Acclimating Frontosa

[pwmin]

OK, so I have a 5-6" Kigoma right now in a 210 long w/ various fish. Although there are no problems with it right now (eats fine, no aggression from tankmates), I fear that some of the other fish will outgrow it and it will eventually become a snack. One of my LFS has 10" Zaires for a decent price and I was thinking about getting one to replace the Kigoma. Now, when I got the Kigoma, I didn't acclimate it slowly, but I'm worried that the Zaire will be more sensitive.

So, flaming aside, what would be the best way to acclimate it? Will the drip method over a couple hours work or will it need a longer process? The water is pretty soft and pH is only 7.5 and I will not increase it due to the other fish. I'm surprised I couldn't find a thread on this topic since I've seen a few people on here w/ fronts in non-rift lake tanks.

 

[fishoverlivingspace]

Yeah, flaming aside, but IMO, if you're getting rid of your current frontosa, I wouldn't replace it with another frontosa, or another rift lake cichlid for that matter.

If the Zaire is W.C., it will be a bit sensitive, but if you get it from an lfs that uses the same water as you, you shouldn't need to do much more than your standard acclimation. In any case, I can't imagine that 2 hours of drip-acclimation wouldn't be enough. If any amount of acclimation will do, 2 hours will. Your pH isn't too far below what he really needs to do okay, the softness might be a little bit of an issue, but long-term the fish shouldn't really be any worse for wear. Mostly the only reason I keep Rift Lake Cichlids with other Rift Lake Cichlids is that I like to keep things natural.
Good luck with whatever you choose!!

 

[pwmin]

why wouldn't you replace it with another, besides the obvious reasons (unnatural, etc.)? I'm not sure I will get rid of the Kigoma, just will put it in a different tank, if not now, later down the road when I feel it's in danger. I started off wanting to do an amazonian whitewater biotope, but that idea has obviously went down the gutter, lol.

they keep theirs at higher pH's and hardness. I think they are WC, but I'm not sure. I actually gave up testing hardness of my water, but I have had an acei for quite a few years (long story) in this water and it grew up well and is a nice adult specimen. of course, being captive bred for so many generations in non-natural water, as in the case of the acei, makes a big difference.

thanks for all the info and the quick reply

I know some people cringe at the idea

 

[cichlidgirl]

Ok, let me ask you this. Both kigoma or zaire will get big, i think the kigoma might get slightly bigger, but they grow slowly over many years. If you dont mind me asking , what exactly are you keeping with it that your concerned it will be eaten like a snack? How big are they now and what kind of growth rate do they have ? That might be the more important question for you. Dont get nervous or defensive, im not flaming just curious. I personally keep my fronts with other fish as well, african haps and peacocks.

If your front is alone he might like the company of another front or two. just a suggestion if you want to get into fronts..

 

[pwmin]

Ok, let me ask you this. Both kigoma or zaire will get big, i think the kigoma might get slightly bigger, but they grow slowly over many years. If you dont mind me asking , what exactly are you keeping with it that your concerned it will be eaten like a snack? How big are they now and what kind of growth rate do they have ? That might be the more important question for you. Dont get nervous or defensive, im not flaming just curious. I personally keep my fronts with other fish as well, african haps and peacocks.

If your front is alone he might like the company of another front or two. just a suggestion if you want to get into fronts..

I'm not taking your questions in a bad way. I know its not p.c., but I just wanted one front for my big tank. Maybe, I'm underestimating their growth rate, but even w/ an 8 inch Texas, it's starting to look small. I'm not worried about the fish that are in the tank so much, because they probably won't get very big very quickly, but I'm growing out a black arowana that is going to go in the big tank. They are slower growers than silvers, but in 2 years, it may be 18 inches long and if the kigoma doesn't get bigger, it'll be small enough to eat. I'm super paranoid about fish eating other fish, lol. It actually hangs out with all the other fish. HTH

 

[kay-bee]

...I'm growing out a black arowana ...in 2 years, it may be 18 inches long and if the kigoma doesn't get bigger, it'll be small enough to eat...

