raising peacock bass

[steveny311]

i'm looking for some advice about raising peacock bass. I have a 40 gal. tank with aquaclear 500 and 2/3rd of the bottom underwater filter. What are the key elements needed for these little guys?

[Steve_89]

At a small size they can catch ich very easy and this can be fatal. Setting your tank at a higher temp can help prevent this. 82-84deg should be good.

Once they get past the 4-5 inch mark they are pretty though

Keep them well fed aswell.

How many and what kind did you get?

[PeacockBass]

also, be advised that a 40 gallon will only last for a couple months.

[rayman45]

then your gunna want a small pond !

[rumblesushi]

my peacock bass is doing fine. He's such a cute little fish, so jumpy and fast, but really sweet with a big appetite.

I've kept the temp at around 82, haven't bothered with salt, and so far so good.

I got him at 2.5 inches 2 weeks ago, he must have grown almost an inch since then feeding just on bloodworms.

He seems active and healthy so far, I really like him, he's a cichla ocellaris.

[Apocalypse]

then your gunna want a small pond !
What size "small" pond would you recommend?

[piranha45]

roughly 8'x8' minimum as adults, unless you have temensis, then prolly at least 10'x10'. These are big active open-water fish, hence they have drastically different space requirements from the other more sluggish, lethargic cichlid species. Few actually keep them in the enclosures they warrant, unfortunately.

[wwildcats04]

what is the min. size tank that you can put one in? I am understand there are a few different types? what kind is it that peacockbass has in his/her avatar? would they be good with an arowana/shovelnose/BGK/possibly a stingray

[Steve_89]

what is the min. size tank that you can put one in? I am understand there are a few different types? what kind is it that peacockbass has in his/her avatar? would they be good with an arowana/shovelnose/BGK/possibly a stingray

If you had monos a tank with somthing like 3-4ft width would be better than what most people have.

The cichla in the avatar is a monoculus.

[Basstrainer]

well i have the same issue i have a 1in long RTC X TSN hybrid and 2 p bass(2in mono and 1in+ temensis) in a 60gal i have a much bigger tank so dont worry, but i never really get to understand they key to raising them from babys they always get ich and die! it makes me so upset. this is some information on about my tank.

60gal
all RO water very soft (i live in cali so tap water is as hard as steel)
temp is 80
i have driftwood
live plants
regular gravel i donno what type but its nice like tiny rocks
and a 125G filter
the ammonia is safe.
and i feed them bloodworm/brine shrimp mix 1once a day to make sure overfeeding dosent occur.

[Opiate]

At a small size they can catch ich very easy and this can be fatal. Setting your tank at a higher temp can help prevent this. 82-84deg should be good.

Once they get past the 4-5 inch mark they are pretty though

Keep them well fed aswell.

How many and what kind did you get?

steve pretty much summed it up! :thumbsup:

[channarox]

theyll grow fast.
so that 40g aint gonna last long.
they eat alot and many times a day when young.
keep the temp high.
they get much hardier around 6 inches.
ive had around 15 of them die for no reason. :(
but ive raised one to around 7 - 8 inches now and hes eating happily.

[k13_bryant]

Guys, Can anyone please help me? I raised a couple of PBass last 2 weeks, I put them in Polystyrene Box around 14' x 20' mixed with the mini-tarpons while i was waiting for my aquarium. I bought them and straight away put in the box for couple days. Since i put them, they looked scared, their colour became pale, and no appetite at all. A few days later, i put the filter to the box, and they become more active. Then after around one week since i bought, they're dead...... I planned to buy a couple more next week, this time the aquarium is ready and the tarpon seems fine inside. Is there any special treatment to prevent the "scared and stressful behaviour" of the peacock bass? I found it pretty tough raising them. Thanks a lot for ur help.

[sohc808]

I'm with bryant. I bought four little guys and within two months my pbass died with ick but my dats are still living and didn't get ick from the pbass.:confused:

[Morledzep]

Steve_89 gave ya all pretty specific instructions for keeping young peacock bass alive. the trick is to read and learn, don't just keep on asking the same questions over and over and over.

bring your temp up (82 - 86 degrees F), CLEAN water (test it, don't just change it and assume it's good), and add a little aquarium salt.

