Not really. There are plenty of members and vendors here that have quality Festae (as well as many other cichlids). But in the end you should keep what you want as long as you can provide the proper housing for your choice and not base it on everyone's opinion. Both fish are beautiful in their own way. Maybe you would enjoy a Cuban more, not kept by many and an adult healthy specimen looks great. I would rethink the Dovii pair in your 125 unless you're seriously going to make a tank upgrade in the future. In a 125 they will be okay for a little time while they are small. But as they grow and mature they will definitely need larger housing.
Which is better Cuban or festae?
- Thread starter joseph504
- Start date
Asking which is better is like asking if an apple is better than a peach. Both are good.
Either festae or cubans would work in a 125 long term, a dovii would not.
Either festae or cubans would work in a 125 long term, a dovii would not.
Both equally hard to get here but i would prefer festae nice colours plus it took me 4 months to find some and never found any since or even in LFS i got fry over a local classified
yeaa your 100% rite..no i wasnt planning on keeping them in there permantely..just until they get a little bigger.
They are not overrated. The hobby has been inundated with so many substandard mutants that are peddled as F0 by unscrupulous opportunist looking to cash in on their beauty and popularity. Everyone wants to jump into breeding them without any idea of the patience and care that's required. If you want a glass banging, interactive, feisty at a young age, wet pet, don't get a Festae.
Correction, average to below average Festae are everywhere. If you want a kaleidascope of colors get a Festae, if you want outgoing personality go with a Cuban. In other words Festae=Color TV, Cubans=B/W TV.
An adult male Dovi or Festae will not coexist with other fish in just a 125. They get too big and their attitude grows with them.
Cubans haven't been as over-exploited. Dedicated Festae collectors are frustrated by the continual perpetuation of substandard specimens. I am speaking of people who sell/breed Parrot-Beaked, Camel-Humped, Snippy-Mouthed, Bar-less, washed-out, fish and get congratulated for doing so. Sadly, the gene pool for super quality Festae has suffered massive shrinkage in the last few years.
Its not hard to find them. If you're not a student of them, become one and quit relying on propaganda. Don't just be taken in by color or by a sellers perceived reputation. Try to buy from collectors. They are more educated and scrupulous than vendors/wholesalers or people with a pair that happen to breed. They also are more likely to have several strains and healthier stock. So you can start out with un-related stock and avoid inbreeding which is what the average hobbyist does when he buys a group from one set of parents.
Me too FESTAE all the way and if you look hard enough you will find the real deal there out there you just have to look!
