Discussion on Temporary Tanks and Cichlid Stocking

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carpediem;748633; said:
I'm going to attempt to start a rational *friendly* discussion on a topic that pops up again and again. This is not an attempt to point fingers or question anyone's methods or intentions. It's just a topic for discussion and a means to generate the sharing of information.

Many threads are started, especially in the CA/SA Cichlid forum about stocking several species and/or buying young species that grow very large and placing them in small "temporary" tanks. How often does this really work out? If I had a dollar for every person that asks for suggestions for stocking a 29 gallon tank with Oscars, Managuense, Midas etc. because they are getting a 180 in six months, I'd be a rich man. Most of the time, I think the person posting knows they shouldn't put those fish in such a small tank but they're asking for advice because they know they're going to get 20 responses, from 20 different people and *someone* will say it's okay to put those fish in the tank temporarily. In my experience, temporary tanks often do not become temporary. CA/SA Cichlids often grow faster than people expect and, let's be honest, outgrow temporary tanks way before Christmas time or when someone gets a new apartment etc... I'm not questioning anyone's good intentions, I'm questioning the concept of advocating "temporary" tanks. In my opinion, temporary tanks are just not a good idea. I would like to promote the idea of buying the tanks before buying the fish. It's just the responsible thing to do.
Obviously, I'm a huge advocate. The last thing I ever want to do is discourage someone from getting involved in this wonderful hobby. However, I am often disturbed by the ideas people get about keeping several species with the potential to get very large and aggressive in a limited amount of space. This is just a recipe for disaster, especially when keeping a number of the same species with the possibility of spawning activity. If you want to keep and breed cichlids, in my opinion, you really need to have *several* tanks available for adults and fry. You need to be in control of the situation i.e. be able to add/remove adult fish, fry, etc... Species specific tanks are also a good idea when breeding. If the idea is to have a tank with several different large colorful fish, then aggressive cichlids may not be your best choice unless you are stocking a very large tank with individuals of different species that fill different niches. Once you get a breeding pair, everyone else will be on the run. Do you want an arrangement where everyone is happy, healthy, and living in harmony or do you want to breed cichlids? Often, these two situations are independant.

I guess what I'm getting at is that our aquariums are often the furthest thing from a natural situation. We're enclosing these fish in a box and often expecting them to behave in ways that go against their instincts. As responsible hobbiest, we need to plan accordingly and prepare for the unexpected. Large fish do not do well in small boxes. Our fish have no place to go when confronted with parent fish desperate to ensure the survival of their fry.

Just a topic for discussion...
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O.K. well the I'm just replying to this statement of your's in your original long winded post.
 
Bderick67;749974; said:
O.K. well the I'm just replying to this statement of your's in your original long winded post.
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There it is... I knew we'd get a caring person with a sweet disposition and a loving sense of humor sooner or later :)

I am long winded. But then again, you read the post...

Be nice dude. Seriously... You're right, I did make that statement. But I also made 500 other statements to try and get my point across. I think you're right about your grow out tanks. But I also think 9 out of 10 people that put a pacu in a 40 gallon tank are never going to get a bigger tank. Call me cynical (and long winded).
 
carpediem;749942; said:
You're an Arrogant B@st@rd ;)

(before anyone gets freaked out, that's his avatar, and this is what's known as a joke)
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I see somebody has a good knowledge of his ales!

Well Played Sir!

Well Played!

Now it's time for you to die!!!!!!!!!!

(Goldfinger)

:D
 
carpediem;750026; said:
There it is... I knew we'd get a caring person with a sweet disposition and a loving sense of humor sooner or later :)

I am long winded. But then again, you read the post...

Be nice dude. Seriously... You're right, I did make that statement. But I also made 500 other statements to try and get my point across. I think you're right about your grow out tanks. But I also think 9 out of 10 people that put a pacu in a 40 gallon tank are never going to get a bigger tank. Call me cynical (and long winded).
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Sorry I did beleive this was the main point you were trying to get across. Since the title of the thread is "Discussion on Temporary Tanks and Cichlid Stocking"

I would recommend a grow out tank to anyone here on this site, as I would recommend any other good fish keeping habit. To what that individual does with that recommendation is up to them.

As for future posts I recommend keeping them short and to the point, not giving opinions over a broad range of subjects. And also generally the title of the post is your main point.
 
Bderick67;750077; said:
Sorry I did beleive this was the main point you were trying to get across. Since the title of the thread is "Discussion on Temporary Tanks and Cichlid Stocking"

I would recommend a grow out tank to anyone here on this site, as I would recommend any other good fish keeping habit. To what that individual does with that recommendation is up to them.

As for future posts I recommend keeping them short and to the point, not giving opinions over a broad range of subjects. And also generally the title of the post is your main point.
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Come on man, the subjects go hand in hand.....
 
Good discussion:) Like most I guess the mistakes have been made.


I was very excited when finally finding a Dovii at 2" in a LFS and buying him to put in a COMMUNITY 125. Yes with plans to upgrade:nilly: Well make me an accomplis to murder... several infact!


Small tanks 20l-29 are great for QTs and hospitals. 55 good for growouts.
75 for most singles and a few mixes. 125 is a decent community for the lesser aggro. Above that can`t comment. At least NOT YET!:D
 
nuth88;750094; said:
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Come on man, the subjects go hand in hand.....
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Very true, but what I beleive he is saying is something like "Yes do weekly 50 % water changes, but don't buy that 3" oscar unless you have a 100gallon tank to put it in right now".
 
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