butti tankmates

[KurseD]

i just recently got a 6in butti, and after a trial run in my cic tank (oscars, GT, red heads, salvini, all pretty much the same size) i've determined that i'm going to move him. i've done some research on the butti and watched his temperment for 2 months before i bought him, he doesn't really seem that aggressive compared to the others i've seen, he's more territoral then anything. he didn't really beat anyone up, but rathers disrupted the oscar chain of command. all my cic's started fighting each other when the butti moved in. eventually the oscars started to beat the crap out of each other. butti did chase everyone around the tank though, he usually kept ot himself. so i'm thinking about moving him in with my pbass, RTGG's, TSN, and CK (all around the same length, with the CK and RTGG around 7-8in) has anyone tried a setup like this? do butti get along with non-cichlids?

[Chad55]

My advice for tankmates is none!

Chad

[beta]

You could try a dovii or Red Devil

[MaJiKTeRRoR]

My 7 inch buttikoferi ripped the stomach out of a 12 inch oscar in the matter of a day. You could try another buttikoferi.

[pimptite]

dovii,umbie, maybe an odo
i have mine with a smaller midas,same size jag and a larger mayan, the butti and the jag are at the bottom of the pecking order

[Rokspydr]

I guess my tank is blessed. 1 Butti 7" 1 managuense 8", labidachromis, and 4 other cichlids I cant name but are about 3-4" 7" wolf fish 5" barracuda and a 3" oscar. they all seem to get along together for over a year now . Hope my good luck last's awhile.

Marc

[lholt3]

butiti VS haitian

[snappedbigfoot]

i have a butiti with a peacock, a wolf, a arowana, a spotted puffer, one convict, a salvini, and a texas no problems at all they get along fine and its been a years or so all about 4 to 7 inches. Maybe its because they were all raised togeather since i got them. I just recentily aded the wolf and peacock but they live maybe a slight chase once and a while but besides that nothing no fighting at all.

[KurseD]

butti update...turns out that my butti and p.bass got into it acouple days ago. p. bass almost ripped of the butti's lower jaw off!!! got him in a med tank for now until he heals. looks like i need to set up my dividers again.

[danny boy]

damn man, sod being one of your fish!

[rickson]

my butti was a silent fish until he got to a 10" in size and then he became super aggresive. he dosnt stop fighting with 10" midas for control of the tank, he allmost killed a 12" oscar and he never stop fighting with a texas and a tilapia zilly who are 8".
mean fish :screwy:

[Ducati996]

Very mean fish - I love the looks of them but they are not friendly... and when they get big, nobody wants them because they are tank killers....

I start to cry thinking about all the great fish I had, that got killed by them....

I had them small to large and grew them to large....same results in the end

If they themselves get killed its only because of a much larger fish over powering them....they wont stop regardless, or back off even when losing.....

Its very difficult to match them up correctly with other fish - I guess mix them up with a lot of fish in a tank....like in the LFS....but Im sure there are deaths

I guess a 3 ft Peacock (luke) and a 10"-16" Butt could work.....I seen it once LOL !! thats how different the fish have to be in size.....IMHO

You always see those buggers in 30 gallon tanks seperated - there is a reason why - the LFS is having fits losing fish because of them...LOL

[REC]

I got mine(5") in a 180 with 2 mono peacock bass(7"), Red Devil(5"), Jardini Arowana(6"),Ornate Bichir(7") and a Marble Pim Catfish(7") and they all get along great. Obviously the Jardini rules the tank and his closest to command is the red devil but everyone else keeps to themselves while the Aro and Devil patrol the tank...

[stotty]

if you want to keep one in an aquarium with other fish, you must provide a suitably large tank. Provide large rocks as territories for the fish.In its natural state it would holds a large territory so they can be ok but in big tanks with cover for them. When they havent got this space i have heard not 1 but loads of storys of them killing Oscars biger than them. The problem being when they reach adulthood tankmates are usually dinner or killed. Not bad for a diet
that is very heavy on the veggies.

