So I'm ordering some 1" festae fry. I'm gonna get 3 or 4. I'm only interested in keeping 1 female. My question is what size tank would I need to grow them out to a sexable size? I want to put the female into my 220 ca/sa tank once she is big enough.
Festae grow outs
- Thread starter ElectricBlueSeanBurch
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I had a group of 6 growouts in a 120. The space helped to reduce their aggression towards each other. I'm not suggesting that you grow them out in a 120 but the bigger the tank the better your chances are of raising them all to maturity. I lost my first one nearly a year later to a sibling. The rest were sold off until I was left with a pair. Festae generally don't like the company of siblings. They will chase, fight, and kill each other. If there aren't enough hiding places and room to move, you will have casualties. Another major thing to raise them to maturity are water changes. Keep them regular and deep.
i dont recomend this but i put 3 2 inchers and 2 beani , and , viejas, and grammodes all about 2 inches in a 30 gallon 2 weeeks ago and so far nothing bad happened because the aggresion is spread out and now they are all hitting 2.5 - 3 inches,
Well I actually asked because I have a spare 36g bowfront. And I was hoping if I had it thickly planted with plenty of hiding places I could grow them to around 3". What is the size where they are sexable?
You'd most likely, at the very least, have fin-nipping problems in a 36 gal. I'd say a 55 would be sufficient to grow them out to 3", but bigger is always better if you can. Where are you getting the fry from? I've been on the search for festae fry for a couple of months now.
i would do a 75g, these guys are super aggressive to their own kind and even at that small size will go on a killing spree if they dont have enough space, the 36g MIGHT be ok for a little while but i dont think until they are 3in, and festae are also notorious cross-dressers, at 3in you might be able to tell clearly but they could also still be switching around their colors, you vent at that size but to go by color and be positive if they are being difficult would have to be more like 5in and to grow to that size would def need a 75g to keep them from killing each other
my 5 festae are in a 55g and at 1.5-2" already giving each other grief, plenty of hiding spaces tho, they will be moving into a 90g in the next month or so, and then once sexable hoping to split them up into 2 pair and possibly sell the remainder, unless the remainder is female then i may have to keep her as a spare lol
Jim
Jim
My group of 7 have been growing out in a 120 and today they killed one leaving me with 6. So go as big as you can afford and be prepared for headaches once they start growing.
I've had my 7 fry in a 55g but one is now looking like he is almost beat to death so I am moving then to my 6'x1' 90g for now. Like others have said, this fish is very aggressive and already capable of killing at 2"! I wouldn't recommend anything under 75 as people have stated. I'm even questioning the 90 but hoping the 6' length will allow for more hiding from the dominant "male"
*edit
I would just like to add that I've kept "mean little fish" before but nothing showed this aggression at such a small size. Ounce for ounce Kenyi and Demasoni are known to pack a punch but in my experience these Festae take the GOLD!
*edit
I would just like to add that I've kept "mean little fish" before but nothing showed this aggression at such a small size. Ounce for ounce Kenyi and Demasoni are known to pack a punch but in my experience these Festae take the GOLD!