Bigger is ALWAYS better.....But in which way?

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R

rorreterror

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Apr 30, 2013
122
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CA-USA
I've read/heard so many times before:
"This fish requires a Min. 55 gallon aquarium" ....What exactly does this mean for SA/CA cichlids?

Obviously I'm not going to stuff a full grown festae in my emergency/holding tank(10G). I'm certain If we could all have a 1,000G tank for each fish we keep... we would :drool:. What considerations are taken when making this recommendation? We all know that *Enter whatever amount you see fit here* can come in so many different shapes and sizes. What about appropriate length? Width? Height? What if you have/want a custom tank made? Or DIY?

In your experience is it better to have a longer tank for more horizontal space? Or Wide? How Tall? I have the opportunity to pick up a 74x13x13 for a pretty good price, using the volume calculator it's approximately 54.14 US Gallons. Although a strange size it's considerably longer than my current 55G. I suppose what you keep would dictate what you need...but in your opinion which is better?

Short form: Long, wide or tall? And Why?
 
It all depends on the fish. Wide is always better but length and width need to both be right for an adequate size you just can't pick one really. I do always prefer wider then the adequate size.
The tank you are talking about Is aa good size for a community of fish that I would say grow 7" and under but is no where near big enough for your festae... a 18" width would be better for growing out for a long time.

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Actually the tank would be for my pair of green terrors (should have mentioned that).

But that's what I'm getting at...Obviously it depends on what you keep. You stated "The tank you are talking about Is aa good size for a community of fish that I would say grow 7" and under..." If I have a community of fish that are about 7" would they be more comfortable being able to swim for a few feet in one direction? or back and forth a few inches? I'm not trying to argue or call you out in any way, trust me, any input is greatly appreciated. I just want to understand the reasoning behind the preference (I'm always learning) and want to make sure my babies are happy!
 
In nature an adult pair of jack demseys (or any similar sized and style new world cichlid) will defend a territory of approx 4sq ft, they will chase any other cichlid from it. Whether breeding or not, this is considered normal feeding, breeding, living space territory, and is about 500 gals (depth can lessen and will change the amount of gallons), but a footprint of 4' X 4" doesn't seem to change.
Other non cichlids are however, tolerated, because they are not "direct" competitors.
You may say....but my tank is not nature! ....... and is why there are so many threads that read...my JD (GT, RT, O, Jag insert whatever) went berserk,
or why was my female killed? etc.
Cichlids are very adaptable and can survive and tolerate much less optimum conditions, but ....this size seems to be normal for any 8-10"cichlid in nature.

The rock above is the size of an SUV, and I watched the JD pair chase any cichlid from it, there were no fry or eggs present. They ignored the live bearers above, and gave slight notice to the catfish, but any other cichlid was quickly dispatched.

I use the word "style" above, meaning aggressive types (JD,GT, RT, Jag etc) to differentiate between more social, passive types.
 
When I take tank dimensions into consideration, I think of the full grown fish size and always try to go double the width so they can turn around easily without having to do the old 3 point turn =P. I prefer longer length tanks so they can swim back and fourth. If I could fit large square tanks I would, but they are generally not feasible for most people's floorplans.
 
For adult/large CA & SA's, I think you have to have that 6ft length & minimum 18in width - think a standard 125. A 12-14in fish in a 4ft 75 or 90gal just looks too cramped for my tastes. I know thats the minimum recommended size, but it doesn't look good IMO.

The 6ft length becomes even more important if you're keeping more than one big fish in the tank. 4ft is just not enough room if one decides to chase the other. That extra 2ft doesn't sound like much of a big deal, but it makes alot of difference.
 
I will never consider dropping money on a 55gallon tank again. I just can't do anything w/ that 12in width. Even if you keep small fish, its hard to scape properly with plants/driftwood touching the front & back glass...just looks cramped. Once you go to that 18in width, you"ll never look back!
 
I believe length and width are equally important, but not so much on the height/depth. If you have a 12" fish, you'd obviously want the tank to be wider than 12-13" so the fish can turn around comfortably. I usually try for at least 4-6x the length of the fish for the length of the tank if not more, so 12" fish would mean a tank 4 to 6 feet long (6 being preferable), with a 18" width minimum (IMO). This is how I approach it, I'm sure others may have differing opinions.
 
Awesome input everyone! I really appreciate it.

The original plan was to get a 120 from a family friend...that ended up selling it to someone else for more money! lol. I then got a chance to pick up this odd dimension tank from a co-worker that moved and wanted to get rid of it....then ended up giving it to his father. So, both plans fell through.

I'll just have to wait a little longer and pick one up at one of my LFS.The price of the tanks (Glass) are $243- 72x18x18 (100G) they also have a 120G(Glass) for $283 and is 60x18x26. And there's always craigslist! My buddy picked up a 120 Gallon with filters/canopy/stand etc. for $120!
 
you can definitely get good deals on CL.i feel most 8 inch or above fish would look better,feel secure in 18 inch height and width.i like longer tanks for SA,CA
 
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