I really want to save a fish that I saw at a local "mom and pop" fishstore stuck in a 10 gallon tank. It's a Dimidiochromis Compressiceps (Malawi Eyebiter) and it's between 6" and 7". It is being harassed by a fully mature Auratus (mean) because he can't maneuver around enough to do anything to the other fish!
I have a 55 gallon in which I keep excellent water quality and house a 6" Blackbelt cichlid and 4 Silver Dollars. I have plenty of large pieces of limestone and other rock in it, with Silica sand for substrate. I can also exchange the rock with other pieces I already have, as needed.
I did some research and found out that they are not territorial except when breeding (not gonna happen!), and prefer to spend the majority of their time swimming in open water. My Blackbelt, on the other hand, prefers sticking close to the ground and only ventures up to eat and lightly harrass the Silver Dollars. My Silver Dollars are each about 3" or more in length and have very deep profiles (so they look pretty big). My Blackbelt is about a year and a half old and is almost an inch thick. The Eyebiter is not as thick or deep bodied, but is slightly longer (from my estimates) than the Blackbelt. I was just thinking about re-arranging my tank, anyways, so this would be a good time to do so. I can start all boundaries/territories over again and see what happens!
I know this isn't the ideal setup, but does it sound like it's worth a try? I've always wanted to get one of these fish, and I usually like to stick with fish from the same continents, but this fish looks great, is in desperate need of a home, and the store owner will give it to me for FREE, if I take it off her hands!!!
I'm going to quarantine it for a minimum of 2 to 4 weeks in a Tupperware tub (holds about 40 gallons empty) and then add it to the freshly redecorated 55 gal, if I take advantage of this opportunity. The question is: shoud I?
My water parameters are: pH-7.7, KH-5.4, GH 150ppm+. All other chemistry is ideal. I keep Nitrates below 10ppm at all times, and have an EMP 400 and a Magnum HOT Pro for filtration. Things are good for this tank, and it's been established for many months.
Any other input about this situation is appreciated.
I have a 55 gallon in which I keep excellent water quality and house a 6" Blackbelt cichlid and 4 Silver Dollars. I have plenty of large pieces of limestone and other rock in it, with Silica sand for substrate. I can also exchange the rock with other pieces I already have, as needed.
I did some research and found out that they are not territorial except when breeding (not gonna happen!), and prefer to spend the majority of their time swimming in open water. My Blackbelt, on the other hand, prefers sticking close to the ground and only ventures up to eat and lightly harrass the Silver Dollars. My Silver Dollars are each about 3" or more in length and have very deep profiles (so they look pretty big). My Blackbelt is about a year and a half old and is almost an inch thick. The Eyebiter is not as thick or deep bodied, but is slightly longer (from my estimates) than the Blackbelt. I was just thinking about re-arranging my tank, anyways, so this would be a good time to do so. I can start all boundaries/territories over again and see what happens!
I know this isn't the ideal setup, but does it sound like it's worth a try? I've always wanted to get one of these fish, and I usually like to stick with fish from the same continents, but this fish looks great, is in desperate need of a home, and the store owner will give it to me for FREE, if I take it off her hands!!!
I'm going to quarantine it for a minimum of 2 to 4 weeks in a Tupperware tub (holds about 40 gallons empty) and then add it to the freshly redecorated 55 gal, if I take advantage of this opportunity. The question is: shoud I?
My water parameters are: pH-7.7, KH-5.4, GH 150ppm+. All other chemistry is ideal. I keep Nitrates below 10ppm at all times, and have an EMP 400 and a Magnum HOT Pro for filtration. Things are good for this tank, and it's been established for many months.
Any other input about this situation is appreciated.
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