Dovii's

[eggie]

i have the 6 in a 125 gal with driftwood a few large rocks and bare bottom, hoping to get a nice pair out of them.

 

[cchhcc]

Get ready for carnage!

They probably be fine for a while, until three to four inches or so....... so maybe a few months.

Still, without dither and target fish, the weakest fish is going to get pestered, possibly to death. If you mix a bunch of other fish to spread the aggression your chances are much better. Don't go with a bunch of dumb prey animals (tetras, silver dollars, etc.). Get something smart and tough; convicts are great for that role. They'll keep young dovii in check for a while and won't get hurt along the way.

Without targets you can count on deaths in even the largest of tanks. With targets and plenty of space all sorts of things are possible. Still, in anything under several hundred gallons you're going to have trouble trying to keep more than one pair.

 

[HrHagel]

Get ready for carnage!

They probably be fine for a while, until three to four inches or so....... so maybe a few months.

Still, without dither and target fish, the weakest fish is going to get pestered, possibly to death. If you mix a bunch of other fish to spread the aggression your chances are much better. Don't go with a bunch of dumb prey animals (tetras, silver dollars, etc.). Get something smart and tough; convicts are great for that role. They'll keep young dovii in check for a while and won't get hurt along the way.

Without targets you can count on deaths in even the largest of tanks. With targets and plenty of space all sorts of things are possible. Still, in anything under several hundred gallons you're going to have trouble trying to keep more than one pair.

Thankyou for a great response.

I had planned on exactly dumb prey animals, but i guess ill just be throwing the convicts i have left from my festae tank in with them Thanks.

Going by your several hundred gallons tank rule, i only have one tank to fit that bill, and unfortunatly it's housing a huge Arrowana, which tips the VERY aggressive scales.

So i guess i'm looking at a single wet pet for now.

But hey, i'm moving soon, so purhaps i'll buy another tank if i get some more room hehe. Who knows

 

[LowCel]

I just want to point out that dovii get very aggressive before they will "outgrow" the tank. Mine killed it's first sibling at less than 3 inches.

With that said, I wish you the best of luck and I hope you end up with a breeding pair. I am keeping mine in a 210 gallon tank and I am attempting to get him to accept a female. If he won't accept it I will have a single wet pet in a 210.

 

[ajbassmaster]

I started with 2 and got 3 more a little later, I had to spit mine up around 2.5-3" because they got aggressive, mine are now 4-4.5" and I am only keeping 3 (2F/ 1M.....Yes trio) I have a 55 divided 3 ways with the male in the middle section. I know they will outgrow the tank soon so plse dont flame me, they are in a 55 because of space limitations, I have no other tanks open right now. My females lay eggs a day or two apart and so i have the 3 adults and a double batch of fry. I will be swamped with fry soon. The male fertilized and both females accepted him on the first try. Good luck with your group, a very beautiful specimen to keep. You wont be disappointed.

 

[NWatson]

Ordered 6 F1 Dovii at 1-2"

Cleared out a 55g and it is ready to receive them, or so i think atleast.

I have never kept Dovii, but have kept other Parachromis, so i'm really just looking for a few words of advice and warning with a group of 6 like this, and possibly a few hints and tips too.

Will be growing out to get either the nicest single wet pet eventually, or possibly a pair. Depends how things turn out.

Approx. arrival date is tuesday, but it could get delayed, even though i don't think so.

Right now, the tank is half bare bottom half sand, with a huge pot and a few rocks i set up as a breeding site/terretorial claim.

Thanks, Tom

They do not take long to become aggressive. I have grown out some from under 1/2" and they start the flaring and body whipping before they get to 1". I think you would be okay in with a 55 long enough to pick out your best male and maybe a female. From my experience the males grow way faster then the females so you might want a separate tank for the female to mature in. Just don't power feed and you should be able to get away with 7 months or so depending on water changes. They start beating on each other at a small size. Right now I have some Nics. growing out and you can already see bite marks on them at under 1". Also they can be shy for a while so be prepared to suffer through some none entertaining tanks for a while. Be ready to get a big tank
sooner then later. I think at leat a 8'x30.

 

[9000rpm]

I started out with 6 juvies at about 1.5" in my 240g. 2 of them were harassed to death within about a month. Not enough hiding spots I'm thinking. The big male got much more aggressive over time, but there still was tank violence when these fish were tiny, and that was in an 8ft tank.

 

[cchhcc]

I started out with 6 juvies at about 1.5" in my 240g. 2 of them were harassed to death within about a month. Not enough hiding spots I'm thinking. The big male got much more aggressive over time, but there still was tank violence when these fish were tiny, and that was in an 8ft tank.

Wow! Mean little suckers!

 

[armac]

The 5 I raised, from juveniles, were in the 250 from day one with some wild Texas cichlids. All 5 were raised to over 10 inches, then my pair formed and I had to remove the other dovis and the Texas cichlids. Now I have just the pair, 7 large clown loaches and 2 plecos in the tank. My male is a little over 15 inches right now.

I believe the accounts you have read lately are from experience, which is much more reliable than somebody's random thoughts on a particular fish.

You will enjoy your dovi, my favorite fish.