[Basstrainer]

K13_bryant sohc welcome to the MFK and i know your exact problem i had the same issue with mine when i just started.. these key elements are your key to sucsess.

water:
If your water is tap that might be a main reason there dieing some states usually have too hard of water (cali, hawaii orgeon, arizona etc. most west coast countrys but east cost is better softer water.)and it usually has heavy metals to make sure the water does remain pure good for humans but not necissarly good for peacock bass specialy at small size. make sure its Soft, softer water is there native water how you get soft water is to buy R/O(reverse Osmosis) water, R/O water helps them retain from ich at small size and if they get it lowers fatality rate buy a woopin 50% plus gives your fish way better color!

gravel:
try to make it river gravel like pebbles. as for it will make the pH more neutral.

Add Aquarium salt as for that helps prevent disease and natrual stress remedy. raise the temp to 83-84 that will help too.

try to have double the regular filteration. and make sure you have allot of oxygen in your tank becasue if they do get ich, ich can hurt there breathing so the air will help them.

follow this guide and i will assure you if you get healthy fish they wont die.

[Basstrainer]

ohh and some species are more tolerant to hard water then others such as ocell they can tolerate 1/3 tap 2/3 soft but tem and most others need 3/3 soft.

[k13_bryant]

K13_bryant sohc welcome to the MFK and i know your exact problem i had the same issue with mine when i just started.. these key elements are your key to sucsess.

water:
If your water is tap that might be a main reason there dieing some states usually have too hard of water (cali, hawaii orgeon, arizona etc. most west coast countrys but east cost is better softer water.)and it usually has heavy metals to make sure the water does remain pure good for humans but not necissarly good for peacock bass specialy at small size. make sure its Soft, softer water is there native water how you get soft water is to buy R/O(reverse Osmosis) water, R/O water helps them retain from ich at small size and if they get it lowers fatality rate buy a woopin 50% plus gives your fish way better color!

gravel:
try to make it river gravel like pebbles. as for it will make the pH more neutral.

Add Aquarium salt as for that helps prevent disease and natrual stress remedy. raise the temp to 83-84 that will help too.

try to have double the regular filteration. and make sure you have allot of oxygen in your tank becasue if they do get ich, ich can hurt there breathing so the air will help them.

follow this guide and i will assure you if you get healthy fish they wont die.

Thanks Bro for your advices.. I'm just an amateur for raising fish... lol..
Now i got more infos..

For the water, if i have kept the tarpon for several days, and they're OK until now, can i conclude that the water is safe for the PBass? Or the PBass is more sensitive than the Tarpon i.e. The tarpon have greater antibody..

[Basstrainer]

no problem for the help. just hope you dont kill as many bass as i did >.< i was a dumb**** 3 years ago...when i first got peacock bass droped thim straight into my tanks and the just died i was like wtf? so i go get another set. then they die so im like to the guy i bought them from and im like wtf dude why did you give me diseased fish.. and he laughs and tell me to get me a water sample. and he just laughed his ass off. (you could have imagined my mistake..)




but they very amoung species do you know what yours are? but most are more sensative then tarpon. but if you want the color and health R/O is the way to go. you can get R/O from a nearby lfs ask them if they have the machine to make it its usually 30-45c a gallon. if they dont have any go to a vons/staters bro and they have these water machines that people fill with water. those are R/O i think.. and just bring alot of water bottles and fill it and treat it with AQ salt and your minerals. then just drop it in.

[catfishlover106]

i had this problem once a couple weeks to a month ago...with my Cichla Orinocensis...which only one of the last 2 grown to 2" and fat and one still the same size...but ive raised waters to 86-88 degrees from Dieselmacks instructions on how to keep baby orinos

[bassman24]

steve pretty much summed it up! :thumbsup:

My two Ocellaris will eat 3 rosies a day. Should I keep it at this? Atleast Until I convert them to pellets? I don't want to over feed them.

[Onion01]

best advice i can give it to keep their tank continuously stocked with rosy reds or guppies. They won't kill themselves, and will eat whenever they need to. They have very fast metabolisms, and malnourishment WILL kill them

[k13_bryant]

no problem for the help. just hope you dont kill as many bass as i did >.< i was a dumb**** 3 years ago...when i first got peacock bass droped thim straight into my tanks and the just died i was like wtf? so i go get another set. then they die so im like to the guy i bought them from and im like wtf dude why did you give me diseased fish.. and he laughs and tell me to get me a water sample. and he just laughed his ass off. (you could have imagined my mistake..)




but they very amoung species do you know what yours are? but most are more sensative then tarpon. but if you want the color and health R/O is the way to go. you can get R/O from a nearby lfs ask them if they have the machine to make it its usually 30-45c a gallon. if they dont have any go to a vons/staters bro and they have these water machines that people fill with water. those are R/O i think.. and just bring alot of water bottles and fill it and treat it with AQ salt and your minerals. then just drop it in.

