tonytheboss1 said:Although it seems to fly in the face of all I've researched & understand, I'll defer to your success as an expert aquarist (I've seen & read your work)! :bowing: :bowing: That being said I don't know that I would advise the avg. novice fishkeeper that keeping a potentially 18/20" predator in a 75gl tank was OK. Some not so diligent or responsible novice might mistake that as a 'blanket endorsement' for keeping 'oversized' fish in 'undersized' housing. The only ones to suffer in that scenario is the fish. Maybe something like "I'm an expert folks, PLEASE don't try this at home" Again, thanx 4 weighing in & keep educating--we all can learn something!!!
Tony ~ First of all I am just a hobbist with a few morre years under his belt. This is NOT a blanket endorsement for ayone to keep an 18-20" predatory cichlid in a small tank. The key word here is defining "small". You could keep a three foot Lungfish in a 55 gallon...they just don't move around tat much...inthe tank or in the wild. A Dovii or an Umbee ABSOLUTELY need a biffer tank than most folk actually have in their home. THey are open water predators that are used to swimming long hard and fast.
I have been on a tear now for months about the number of folk who have recently purchased Umbe (sometimes four or five) and are housing them in 125 gallon tanks. STILL Not what is needed for an Umbee. Think 300+. Managuense are found in Lake Nicaragua...but generally confined themselves to slow turbid waters with rocky bottoms. The Parachromis we caught in Honduras two weeks ago came out of what...for lack of a better dexcription...looked like a swamp.
I don't care what you will read..most people do NOT have fish in the 18-20" range. I have had a fish tank with cichlids in my home for well over thirty years with friends with similar experience. There just are not a lot of them out there. Cichlid Scene had the biggest I have ever seen (22+) in an aquarium. I had one cichli that hit 19-20". My Pacu was 36" and 22 pounds when he died.
No matter how hard you try...no matter what you say...some aquarists will continue to overstock or under-maintain their tank. You...they...me...learn from experience and discussions among friends on boards like this and many others This is NOT the best board for info on the big CA/S cichlids. Scan the topic list and you will seee I am correct in this observation. There are a dozen or more boards I would recommend for better advice on these fish.
Buy the biggest tank you can/want to afford. Don't fool yourself into "convincing yourself" you are "going to upgrade" when the fish gets bigger. That's a recipe for disaster. I have six small Parachromis (an unkown species collected in Honduras) in a 75 gallon tank right now. They are all 1/2" long. When they hit three inches I will vent them and get rid of all but three (one male/two females) they will go into a 125 with some other dithers until the male picks a mate...then the third wheel will either stay in the tank to pi ss off the other two into breeding..or she's gone.
It's all about research and planning. Do the best you can with what you have and learn from the mistakes you make along the way....hopefully they are all small.
Be friends. It's hobby and it's all about having fun with people who enjoy the same.
Peace,
No
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