How large will the kigoma have to be to avoid becoming a snack? With ideal care and if it's a male, the kigoma should put on 1" to 2" per year after attaining 5"-6", so in two years the kigoma could theoretically be 7"-10".

 

[pwmin]

How large will the kigoma have to be to avoid becoming a snack? With ideal care and if it's a male, the kigoma should put on 1" to 2" per year after attaining 5"-6", so in two years the kigoma could theoretically be 7"-10".

I'm not really sure how big it would have to be. I'm sure an 18" arowana could eat it at this size. The thing that worries me is that it doesn't have as big of a profile as other fronts I've seen, so it would be easier to get down.

I went down to the store and decided not to get any. I am going to just keep the Kigoma for now and if it starts to get to a point where I think it might be in danger pretty soon, I will save up a little and get a bigger one. The ones at the store weren't as big as I remembered. The Zaire's were 8 and 7 inches and I think they only had two. They only have the bigger ones for sale in pairs and they were asking $350 for the pair. The Kipili weren't any longer that my Kigoma and there was another variety in there that I didn't recognize the name of that were about the same size. They were asking $150 a pair for the Kipili and $160 for the others. I might have gotten a pair of the Kipili if they were larger.

 

[fishoverlivingspace]

why wouldn't you replace it with another, besides the obvious reasons (unnatural, etc.)?

they keep theirs at higher pH's and hardness. I think they are WC, but I'm not sure. I actually gave up testing hardness of my water, but I have had an acei for quite a few years (long story) in this water and it grew up well and is a nice adult specimen. of course, being captive bred for so many generations in non-natural water, as in the case of the acei, makes a big difference.

I just think that rift lake cichlids should be kept with rift lake cichlids, thats all... just my opinion.

Aside from that... Acei are from lake Malawi which is nowhere near as hard as lake Tanganyika, and captive breeding of the Acei would get them adjusted to standard local tap water. Therefore, I don't condone keeping fish like this in soft, low pH water. However, your pH (and probably hardness) don't seem to be excessively low, so its probably not a big deal. Go for it if you want. I would definitely hang on to the kigoma though. You can get that guy up to size within a couple years. Good luck, I'm sure it will turn into a nice lookin' tank as everything grows up!

 

[pwmin]

I just think that rift lake cichlids should be kept with rift lake cichlids, thats all... just my opinion.

Aside from that... Acei are from lake Malawi which is nowhere near as hard as lake Tanganyika, and captive breeding of the Acei would get them adjusted to standard local tap water. Therefore, I don't condone keeping fish like this in soft, low pH water. However, your pH (and probably hardness) don't seem to be excessively low, so its probably not a big deal. Go for it if you want. I would definitely hang on to the kigoma though. You can get that guy up to size within a couple years. Good luck, I'm sure it will turn into a nice lookin' tank as everything grows up!

ya, i know the acei are a lot closer to tap water and I do respect your stance. it would be a lot riskier w/ a WC front. I have read that 7.5 is on the borderline for fronts. i will definitely hang onto the Kigoma. I have other tanks it can go into and I just leave the pH as is in all my tanks. maybe, I will get a 6-stripe eventually, but not now. I was inspired to try a front by another member's tank. I used to have a Rift tank set up, but ended up losing most f the fish probably due to my newbness (this was a few years ago). I got rid of the rest, but was attached to the acei as I always wanted one, so I gave it to my mom to keep.

thanks for all the input and help, everyone

 

[fishoverlivingspace]

Yeah, man, I am by no means saying that you can't do it. I just have a special attachment to all Rift Lake Cichlids, as they were the first fish that reeeally got me into the hobby. I like to keep them in their natural environments, but its certainly not my place to be telling you what you can and cannot do. I truly think that it will work out for you, and I wish you luck with it!