I've killed 9 PBass.. hehe.. the first 7, i put in the small pond without water circulation.. Each of them were dead one by one everyday.. Then the last two was in the aquarium.. lol..

By the way i used the water from my well, but i'm scared there are lots of heavy metal inside.. I think i'll switch to R/O water..

Then how to switch them from eating live fish to frozen food? This morning i let my tarpon starving, then i give them frozen shrimp.. they ate the shrimp, but then they spit them out.. Or the tarpons only eat live fish? even live shrimps, they don't want to eat..

One more thing, i found that my PBass and my tarpons became pale color, today i just bought another couple of tarpons and their color more greyish silver, the old ones like light brownish silver color.. Is there any special treatment to do?

Thanks a lot bro, i learnt a lot from you..

[Basstrainer]

well you should and if you want to ivide them or seperate the peacock bass from the tarpon if you want to feed them forzen foods instead of live. and the pale color may be shyness or change in emote. or possibley velvet but i doubt it. they prob just dont like shrimp yet try this food routine always works for mine:
gives emm great color and less worry of parasites.

monday:Bloodsworms (frozen cubes)--once morning once night
tuesday:Bloodworms (forzen cubes)-- once morning once night
wensday:Bloodworms (forzen cubes)-- once morning once night
thursday:Bloodworms (forzen cubes)-- once morning once night
Friday:Bloodworms (forzen cubes)-- ONLY MORNING. Feeder Guppys (treat and need to feed cause i have payara in the tank that only eat live trying to get them off live but there bein picky.)
Sat:Bloodworms (forzen cubes)-- once morning once night
sun:Bloodworms (forzen cubes)-- once morning once night

ohh and if your tarpons also became pale this may be a result of a heavy waterchange? or pissibley high ammonia? not to sure without looking what could have been the culperate.

so R/O will help you and best of luck--

PS: if you really want to try shrimp ive never tried this but it may work. get a peice of shrimp get a lil bit of fishing line and move it in your tank (dont add a hook to it lol. just make it so that it stays to the shrimp like make it go through a peice of it.) since peacock bass like live moving foods as you move the shrimp he will think its alive and strike hopefully eating it. and if that works soo you might not have to use the string meathod. and just have to drop it in.

[k13_bryant]

OK, thanks a lot bro for your advices..

I haven't got my PBass.. Here is out of stock...

I have feed them with them live ones, but they don't it them...

Btw, thanks a lot once again..

[k13_bryant]

Hey Bro BassKeeper, thanks a lot. My PBass all are doing great. They're just 2 inches, but greedy like hell.. lol.. I feed them with bloodworm as ur suggestion, and they enjoy 'em, but after they looked full, i put some guppies and they still chased 'em. Just like the dessert for them.. lol..
Good news, now the tarpons also want to eat the bloodworms as well. Hehe.. Thanks once again.

[haynchinook334]

I find it best to keep all pbass bought in 1 tank with no other fish. got 5 pbass 4 month ago. 1 passed and the other 4 are doing good.
i keep my temp at 83 to 86 dagrees
sand bottom with two small drift wood. and air stones on ether or sides.

[Peacock ßass]

k13 nice fish man they look very healthy. what type of Pbass are they? i would say mono or orino.

hayn bradha i totally agree in my opinion scott opened my eyes on this a tank thats just peacock bass looks so sweet and you wont run into fish vs fish as much.

[k13_bryant]

k13 nice fish man they look very healthy. what type of Pbass are they? i would say mono or orino.

hayn bradha i totally agree in my opinion scott opened my eyes on this a tank thats just peacock bass looks so sweet and you wont run into fish vs fish as much.

Thanks Bro, i also don't know what type is mine, because in Indonesia, PBass isn't a common fish. We just call 'em Cichla Ocellaris. Today I just wanted to ask the more experienced people here, what type is mine? lol..

