Any umbee experts?

[florencejr11]

So I’ve had an umbee for about 7 months now in a 55 growout tank. This fish doesn’t grow. I mean since I’ve had this fish it has gotten thicker and some blue dots around its gills. That’s about it. Id say it went from 3” to 4” from when I first got it. Just for comparison my grammodes who was in a 40 growout grew double the size of the umbee and the grammodes are the slowest growing cichlids from what I researched. Diet consists of Shrimp, hikari floating pellets, bug bites, carnivore pellets, roaches, and worms. Water change at %50 a week. Where am I going wrong ?

 

[KeepsWaterAndSomeFish]

Is it alone? pecking order can hamper growth especially with species like the umbee which is rather timid and meek when small. Water changes, water changes, water changes. Change as much water as you can in order to promote growth the diet you are providing is varied so you have that covered. I wc at least 3x a week with fish I am trying to grow on for adding to existing setups.

 

[florencejr11]

Yes

Is it alone? pecking order can hamper growth especially with species like the umbee which is rather timid and meek when small. Water changes, water changes, water changes. Change as much water as you can in order to promote growth the diet you are providing is varied so you have that covered. I wc at least 3x a week with fish I am trying to grow on for adding to existing setups.

Yes he’s alone

 

[PhishMon84]

They don't grow particularly fast IMO- my WC male has been with me since 3" and now about 3 years. had a 75 alone for 2 yrs and 125 alone for the last year. he's like 14", 4" tall and super friendly. Remember these are long lived fish, the grow throughout their entire lives and the listed max size is just that, a max- its not the common size, the average size, the most commonly occurring size- its an externality and representative of an exceptional individual. Shaqs 7' tall, most adult males are around 5'9"

 

[duanes]

What is your water change routine?
What is the nitrate concentration in the tank?
They both work in tandem. And IMO are more (or at least as important) as diet
To allow a species like an Umbi to grow at decent clip, nitrates (an indicator of hormones and other substances that inhibit growth) should be non detectable like the waters they come from below, in nature.


Many fish breeders that want rapid growth, will change 80% to 90% of the tanks water per day.
Especially in a tiny tank like a 55, growth inhibiting hormone can double over night