So it happened very quickly. I was at church, minding my own business, when I heard a woman talking to someone about how her cichlids spawned and she needed to get rid of them. This is our conversation.
Her: (Talking to other people) Yes, my cichlids spawned again. Petco won't take 'em, Petsmart won't either... I don't want to kill the babies! They already hatched. I didn't know they spawned until I saw the babies.
Me: Cichlids? Did I just hear "cichlids"?
Her: Yup! Would you like some?
Me: Sure, but what kind are they?
Her: Africans.
Me: What type, specifically?
Her: Don't know. Got them as "assorted".
Me: I see. How big do these get?
Her: My biggest are six or seven inches, my smaller ones four or five.
Me: Wow. What size tank do you have?
Her: I have a 150, 54, 55, 60, 65.
Me: WOW!
Her: What size tanks do you have?
Me: 29 gallons is my biggest. I'm not allowed to have bigger.
Her: That's fine, I bet you could keep some of the smaller species in there. What other sizes do you have?
Me: 10, 5, 2.5. Nothing too cichlid friendly...
Her: I bet you could fit some in the 10.
Me: I dunno...
Her: Don't worry, they only grow to their environment...
Me: Uh...
Her: So how many would you like?
Me: Three would be okay.
Her: What else do you have in the 29?
Me: Platies, gouramis, cories. I could move some out, and experiment with others.
Her: I see. I'll bring you three next week, ok?
Me: OK.
Well, she's obviously a freak but she needs a little education...
Anyway I'll have to sell some fish, move others. My questions are:
1. How many of these 4-5 in. cichlids could I move in to the 29? I see they are aggressive, so I'm going to have to redecorate this week.
2. Should I get some cichlid food?
3. Which of my fish (1 paradise gourami, a big fat meanie, I dunno if he could live with the cichlids though, 1 opaline gourami, I don't know about her, she's small and timid. I could grow her out, see if that'd work, 7 platies, yesterday one passed, poor girl, 7 cories. And the two tetras and female betta I could easily rid of) can live with the cichlids?
4. Anything else?
I feel awesome (I'm getting cichlids! And I get to redecorate!) and bad (I'll have to move some fish out, plus I was so... stupid I guess to get the cichlids w/o thinking.)
Her: (Talking to other people) Yes, my cichlids spawned again. Petco won't take 'em, Petsmart won't either... I don't want to kill the babies! They already hatched. I didn't know they spawned until I saw the babies.
Me: Cichlids? Did I just hear "cichlids"?
Her: Yup! Would you like some?
Me: Sure, but what kind are they?
Her: Africans.
Me: What type, specifically?
Her: Don't know. Got them as "assorted".
Me: I see. How big do these get?
Her: My biggest are six or seven inches, my smaller ones four or five.
Me: Wow. What size tank do you have?
Her: I have a 150, 54, 55, 60, 65.
Me: WOW!
Her: What size tanks do you have?
Me: 29 gallons is my biggest. I'm not allowed to have bigger.
Her: That's fine, I bet you could keep some of the smaller species in there. What other sizes do you have?
Me: 10, 5, 2.5. Nothing too cichlid friendly...
Her: I bet you could fit some in the 10.
Me: I dunno...
Her: Don't worry, they only grow to their environment...
Me: Uh...
Her: So how many would you like?
Me: Three would be okay.
Her: What else do you have in the 29?
Me: Platies, gouramis, cories. I could move some out, and experiment with others.
Her: I see. I'll bring you three next week, ok?
Me: OK.
Well, she's obviously a freak but she needs a little education...
Anyway I'll have to sell some fish, move others. My questions are:
1. How many of these 4-5 in. cichlids could I move in to the 29? I see they are aggressive, so I'm going to have to redecorate this week.
2. Should I get some cichlid food?
3. Which of my fish (1 paradise gourami, a big fat meanie, I dunno if he could live with the cichlids though, 1 opaline gourami, I don't know about her, she's small and timid. I could grow her out, see if that'd work, 7 platies, yesterday one passed, poor girl, 7 cories. And the two tetras and female betta I could easily rid of) can live with the cichlids?
4. Anything else?
I feel awesome (I'm getting cichlids! And I get to redecorate!) and bad (I'll have to move some fish out, plus I was so... stupid I guess to get the cichlids w/o thinking.)