Breeding pair or a single Monster?

[philipraposo1982]

So are you making the assumption that if fish don't get along that improper care is taking place?!

Or maybe it's just a fact that most cichlid pairs will fight no matter. Despite the level of care.

 

[kewpiefishypewpie]

No. I'm making the educated observation that fish, when cramped, will get a long better than when not cramped.

And putting fish that aren't compatible together is a product of improper care.

 

[dan518]

There is a big difference between a compatible pair and just a pair.

 

[Stanzzzz7]

But my point is that in order to keep large cichlid pair in any hobby size tanks that majority of us actually have you are likely to have male female disputes.

This is true.large cichlids need large tanks not"hobby sized".
There are lots of cichlids that will work in the average sized hobby tank.They are not normally big.

Also, out of curiosity what size tank would my pair need to not fight come spawning. My guess is that doesn't exist. Based on the fact that prespawn behavior is rough no matter the tank size. Which is not something I like to see.

I can't give you an actual defining answer to this.Pairs will differ in behaviour within the same species.
We can only go on averages.On average rivulatus can be moderately aggressive, frequently in small tanks.
I would recommend a 6 foot tank for a adult breeding pair minimum.

Granted each fish is different and maybe others aren't as rough as my pair but my males mouth got fairly beat up due to prespawn locking.[
/QUOTE]
If this is your pairs first spawn you may find they won't be quite as rough next time round.Hopefully they will have got that out the way and established a pair bond.

 

[Stanzzzz7]

There is a big difference between a compatible pair and just a pair.

Very true.
I've had loads of compatible pairs of cichlids live and breed together without so much as a lodged scale.Well bonded pairs will often be inseparable and show no aggressive behaviour towards each other at all.

 

[Stanzzzz7]

lol it/s still better than some of the stuff I see....Oscars w/ tankmates in a 30s, 20s, even 10 gallons. Everyone that had an Oscar as a kid likely had it in a small tank, sadly

I hear what your saying Frank. There are some horror stories out there,oscars are probably one of the most abused cichlids in the hobby.
I know a 75 is better than a 20 or a 30 but I still don't think an Oscar is the best cichlid to advise for a 75.
There are lots of much more suitable cichlids out there that would be a lot happier and easier maintained in a tank that size.
A 75 is just too much a limiting prison to recommend for a large intelligent fish like an Oscar.

 

[Frank Castle]

I hear what your saying Frank. There are some horror stories out there,oscars are probably one of the most abused cichlids in the hobby.
I know a 75 is better than a 20 or a 30 but I still don't think an Oscar is the best cichlid to advise for a 75.
There are lots of much more suitable cichlids out there that would be a lot happier and easier maintained in a tank that size.
A 75 is just too much a limiting prison to recommend for a large intelligent fish like an Oscar.

yea, true, but some people are like me and won't buy a monster tank until the "threat" of fish they already bought looms over their head. I said last year when I joined I was going to get a bigger tank when all I had was a 55g and two 20g set-up at the time and I made good on my word. Now I got like 12 or 13 tanks going.

Also on a sidenote my "Cichlasoma dimerus" pair tried laying eggs earlier today (this is 2nd or 3rd time), after I did a WC yesterday, so I think i'm gonna give them a small tank to breed in. They are only about 3" and 3.5" - what do you think about a 20g Long or 30g Long for a pair of 3-3.5" adults?

 

[duanes]

I was snorkeling with uropthalmus a few years back, and started following a big male. He was wary, but not really afraid of me. Within minute or two, he effortlessly swam the entire length of a cenote, at least 100 yrds. I considered giving up fish keeping of large cichlids that moment, realizing how small my largest tanks were, and how that 14" fish lived and reacted to its natural environment.

My Cichlasoma dimerus "bella union Uruguay"(@ 4" for the male, smaller female) spawned and raised a number of fry in a 65 gal high tank.
After that I tossed them in a 1500 gal pond in the spring (in the midwest) I could see them spawning again after a few weeks (water in the 60sF), in the fall I pulled out hundreds of fry that were bigger than the ones from the previous spawn.

 

[Frank Castle]

I was snorkeling with uropthalmus a few years back, and started following a big male. He was wary, but not really afraid of me. Within minute or two, he effortlessly swam the entire length of a cenote, at least 100 yrds. I considered giving up fish keeping of large cichlids that moment, realizing how small my largest tanks were, and how that 14" fish lived and reacted to its natural environment.

My Cichlasoma dimerus "bella union Uruguay"(@ 4" for the male, smaller female) spawned and raised a number of fry in a 65 gal high tank.
After that I tossed them in a 1500 gal pond in the spring (in the midwest) I could see them spawning again after a few weeks (water in the 60sF), in the fall I pulled out hundreds of fry that were bigger than the ones from the previous spawn.

You had them breed at 60F or you brumated them at 60F?? I didn't think they could tolerate 60F.....my heater died in their community tank and the past few weeks they were largely inactive and that temp in that tank only dropped to 70F - my basement room temperature. They barely did much of anything, even feed. I raised/keep them at a steady 78F

TBH, my fish looks quite different than the pic you posted, so i'm not really sure they are dimerus.......how big is that fish in that picture?? My pair looks similar but has blue spots, but definitely not Blue Acaras.

 

[DaveyOZ86]

Very interesting to see the direction this thread has taken. It's great to know people are willing to pass their knowledge and passion on. At this point I'm leaning more away from keeping a "wet pet" and thinking more down the line of a smaller breeding pair of maybe the Firemouths or similar size species.
I've actually become fascinated by the idea of keeping a group of one of the smaller Geophagus to the point I've put them right near the top of my list.