Fish too big for tank need advice for fish safety

[Finthusiast]

Hi I have been taking care of a mayan cichlid for almost a year now and it is starting to outgrow my 75 gallon tank. I am wondering what are my options for him to be able to keep growing and live a long life. I am willing to give him away if it is the best option just dont know all the rules on shipping and how much it would cost. Please any info is appreciated thanks in advance for the help!

 

[Ruturaj]

75 is suitable for fish up to 10 inch size, this guy would need 235 or above, at least 180 gallon tank.

 

[Finthusiast]

So should I assume he will be safe in here till he gets about 10 inches?

 

[Ulu]

He will be fine. It's you who will suffer, doing the big weekly water changes.
Keep him clean and he'll be just fine until you can get a new tank for him.

Felix is over 12" now, and he's in a 75g long with a 20g sump. He's going to move up to the 125 soon though.
The way this fish is growing, I expect he will be 15" full grown, in a couple years, and gain 1.5 lbs.

He gets live food frequently, and lots of water changes.

 

[Chief Tom]

He will be fine. It's you who will suffer, doing the big weekly water changes.
Keep him clean and he'll be just fine until you can get a new tank for him.

Felix is over 12" now, and he's in a 75g long with a 20g sump. He's going to move up to the 125 soon though.
The way this fish is growing, I expect he will be 15" full grown, in a couple years, and gain 1.5 lbs.
View attachment 1423761
He gets live food frequently, and lots of water changes.

He truly is a monster!

 

[Joshuakahan]

Hi I have been taking care of a mayan cichlid for almost a year now and it is starting to outgrow my 75 gallon tank. I am wondering what are my options for him to be able to keep growing and live a long life. I am willing to give him away if it is the best option just dont know all the rules on shipping and how much it would cost. Please any info is appreciated thanks in advance for the help!

View attachment 1423755

From the looks of him, you have some time, so either plan on a bigger tank or sell or rehome him. A lot of lfs will give credit and Craigslist is good for rehoming, just talk to anyone interested to make sure they know what they’re getting into and have the means.

 

[Jacob92677]

Oh he’s alone I’d say he’s ok
If anything ensure you have enough filtration as he grows ,
Maybe add a sump, fx6, or a extra ac 110 and a sponge filters if anything

 

[Finthusiast]

Wow you guys are amazing thanks for the replies! Im happy to hear theres a possibility of me keeping him and upgrading to a 125 as well in the future if this can keep him healthy Id really like to do that. I read mayan cichlids get to be about 11-13 inches and Id be willing to learn how to do a sump for the 125 or even start on the 75 before upgrading if necessary.

 

[Ulu]

They grow very quickly at first, but then they slow down a bit.
It took Felix as long to go from 9" to 12" as from 2.5" to 9"

 

[Joshuakahan]

Wow you guys are amazing thanks for the replies! Im happy to hear theres a possibility of me keeping him and upgrading to a 125 as well in the future if this can keep him healthy Id really like to do that. I read mayan cichlids get to be about 11-13 inches and Id be willing to learn how to do a sump for the 125 or even start on the 75 before upgrading if necessary.

PetSmart runs good deals on 125s sometimes, especially Black Friday. A friend got the entire set up for $250. You’ll want to upgrade the filter it comes with tho