I put them with the small red carp as my sis request. Don't give the carp to the tarpons.. lol.. And now the carp is acting, as he is a PBass.. lol.. He eats small guppies as well.. hauhahuaha.. lol..

As they grow bigger, i think i'll mixed the with the tarpons.. hehe.. lol..

But now i'm getting problem.. The Pbass don't really want to eat the bloodworm. They keep waiting for the small guppies. I think i'll make them really starving, then only give them the bloodworms. is it ok?

[bassman24]

best advice i can give it to keep their tank continuously stocked with rosy reds or guppies. They won't kill themselves, and will eat whenever they need to. They have very fast metabolisms, and malnourishment WILL kill them

That sounds good except I don't want them to forget who feeds them. I like the way they come right up to the front and do spins when i walk in the room. If I stock the tank with rosies won't it be harder to convert them to dry food when they're big enough?

[k13_bryant]

That sounds good except I don't want them to forget who feeds them. I like the way they come right up to the front and do spins when i walk in the room. If I stock the tank with rosies won't it be harder to convert them to dry food when they're big enough?

Yup, i agree with that.. Now i'm trying to convert them to eat the bloodworms, and this afternoon, my sis spoiled it, she fed them with guppies....... eeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....

What i'm trying to do is make the starving, and force them to eat the bloodworms several days, until they get used to it, then only i geive them the guppies. Is it the right way?

[bassman24]

Yup, i agree with that.. Now i'm trying to convert them to eat the bloodworms, and this afternoon, my sis spoiled it, she fed them with guppies....... eeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....

What i'm trying to do is make the starving, and force them to eat the bloodworms several days, until they get used to it, then only i geive them the guppies. Is it the right way?

How big are your pbass? I wouldn't worry too much about converting until they get bigger than about 5 in. And you gotta keep them well fed. Fatten em up a little first ya know? I keep my temp high too, like around 88f.

[carcrazy]

When I got my 2 2" pb I put them in the same tank as my aro, 2 motoro rays and 5 silver dollars. I fed them bloodworms three times a day until they got to around 3-4 inches and then they started eating the market shrimp that I feed to the rays and aro. Now they are about 5" and eat shrimp like crazy twice a day. Sometimes I have to add extra shrimp otherwise the rays won't get any. I think that the frequent water changes (30% every second day) helps to keep them healthy, as well as some luck.

[Peacock ßass]

well take it from a pro, peacocks will eat guppys/any live food because it moves this movement triggers a genetic responce that us anglers know as jig fishing. that movement ( the twitching ) causes the fish to get intrested into the bait even if its not hungry this is why sometimes your fish will spit out the live feeder but this wont happen often. but most peacock bass will go for blood worms and i must say it is way better than goldfish or rosys but some feeders can be good for your fish aswell but i dont recommend cause there always is that little risk for parasties and such. but i always say pellets are the best food for peacocks you wont always get them on pellets but you should try.

88 is a lil high a temp im always at 80-84.

[k13_bryant]

How big are your pbass? I wouldn't worry too much about converting until they get bigger than about 5 in. And you gotta keep them well fed. Fatten em up a little first ya know? I keep my temp high too, like around 88f.

They're around 2 inches long.. They're in the previous page pictures.. Ooww.. Ok, thanks a lot bro for ur advice.

[k13_bryant]

well take it from a pro, peacocks will eat guppys/any live food because it moves this movement triggers a genetic responce that us anglers know as jig fishing. that movement ( the twitching ) causes the fish to get intrested into the bait even if its not hungry this is why sometimes your fish will spit out the live feeder but this wont happen often. but most peacock bass will go for blood worms and i must say it is way better than goldfish or rosys but some feeders can be good for your fish aswell but i dont recommend cause there always is that little risk for parasties and such. but i always say pellets are the best food for peacocks you wont always get them on pellets but you should try.

88 is a lil high a temp im always at 80-84.

Yup, i think it's quite hard to switch them into pellets. Yup, i'm scared of the parasites if i keep feeding them with guppies. Coz i took the guppies from the sewerage in front of my house. Lucky me got free guppies..

[Peacock ßass]

sewage gasp... thats not good lol..

[catfishlover106]

actually 88 degrees may seem high but they are ok for juveniles from 1-6"...thats what i keep my 5 Orinos in...but once they get alittle bigger you can drop the temperature to 82