Cuban cichlid info?

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badassmc

Gambusia
MFK Member
Oct 4, 2011
208
0
16
australia
if anyone can help i would really appreciate it. I am thinking about getting a pair of cubans for my 150 and i would love to know a bit more about them, because im not having much luck finding info on the net. Things i need to know: maximum size, sexual differences, temperament, tank requirements like temperature and setup and any breeding tips.
Thanks
 
VRWC said:
This should help.

http://bit.ly/sAoDFt
Click to expand...

lol VRWC you're the greatest. A lot of the basic stuff you will find on google. They supposedly max out at 10" but there was a guy on here years ago that had a 13" one I believe. From limited experience they are VERY aggressive but can be fragile when young. Keep them warm like 80* or higher and get a lot of them because they have a tendency to kill each other off. I started with 5 in a 125 and they basically killed eachother down to a pair. They get along well but my male has gotten violent a couple of times. Females will have a bold black coloration and are smaller than males. These guys have lots of personality and attitude. As far as breeding... I haven't gotten there yet but hopefully soon :).
 
rrcoolj said:
lol VRWC you're the greatest. A lot of the basic stuff you will find on google. They supposedly max out at 10" but there was a guy on here years ago that had a 13" one I believe. From limited experience they are VERY aggressive but can be fragile when young. Keep them warm like 80* or higher and get a lot of them because they have a tendency to kill each other off. I started with 5 in a 125 and they basically killed eachother down to a pair. They get along well but my male has gotten violent a couple of times. Females will have a bold black coloration and are smaller than males. These guys have lots of personality and attitude. As far as breeding... I haven't gotten there yet but hopefully soon :).
Click to expand...

Thanks that helps a lot. Yeah i had a feeling they would be pretty aggro, but i have all that i need to house them and a divider so i reckon i could get it to work.
 
Cubans are going to range in size from 6-12 inches. Temperment will vary depending from fish to fish. Tank size would be 55 gallons and up.
 
They tend to be slower growers and can hold their own in a community tank, but I haven't kept them with any super aggressive centrals. I have a pair in a 180gal with some other centrals and so far they haven't caused many problems. A lot more bark than bite so far. Sexing can be near impossible until they pair up, unless you are able to vent. I had a group originally and a few I pegged out for females turned out to be male.

Pics of my pair from 6 months ago... when they were by themselves in a 55gal (Male was 4.5" and female was only 4" back then)

IMG_3737.jpg


IMG_3739.jpg
 
Sexing is actually quite easy at a decent size. Look at your two fish, the male is obvious.

To breed mine, I crank up the heat to about 84 and increase the water changes.
 
I believe I have one of the largest males on MFK...

97dfd197.jpg


I have to go to lengths to get them not to breed more often. I can't get rid of the fry locally!
 
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