Differently sized pond stocking ideas
- Thread starter Terror fanboii 1
- Start date
Looks like carpintis not a Texas. People call them blue Texas or whatever but they are just cousins.
Cyanogutatus is the Texas cichlid and it’s more Agro than carpintis. Carpintis are good looking fish that are also aggressive and territorial but not at the true Texas level of thuggery
Cyanogutatus is the Texas cichlid and it’s more Agro than carpintis. Carpintis are good looking fish that are also aggressive and territorial but not at the true Texas level of thuggery
Thank you for replying 
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As of now they both are really shy and are always hiding.
After about a month or two I will make a pond measuring L = 48, B = 24 and H = 15 (inches).
Will that be sufficient for them?
On that pond can I add 6 silver dollars as a dither fish? (I got to know that with the help of dithers many cichlids will become bold and dithers also help to ease out the aggression).
. As of now they both are really shy and are always hiding.
After about a month or two I will make a pond measuring L = 48, B = 24 and H = 15 (inches).
Will that be sufficient for them?
On that pond can I add 6 silver dollars as a dither fish? (I got to know that with the help of dithers many cichlids will become bold and dithers also help to ease out the aggression).
P.S.
So till then can I keep -
1 Green terror
1 Carpintis
6 silver dollars
1 blood parrot
In this pond for growing them out for 1-2 month?
How fast do they grow?
So till then can I keep -
1 Green terror
1 Carpintis
6 silver dollars
1 blood parrot
In this pond for growing them out for 1-2 month?
How fast do they grow?
1-2 months probably won’t be too much drama. The problem you get is that small ponds are more trouble than small fish tanks inside. You hav easy way less control over the environment. Which is good in a bigger setting but in a 55-75 gallon setting it can be tough to get a good stable pond. Not impossible. Just more critical about feeding, stocking, placement, planting etc. im surprised you don’t see more of a temperature swing than 1 degree. Where are you located- even equatorial I’d expect more of a swing than that. My 1000 gallon vat swings 6 degrees and my little ones will swing 10 from morning to evening. But I’m at 32 degrees north in the Atlantic coast USA.
My smallest cichlid vats are 140 gallon with an interior floorplan of 48x32 and 18” deep water.
In a tub that size you can have a few fish and they grow well- but again the length kills you becuase the fish can’t ever get Far enough away from each other. How fast they grow is a variable laden question. If I’m not getting close 1” a month for the first year with bigger species I’m not happy. If I’m not getting .5-1” a month with smaller stuff like rainbows and cutteri I’m not happy. But I feed a lot and am trying to grow out fish.
what are your constraints, that have you eyeballing such small tubs? You will get more enjoyment out of a bigger Vat for a variety of reasons. Another thing to consider is how much you’ll see of the fish. Silver dollars won’t be very visible I don’t think and othe than the parrot I know the cichlids won’t be very visible.
Can I make the suggestion that you go with swordtails or platies or possibly wild type sailfin mollies for dithers- all of which will favor the upper level of water and with vibrant reds or oranges or yellows be much more visible.
I use calico HRP for dithers/ targets in my vats. A half dozen about 1” and I can always see those fish after the initial green water bloom subsides. They’ll get up to about 3” out there in a season and typically spawn which is more fish food for the big ones they’re with and honestly they help me find the other darker fish becuase they give a better since of perspective than just staring into the water looking for a dark shape that moves. Basically all my fry like this that haven’t got enough black get used as feeders/ targets/dithers.
I get the idea of the silver dollars but I don’t know anyone who has had them who really liked them as much as they thought they would. And outside- they’ll be a total drag. Very very spooky and very hard to see
My smallest cichlid vats are 140 gallon with an interior floorplan of 48x32 and 18” deep water.
In a tub that size you can have a few fish and they grow well- but again the length kills you becuase the fish can’t ever get Far enough away from each other. How fast they grow is a variable laden question. If I’m not getting close 1” a month for the first year with bigger species I’m not happy. If I’m not getting .5-1” a month with smaller stuff like rainbows and cutteri I’m not happy. But I feed a lot and am trying to grow out fish.
what are your constraints, that have you eyeballing such small tubs? You will get more enjoyment out of a bigger Vat for a variety of reasons. Another thing to consider is how much you’ll see of the fish. Silver dollars won’t be very visible I don’t think and othe than the parrot I know the cichlids won’t be very visible.
Can I make the suggestion that you go with swordtails or platies or possibly wild type sailfin mollies for dithers- all of which will favor the upper level of water and with vibrant reds or oranges or yellows be much more visible.
I use calico HRP for dithers/ targets in my vats. A half dozen about 1” and I can always see those fish after the initial green water bloom subsides. They’ll get up to about 3” out there in a season and typically spawn which is more fish food for the big ones they’re with and honestly they help me find the other darker fish becuase they give a better since of perspective than just staring into the water looking for a dark shape that moves. Basically all my fry like this that haven’t got enough black get used as feeders/ targets/dithers.
I get the idea of the silver dollars but I don’t know anyone who has had them who really liked them as much as they thought they would. And outside- they’ll be a total drag. Very very spooky and very hard to see
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Thanks again for replying 
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My pond stays in shelter, due to the shelter being black it absorbs the sunlight so, the whole place stays quite warm during night.
I am not setting up a big pond because there are 2 reasons
1. Budget
2. Lack of space
I wanted to put Livebears but I thought that they will be too small and will get eaten once the cichlids hit 8-10' mark.
How many mollies/swordtails should I buy?
Also the height of the next pond will be 18 inches not 15.
. My pond stays in shelter, due to the shelter being black it absorbs the sunlight so, the whole place stays quite warm during night.
I am not setting up a big pond because there are 2 reasons
1. Budget
2. Lack of space
I wanted to put Livebears but I thought that they will be too small and will get eaten once the cichlids hit 8-10' mark.
How many mollies/swordtails should I buy?
Also the height of the next pond will be 18 inches not 15.
I have lots of floating plants and that’s a big part of making it work for fry after they get kick out of the nest or in your case smaller dither/ target fish.
if you Dont have light enough to grow some Anacharis or hornwort maybe you can add plastic plants like that to help provide cover for you dither/ target fish. 1-2 males and 8-10 females would be my notion. The carpintis will eat more of them than the terror I believe. You’ve got a smaller area to work with so they need more cover than if they have room to run. If you keep your fish fed they won’t eat all your livebearers like a guapote or other piscavore will. They’ll get a few tho
if you Dont have light enough to grow some Anacharis or hornwort maybe you can add plastic plants like that to help provide cover for you dither/ target fish. 1-2 males and 8-10 females would be my notion. The carpintis will eat more of them than the terror I believe. You’ve got a smaller area to work with so they need more cover than if they have room to run. If you keep your fish fed they won’t eat all your livebearers like a guapote or other piscavore will. They’ll get a few tho
Its an above ground pond.
Sorry I can't post pics as it is a complete mess I had to cover all sides of my pond with sheets as my green terror jumped out of the tank. (I am glad that I saw him he was very dry when I picked him up but now I think he's okay).
I have fake plants in my pond, Aquatic plants are not available in my locality. Will using something like floating dock work that is shallow enough so the cichlids won't be able to enter but my dithers can?