[REC]

If you want to keep them with other large aggressive fish then get a large tank 180+ and over-crowd it. When these fish are able to claim territory thats when they become violent. I'd go with a big bare tank with lots of large cichlids and let it roll. Hell i have a Butti,Red Devil, Jardini Arowana, Marble Pim Catfish,Ornate Bichir and 2 Mono Peacock Bass in my 180 and the fish sizes range from 5-7"..and everything is working well other then the RD and Jardini Harassing everyone but no major lip locking or bad fin damage. But who knows how long it last but its always worth a try and if things start going south just sell your fish to a LFS or a friend. GoodLuck to you...

[MikeVance]

Hey KurseD; What kind of fish is that on your avatar?

[Ducati996]

Guess who dominanted this tank? In the end it was the Butterkufi and Red tail.
I grew most of these fish together, problem was the Butterkuffi never stoped growing and killing. I saved what i could with other tanks, but I lost a few and nobody could stand there ground with the Kuffi, not even the pike. The Red tail was just as nasty.....the Kuffi was at least 16" long, but was thick and tall.
Attractive as heck but not worth it under most conditions. Sorry to say

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v171/ducati996/old180gallon5.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v171/ducati996/old180gallon3.jpg

[buddah101]

I'm keeping an adult Butti in a 180 with some non to semi aggressive fish and so far so good. Like you said territory is an issue (with mine) but it usually leaves the others alone. I kep mine with a 27+" Fire eel a school of Silver Dollars, Belly crawler Pike, Lima catfish. Seems to mind it's own pretty much. It used to be a real bastard when it was a juvi though! With mine, if I were to put say an oscar or red devil with it there would definately be havoc so I guess you just have to "feel them out" and see what it will tolerate. Good luck. Any pics of it?

[Decoder]

i am planning to get a big aquarium and there will certainly be at least one butti in it. What im wondering is what is the chance for a succesful american and butti mix? Especially consider when they grow mature. And if not would more than one buttis be ok or only one?

[jlewis70]

I JUST WANT TO KNOW HOW FAST DO THEY GROW UP

[Salty]

I hear they grow pretty fast and claim like 50 feet or so in the wild, I have a small 2-3" butti who does'nt seem to be growing that fast. I've only had it like 2 weeks though. I have a male jd who grows a little everyday, it seems. these posts are scaring me about butti's please stop.

[rickson]

dont worry for now they became nasty monsters when they reach to 6-7"
until then they arent that aggresive.
try to enjoy him whill you can before he kills all its tankmates:WHOA:

[ridether]

dont worry for now they became nasty monsters when they reach to 6-7"
until then they arent that aggresive.
try to enjoy him whill you can before he kills all its tankmates:WHOA:

No joke.. I saw one last week in a community tank 4". But they do get crazy when they get bigger.

[buddah101]

I've had mine in my community tank for 2 and a half years now and no aggro yet. I do see him flashing and digging a pit from time to time though. His/her name is "Butti" for obvious reasons plus I like the irony. it's about a foot (12") and just getting fat now. LOL

[croc 2-3]

In any situation there will be a dominant fish it may be the butti. it may be another aggressive cichlid. Try fish that have different needs like hampala barbs, some crenichicla species, maybe arowanas. As other round bodied cichlids will provoke fights in a small tank. I've used bare tank methods as well as overcrowding, & fish of different needs(niches) with varying levels of success 7 failures. Try different approaches if you can but at least start with a 150 gal.

[Killerhap]

The Tilapia buttikoferi is the true king of the Cichlids, once it grows full size, there isn't much that could take it other than perhaps some giant monster fish, and even then, they might get rip to shreds, since he will be so much faster.

You can kept a male Tilapia buttikoferi with some females Tilapia buttikoferi, but I would be very careful about anything else.

Of course, you can play it safe and just kept it by itself.

[thebestincali2000]

i now have a tailless JD because of my butti.i had to get rid of him at about 4 inches

[Opiate]

i'm lookin at buyng a butti, surely it would be ok with a jardini, umbee, trimac, jag, festae and doviis or and a FH

[repair]

I have a 12" in my 265 with 35 other cichlds and it is not a problem

[1Gr8fizh]

my biggest fish in the comm. tank is a 15" butti and believe it or not he's da
most peaceful one