Breeding Size & Advice for Midas/Red Devil?

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Batboi3000

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 30, 2009
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Huron, SD
Hey everyone! I have a male Midas/Red Devil who is a solid 12" long and in my 90 gallon. My local store is suppose to be getting in about 8 "medium" red devils tomorrow, and I am looking for a female. The store owner said the "Medium" devils are suppose to be about 4" or so already, which is exciting! Less time needed to grow them out, and should be able to sex a female. Looking at trying to pair up my male in the 90 and see if I can get some breeding going. This may be out of line in the 90 gallon but I have heard similar sized and aggression level fish breed fine in a 75/90 gallon tank. Here is a video from last August 2011 but you kind of get the picture. He's a bit bigger now then he is in the video. At what size are midas/red devil typically mature? I'm sure my male is, but we'll see what the female looks like, if the store even gets one in. I know a lot of other cichlids mature pretty young, so at 4" I don't know for these fish. At this point I am planning on putting in a divider at least and giving the two some time to acclimate to one another, or even just give the female time to grow a little more. and making a couple places for the female to hide if need be. Please let me know if this is even possible, and what advice you all might have on this. Thanks a lot!


[video=youtube;GBFOKZGhBZw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBFOKZGhBZw[/video]
 
If you put a female with your male, and it works, menaing it does not kill her, she may well be ready to breed.

But ii is my belief that young females should not breed because the energy spent breeding comprmises their growth. Meaning they stay small, their growth compromised
 
Miguel said:
If you put a female with your male, and it works, menaing it does not kill her, she may well be ready to breed.

But ii is my belief that young females should not breed because the energy spent breeding comprmises their growth. Meaning they stay small, their growth compromised
Click to expand...

I have heard that about their growth being compromised. The male is quite aggressive too so i am a little worried about him straight up murdering her. Would there be much point in keeping the tank divided for a month or two to let her grow? That would give the male less space too i understand.

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If you divide the tank you give the male less space. Obvious, as you state.

On the other hand it may not stop / hinder your female entering into breeding mode, with a male in the vicinity, and the end result would be the same. Grow the femela separately or get an adequately sized, adult, female. They are all over....
 
Imo that female is way small and knowing most wholesalers 4" turn into 3" easy. I would raise them seperate.


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Miguel said:
Grow the femela separately or get an adequately sized, adult, female. They are all over....
Click to expand...

Not here they're not... I wish they were.... I have had the word out trying to find one. Suppose I could try a little harder and put out an add or something on Craigslist
 
woofy said:
Imo that female is way small and knowing most wholesalers 4" turn into 3" easy. I would raise them seperate.


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Click to expand...

Well... You couldn't have been more right. I was at the store today when the devils got in. Looked in the bag and the fish are barely 3". The manager said when the wholesaler talked to him, he was told they would be 4-5". Guess that's not going to work.... Definitely not going to try to put a 3" snack with him.

So! Here's what I am thinking. I have a big 12" male midas at home too who has been trying to breed with a 7" zz flowerhorn. I really don't know that I am interested in what they would produce. I hate getting rid of either of them, or any of my fish for that matter. I am tentatively thinking of getting rid of both of them to buy about 3 or 4 smaller red devils and grow them out in my 125 and eventually maybe two of them would pair up, and maybe even leave a female for my other guy. I suppose I could just get rid of the flowerhorn too. Ultimately I would like to grow out a female for the guy in my 90 and still have a midas/devil at home too. The store owner said he would be up for doing some trading with me. Check out my signature and let me know what some options might be. Thanks guys.
 
Piebald stays, rare as it is.

Midas stays.

You can get rid of the fh and the red texas ( your 125 is schock full ).

Are the 2 guys joinable ( midas and rd ) with the oter fish that remain in the 125?
If so, you could grow some gals in the 90...,
 
Miguel said:
Piebald stays, rare as it is. Midas stays. You can get rid of the fh and the red texas ( your 125 is schock full ).

Are the 2 guys joinable ( midas and rd ) with the oter fish that remain in the 125?
If so, you could grow some gals in the 90...,
Click to expand...


I agree about the piebald. I definitely don't want to get rid of him at all. I wouldn't be bothered too much getting rid of the FH, but the texas I'm kind of curious about to see what he'll look like in a couple months. The Midas at home in the 125 I bought as a Midas from Petsmart. The piebald in the 90 I bought as a red devil at an independent LFS. Now I have had some folks tell me the piebald looks more like a midas. The LFS in my town ordered Red devils. Don't know their history at all to know if they're pure. Far as joining the two dudes, I am a little leery of it. The last time the piebald was in a community with another midas/devil was when he was about 7" or so and tore the other one's tail down to the meat and ripped half the scales off of him. He is a bad boy... So I'm not for sure how he'll do. I would like to leave him where he is and not chance a bunch of death. The other midas isn't near as impressive. Kind of a pale orange. That is why I considered parting with him and starting over by growing them out in the 125. I would kind of like to work toward a biotope tank too, doing something like a nicaraguan crater lake, so the devils, jag, and eventually picking up a couple cons would be fun. It is a work in progress that I either need to just do or deal with what I have. Thanks for the input. Keep it coming.
 
Here is what I am working with now. Short video of my tank, minus the GT's and a catfish. You don't see the Salvini in there, but they are both about 7" and 9" or so. Big boys. Don't know if this helps at all, but just to show you the set up and size of fish. Thanks again for your help and guidance as I make up my fickle mind.


[video=youtube;FXh6nA2jr1M]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXh6nA2jr1M[/video]
 
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