CAN I KEEP A KELBERI PEACOCK BASS IN HERE WELL?

Mihajlo525

Gambusia
MFK Member
Mar 4, 2015
225
1
16
Canada
Hey guys, I'm posting here because nobody on yahoo has experience spanning past guppies and bettas :headshake: ... So anyways I was doing research and planning on keeping a Kelberi peacock bass for months but just haven't had any chance to buy one from my local area (basically anywhere closer than 250km!!!) So I decided to take the long way and wait... Finally someone on Kijiji posted a Kelberi for $100 at about 7"(that he's sure of is a Kelberi) But I'll let you guys decide that. He keeps him in a 75 gallon with a pleco and 6 silver dollars and he's selling him because he cannot afford an upgrade tank, he wasn't able to brake him into pellets and he's a wild caught one. But I wanted to know could I keep him in my tank? I know I have the right water parameters (at a steady 82 degrees and 7.0 PH) I do weekly water changes in my 120 gallon with two 75 gallon top filters and a 150 gallon canister filter. In the tank I have a 5" wide reticulated stingray, 11" pleco, 13" tiger oscar that doesn't bother any of the fish, surprisingly, a 6" striped Raphael catfish, and three 7" goldfish that I keep in a 6.5' wide fountain I own, for about 6 months of the year. So I want to know if he'll bother the stingray especially (since he's also $100) and how he'll fair with the other tank mates? I also want to confirm their average size, from the research I've done I heard it was 15" with the max size being 18". I also want to know how fast they grow. For tank structures I have one side gravel and one side sand, the sand side has two 16" artificial weeds and I'm adding 2 more soon, a large 18" long piece of drift wood, and of course about 1.5" of black sand. For the gravel side i have some small smooth river gravel with multiple slabs and rock formations providing caves and hides. I'm getting him THIS SATURDAY so PLEASE answer as fast as you can. THANKS FOR READING! :help2: :D I'll provide pics of the Kelberi and my tank if I can!
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Mihajlo525

Gambusia
MFK Member
Mar 4, 2015
225
1
16
Canada
Please re-read... the guy I'm purchasing from cannot afford an upgrade tank and he currently keeps him in a 75 gallon... I have a 120.
 

Mihajlo525

Gambusia
MFK Member
Mar 4, 2015
225
1
16
Canada
Not to sound arrogant in any way but may I ask why? Don't they usually Max out at 16"? I've been hearing mixed answers online I heard some as small as 10" and some as large as 20". What do you think the maximum size is for an average Kelberi and how fast do they grow?

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4wheelvfr

Candiru
MFK Member
Jan 12, 2008
372
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Southern Illinois
Asking questions is definitely not arrogant. I've got limited experience with Kelberis, but they will get larger than 16", although growth after the 12-15" range will probably slow down quit a bit. Even if they did max out at 16", all the cichla species I have kept are very active, very fast moving, and can use up a lot of space. I kept a small group of Cichla in a tank measuring 8'x4'x4' and they used up the all the space very easily. I don't want to sound discouraging by saying you need a giant tank and x amount of gallons, but these are large, fast, and active fish. 7'x2' is probably small for many cichla keepers, but imo it could work for a small group of Kelberis. Maybe some others will chime in with their opinions, but that is my 2 cents.
 

Aquafreak

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Dec 22, 2008
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I believe your 120 will work until they hit the 12"-14" range. A 24" wide tank is a minimum, and a standard 6'x2' 180 gal would be my minimum overall for a few kelberi. I do know of some people who have kept kelberi in a 4'x2' with success though. Time will tell. A large fish like Cichla need some room.

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gangster

Arapaima
MFK Member
Apr 17, 2008
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I believe your 120 will work until they hit the 12"-14" range. A 24" wide tank is a minimum, and a standard 6'x2' 180 gal would be my minimum overall for a few kelberi. I do know of some people who have kept kelberi in a 4'x2' with success though. Time will tell. A large fish like Cichla need some room.

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Well YOur wrong on working til 12-14". A bass that size needs more than a standard 18" width on a 120g.
YOu can keep a dog in a 3x3 cardboard box as well. Is it healthy? NO.
 

Aquafreak

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Dec 22, 2008
1,007
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Fleetwood, PA
Well YOur wrong on working til 12-14". A bass that size needs more than a standard 18" width on a 120g.
YOu can keep a dog in a 3x3 cardboard box as well. Is it healthy? NO.
A standard 120 is 24" wide. A standard 125 is 18" wide. Even a standard 125 with an 18" width leaves enough room for a 14" fish to turn around in.

Read the whole post and you'll see, once again, that no one is recommending a standard 120, nor a standard 125 for life.

Amazing how we all forgetting we're here for collective input and open discussion. Rather than tell the vegan they are wrong for their choice; discuss his/her reasoning for becoming vegan. Get it? Stop pointing fingers.


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