Dovii and Umbee in the same tank.

ashdavid

Candiru
MFK Member
Jun 6, 2005
806
28
48
Japan
I have had big cichlids for years, what I want to know is if anyone has had an full grown umbee in a tank with other cichlids of the same size . I have never owned an umbee before and their reputation preceeds them. I am thinking of puting one in my main tank, but I have a dovii as my main fish with about 30 or so other large cichlids(red terror,3 midas,jaguar, motaguense,5 oscars,splendia and many more that are over 12 inches,there are many other fish in there too many to list,mainly tinfoil barbs, balas, bichirs ect) they all get along fine , I am just concerned about an umbee and a dovii together in the same tank. I would like to know if anyone has done this and as to what size tank they were in.
 

piranha45

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Mar 30, 2005
2,982
13
68
kay
well, it takes 4+ years for a baby dovii and umbee both to hit 20", so I would be more concerned about their welfare against the other tankmates than how things might be once they are the sole two giants in a given tank.

I know a certain user who had a breeding pair of dovii and umbee i(with free swimming fry) n a 500g along with a plethora of other large cichlids, but the male dovii and umbee were both in the 8"-12" range. He said everything was very peaceful; no excessive aggression among any of the cichlids in the tank.
 

ashdavid

Candiru
MFK Member
Jun 6, 2005
806
28
48
Japan
The dovii and the other fish very rarely have fights, to be honest I don't remember the last time someone locked jaws. When the umbee is full grown it I will not be reducing the other occupants unless there are fights, which I doubt there will be. I was more or less looking for someone who had success with mixing these fish. 500g for a breeding pair of dovii sounds small, must have been lucky to have had little aggression.
 

piranha45

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Mar 30, 2005
2,982
13
68
kay
I meant to say that there were two separate breeding pairs in the tank-- 1 of dovii, the other of umbee. Both had free-swimming fry. And there were no aggression problems throughout the tank. But like I said, the males were only in the 8-12" size range
 

ashdavid

Candiru
MFK Member
Jun 6, 2005
806
28
48
Japan
Well the tank is 1850g actual, and I am just thinking that it will be ok. The territories should be able to be proporly established and I think they should be able to get along, the only way I am going to find out is do it. No one else seems to have done it so I will just have to be on my own with this one.
 

GTS

Candiru
MFK Member
May 15, 2005
397
10
48
Tampa,Fl
I raised an umbie of the green morph to 14" about 12 years ago. He lived in a 300 gallon tank with a few other central american cichlids like trimacs, midas and the like. He dominated all of them with ease. All except for a 13" dovii. The dovii roughed him up to the point where I had to give him away.

In general I find umbie to have bloody thirsty murderous tempers which are indeed slightly worse than dovii. However they dont take damage as well as dovii and the guapotes do and they are far more prone to stressing out when they are beaten ( which is indeed a rare occurance). In my experince they dominate all other cichlids with the exception of an equal sized dovii.
 

piranha45

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Mar 30, 2005
2,982
13
68
kay
how's the body mass compare between the two fish-- is a 14" umbee going to weigh as much as a 14" dovii?
 

GTS

Candiru
MFK Member
May 15, 2005
397
10
48
Tampa,Fl
piranha45 said:
how's the body mass compare between the two fish-- is a 14" umbee going to weigh as much as a 14" dovii?

Its difficult to say. Both bulk up considerably around 14"..But at that size the umbie would most likely weigh more.(Its a another story at 20" though)
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store