Firemouth Cichlid Questions

[Bellona]

Would a pair of firemouth cichlids be able to thrive for their entire life in a 46 gallon bowfront ( 36 x 15 x 20) ?

How messy are they?
Can they thrive with 7x turnover rate or should I go for 12x turnover rate?

At what size do they start showing a decent amount of color?

At what size do they start pairing off?

I plan on getting 6 juveniles in hopes of getting at least 1 pair then moving the rest out of the tank.

If I do end up with 2 or 3 pairs I'd like to temporarily keep them in the tank to develop color so I can pick the best looking pair and remove the rest from the tank. Up to what size do you think I'd be able to safely keep the 2-3 pairs in my tank before they get too aggressive?

 

[Dustin3006]

1. For just a pair that size should be okay
2. Just a pair is not that messy however when they breed they are messy. If you leave the fry with the parents expect a decline in water quality.
3. I had my male show fantastic colors at 3 inches. Got rid of him too soon.
4. Pairing off around 3-4 inches should be expected.
5. You can keep I would say 2 young pairs. I would say very young where a 46 gallon tank isn't there full "territory" watch out because firemouths can get super aggressive

 

[cichlidfish]

The best way to get a pair is to buy a group and wait for a pair to form. They are hard to sex especially when small.

 

[duanes]

I have seen well taken care of adult FMs in the 8" range. To me, a 45 gal iwould work as a grow out tank for a while, but is not large enough for life. I wouldn't go any lower than an 85 gal tank.

 

[Stanzzzz7]

A lot depends on where you source your firemouths. A lot of commercial stock will struggle to reach six inches.
This is due to overbreeding for many generations.
Also the females will stay considerably smaller than the males.
I agree that you could keep 1 pair for a few years in that tank.
Firemouths grow quite slowly and assuming you started with juveniles 1.5 inches long,I would say you could keep 1 pair for around 3 years before an upgrade was needed.
Having said that I think your tank size is more suitable for cichlids like the Bolivian ram.They won't outgrow your tank and won't be quite so aggressive.