Dovii Sex/general questions

[JaymeRae]

I just bought this fish and setup. The person I bought it from had this big fish in a 60 gallon tank. I’m buying a 180 gallon setup tomorrow. I’ve had a female Dovii before when I lived on the east coast, but I don’t know for sure what the sex is of this one. I assumed male but I wanted any confirmation? Also, I’ve never had a Dovii or any cichlid for that matter of this size.... how much do I feed him and how often? Is there any other fish you can keep in a tank with this fish? He (or she) is extremely aggressive. Like don’t touch the glass or he’s rushing it mouth wide.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

To me looks a male. I keep two 20" pleco with ours, who is 11"-12", in a 240 gal.

I doubt you will be able to keep other fish in unless dovii or jaguar female, as I have seen in some YT videos.

There is a recent related thread too: https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/parachromis-dovii-size-and-age.725896/

 

[JaymeRae]

To me looks a male. I keep two 20" pleco with ours, who is 11"-12", in a 240 gal.

I doubt you will be able to keep other fish in unless dovii or jaguar female, as I have seen in some YT videos.

There is a recent related thread too: https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/parachromis-dovii-size-and-age.725896/

Thanks! I’ll be sure to check back and forth between the threads.... what are your thoughts on food? I put several goldfish in the tank with him on two separate occasions and he ate one or two then killed the other couple but didn’t eat them. I also have given him the hikari gold pellets but he won’t touch them.... I just don’t know how often to feed him... or does it vary with each fish? Just don’t want to underfeed him. I Have only had him about a week.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

As is touched upon in that other sister thread I linked, these guys appear surprisingly modest feeders, they don't feed much. Mine takes 2-4 massivore pellets a day and even that not every day.

I'd not give him live feeder fish but that's my opinion. You can keep offering what you want it to feed on, like pellets, until he caves. Take out the uneaten feed. Shouldn't take longer than a week or two I think. Once he starts feeding on what you want, you will gauge by the fish how much is enough and how much is too much. When mine is not hungry anymore, it mouths the massivore tabs, breaks them up in his mouth and spits them out. The prior owner of my specimen told me he saw the same and it meant he was full. I think something similar might have happened with your feeder goldfish.

It is much better for you to wait and hear from experienced dovii keepers, not an utter newbie like me with a whole month under my belt

 

[Rass]

Mine doesn't pound food like my other cichlids do either. Usually just a few large pellets and then he's happy to go on his way. My female dovii seems more eager to actually get her belly full at each feeding. I wouldn't stress about it this soon. Unless he really starts losing weight, it's probably just because he isn't used to that food yet, or possibly still stressed.