For a colony of 10 adults, a 125-gallon tank or bigger is recommended.
Yes, you CAN keep only few individuals...but if you think keeping four 12-14" fish in a 75g is ok then be my guest. I would venture to guess most serious Front keepers would recommend getting a colony and giving them the appropriate space.
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store