New world cichlids and their growth rate
- Thread starter eon aquatics
- Start date
My fire mouth cichlid grew like half a inch in about 8 months is that normal?
Im feeding it mostly flake food
Im feeding it mostly flake food
Oscar: Got it at about an inch in length. A year later it was 12in.
Started of with Hikari pellets, at about six or so switched to Hikari Carnisticks. Also got a freeze dried krill or two a meal.
Amphilophus Saggitae: Got it at about two inches in length. A year later was about ten inches. Was feed New Life Spectrum.
Started of with Hikari pellets, at about six or so switched to Hikari Carnisticks. Also got a freeze dried krill or two a meal.
Amphilophus Saggitae: Got it at about two inches in length. A year later was about ten inches. Was feed New Life Spectrum.
That firemouth seems a little too slow. What’s the w/c rate?
FMs should put on about .25-.5 inches per month.
My jd was a crawl at the start, barely putting on 2-3 inches in a year. I had since upped feedings and water changes and he’s now a 5 inch beast (his growth really started picking up about 6 months ago). He grows in spurts and is currently getting nice and thick. I estimate he’ll be 6 by his second anniversary in November.
My parrot put on lots of weight early, at about .75 inches per month, slowed around 4-5 inches and is now 6-7. Getting fat.
My convict is a little over a year since I’ve had it, and has been a rather slow grower, as convicts are. She has grown maybe an inch or two (around 3-4 now). Slow also probably has to do with her egg laying.
My sev put on an inch per month until 5-6 inches, and has slowed down. He’s about 7 and not growing fast at all.
An acara I had barely grew likely because of a parasitic infection early on, it later died probably due to the same reason.
FMs should put on about .25-.5 inches per month.
My jd was a crawl at the start, barely putting on 2-3 inches in a year. I had since upped feedings and water changes and he’s now a 5 inch beast (his growth really started picking up about 6 months ago). He grows in spurts and is currently getting nice and thick. I estimate he’ll be 6 by his second anniversary in November.
My parrot put on lots of weight early, at about .75 inches per month, slowed around 4-5 inches and is now 6-7. Getting fat.
My convict is a little over a year since I’ve had it, and has been a rather slow grower, as convicts are. She has grown maybe an inch or two (around 3-4 now). Slow also probably has to do with her egg laying.
My sev put on an inch per month until 5-6 inches, and has slowed down. He’s about 7 and not growing fast at all.
An acara I had barely grew likely because of a parasitic infection early on, it later died probably due to the same reason.
To a degree. Liquid is usually far more accurate, strips are only really good for a ballpark.
Different cichlids grow at different rates....
Above a 1" Nimbochromis (African) Mar 2014
Below, same fish 7" Mar 2015
Below Rheoheros lentagenisus 1" Jan 2014
Below same fish, @ 6" in April 2015
Both fish above are similar average max size, and in growth rate to your FM.
IMO its all about water changes.
My average water change regime has been, and still is, 30% to 40% every other day, to maintain a nitrate level below 5ppm.
I consider a nitrate an indicator species of chemical showing the presence of not only pollutants (like the nitrate it measures ) but also of growth inhibiting hormones many territorial fish (like cichlids) produce.
The only way they are removed, is by frequent water changes.
The tanks the above with those fish were in during the above growth periods, were @ 125 gallon tanks, with an extra 50 gallons in their sumps.
If your tank is smaller, the frequency and amount of water changes are even more important, because in smaller volume of water, pollutants builds up even faster.
The reason my water change is what it is, is because testing let me know frequency to maintain my goals
Knowing the composition of your water by using either strips or liquid is paramount to determine a schedule.
Above a 1" Nimbochromis (African) Mar 2014
Below, same fish 7" Mar 2015
Below Rheoheros lentagenisus 1" Jan 2014
Below same fish, @ 6" in April 2015
Both fish above are similar average max size, and in growth rate to your FM.
IMO its all about water changes.
My average water change regime has been, and still is, 30% to 40% every other day, to maintain a nitrate level below 5ppm.
I consider a nitrate an indicator species of chemical showing the presence of not only pollutants (like the nitrate it measures ) but also of growth inhibiting hormones many territorial fish (like cichlids) produce.
The only way they are removed, is by frequent water changes.
The tanks the above with those fish were in during the above growth periods, were @ 125 gallon tanks, with an extra 50 gallons in their sumps.
If your tank is smaller, the frequency and amount of water changes are even more important, because in smaller volume of water, pollutants builds up even faster.
The reason my water change is what it is, is because testing let me know frequency to maintain my goals
Knowing the composition of your water by using either strips or liquid is paramount to determine a schedule.
my tank has been running for three months and in that time my severums have doubled in size from 3-6 inches and my jurupari have only grown about 1.5 inches both fish are similar sized as adults but very different growth rates. I am feeding hikari gold, north fin veggie, bug bites, Tera color, algae disks and bloodworms and crickets as treats. 60% water changes every 4 days
The biggest factor in growth rates tend to be genetics and water quality I find. Some species naturally grow fast, some grow slow. You may be able to speed up growth with "powerfeeding" or high protein foods, but this can also lead to more issues than it's worth IMO, some fish are not built to handle that much protein, and even ones that are can become bloated or blocked up when overeating. More important than this is the water quality- with all other things equal, if water is changed often enough to keep nitrates at or below 5ppm, growth will be much faster than in a tank where nitrate is allowed to creep up to say 25 or 30ppm.