Festae issue!

[Tilapia-mariae]

Just got a call from LFS owner who has to free up some tanks at work and has to bring back his female FH. So basically his run out of tank space at home for his female festae and he gave me dibs as im one of 3 people he knows with them.

Basically I have a 4" suspected male festae in the 55gal - who since removing the oscars has become very dominant. (towards the similar sized dempseys)

The definite female my mate has is similar size (maybe a tiny bit bigger and defiantly thicker) showing very red colour when I saw it with his massive FH male.

What I want to know is given how SA/CA's are with new tankmates and festae aggression in general. Will the two festae be fine together or will one end up floating.

The only other option if it will be a problem is to put it into the 2foot currently growing out my new lrg spot polleni and 2x 2.5" festae.


Please help!

 

[fishluvr12]

I don't think it will work.At least not from my expeirence.they are much more agressive with there on kind

 

[Tilapia-mariae]

So would the female festae see the smaller lrg spot polleni as a threat in the 2 foot for a month or so till I move state and get new tankspace?

 

[fishluvr12]

She will probably kill it in that size tank

 

[fishluvr12]

I would put a divider in the 55

 

[uncwnells]

what if they pair up?

 

[sizors]

if its not going to be long till you get that 180, go with the divider. might work once they have more space. otherwise, i wouldnt recommend it

 

[Tilapia-mariae]

It will be at least a month because in order to get my fish to another state I have to buy tanks and get them setup and established over there before sending the fish so the tanks will have to stay here.

I think ill get rid of the little festae, move the juvi polleni into 55gal and give the female the 2foot for the next month till I move.

Ive been looking at a 2nd hand 2 tier tank setup instead of playing around with trying to achieve everyone playing nice together. Basically consists of a 6x18'x18' on top then two 3x18'x18'.

Im almost thinking to get rid of all other festae for this one as I got the original three in a quest to get a female festae anyway... argh decisions decisions...

 

[Tilapia-mariae]

Just wanted to report I moved the existing festae into the 2 foot with the other two growouts and moved the small polleni to the community 4 foot.

Put the female festae in and she started having a good old look at my biggest polleni, then ran into the mouth of a dempsey cave and liplocked and defeated him. Ran into the male gt liplocked and defeated him then spotted my biggest male dempsey (twice her size) and proceeded to attack him twice as agressively and front on; the other two were around her size. Why would she attack something twice her size?

This was in the first 15mins of being in there; either way I had dinner and shes floating around mid tank just chasing anyone who comes near.

I've got mixxed feelings about the new addition but will keep everyone posted on the hopefully positive progress!

 

[hailmike]

Why would she attack something twice her size?

because festae do that, some just need to be bullies and show other fish the what for..