Festae questions.

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xEchOx

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Mar 2, 2006
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I have a single festae in a 75g tank. She's (I'm not sure its a female, just what I call her) about 4-5 inches long and quite aggressive. My first question is when can I expect her to color up? She occasionally shows her barring, but its usually just a very temporary color change and then back to the dullish yellow brown color.

My second question is, can I keep anything with her long term? I've decided that other cichlids are out of the question. She's just too aggressive and anything that is large enough to stand up to her won't fit in a 75g with her long term... I'm thinking like armored cats or bichirs or.... something.... anything?
 
I have a female cuban still at 5" starting to color up and thats usually about when they color up after 5" i have her with different ca/sa cichlids including groups from the vieja paratheraps family and nandopsis. In my opinion if they grow together they go together but thats my opinion.
 
well, IME, they color up best with mates, but I did have a female without one for a while that would get bright and try and flirt with a labiatus. Ive never had a bichir for very long or with a festae, so I dont know in that size tank if shed allow it, if shes that aggressive. Mine wasnt at all and she co-existed with everything I ever kept her with. I think Danger_Chicken has a bichir with his, but I believe his tank is a lot bigger. Good Luck. Im sure someone here has a great solution.
 
If You can find a male JD that is a few " larger than her It may work.It did with my female when she was getting a break from her mate.
 
The only problem with that is finding a full grown specimen. Cichlids are not very popular where I'm at.


What about like 3-4 male convicts? Too much?

Raphael catfish? - I've had them before but never with aggressive fish...

Maybe I should just be patient. :)
 
Ive had great success with cons in all my tanks and theyre one of my faves.

Id try it!

Ive never had a raphael catfish but Id try it as well. Ive had success with bigger fish as well, as fishluvr12 suggested.

I would honestly try anything my LFS had as long as they would let me bring it back if it didnt work. It hit or miss with a lot of different fish, as Im sure you know.
 
VRWC;3619563; said:
Ive had great success with cons in all my tanks and theyre one of my faves.

Id try it!

Ive never had a raphael catfish but Id try it as well. Ive had success with bigger fish as well, as fishluvr12 suggested.

I would honestly try anything my LFS had as long as they would let me bring it back if it didnt work. It hit or miss with a lot of different fish, as Im sure you know.
Click to expand...

I totally agree.Cons are fast and do well with larger fish.
 
Heres a pic from a year ago of my female and polypterus palmas buettikoferi "gold dust bichir". The buetti was 9" @ the time. She lasted about 6 months before I had to pull her. The female festae was about 3-4" at the time and her male counterpart about 5-6". They picked on the buetti everytime she came near any type of ornimant - the festaes clearly wanted ever inch of the 75 gal tank. None of these fish are in that 75 gal anymore - Festae's in 150, Buetti in with the africans in 125 gal of water.

I also own a spotted armored rapheal cat - mines 100% nocturnal. Spends most of his life in a cave, only comes out to eat once in a blue moon. Not sure how everyone elses is but mines only entertaining when we get that rare Rapheal cat sighting.
 
Decided against a bichir. Sounds like they can be a bit skittish if they are being pestered. I think first I'll try the convicts... and if they doesn't work I may consider a pike cichlid....
 
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