Frontosa stocking help!

[Nyrkorey]

So I'm going to start my frontosa colony.. I'm going to be getting them small maybe 2-3 inches. I will grow them out in a 75 until I move them into my 360 8x3x3...

How many of them should I start with? I believe I need a certain amount of males to females?

Should I just start them in my 360? So I can get a bigger colony off the start. Tanks been up for years just changing the fish.

Just looking on advice if I start them in my 75 gallon how many to get or if I start them in my 360 how many and how many males to females I should get

 

[danotaylor]

It is near impossible to sex cypho's in the size range you're talking about. Even a very experienced person at venting would not be able to be certain. Fronts don't sexually mature until 4-5 years of age. Once they hit 5-6" venting is easier, but it takes approx 1.5-2 years for a 2-3" fish to each that size.

Growing them out in a 75 is fine when they're small. What size group do you want to have as your end goal?

Juvies typically end up being about 50/50 M to F in the grow out. Once you know how many you want in your final group you can plan accordingly. For example, I want 2-3M & 10-12F in my final group of Zaire's in my 500gal tank. To achieve that I am planning to buy 15 @ 2-3" initially, grow them to 5-6", vent them, selling off the extra males, then buy another group of 10-12 to obtain an additional 6 females, and sell off the additional males.

What variant are you planning to get?

 

[Nyrkorey]

It is near impossible to sex cypho's in the size range you're talking about. Even a very experienced person at venting would not be able to be certain. Fronts don't sexually mature until 4-5 years of age. Once they hit 5-6" venting is easier, but it takes approx 1.5-2 years for a 2-3" fish to each that size.

Growing them out in a 75 is fine when they're small. What size group do you want to have as your end goal?

Juvies typically end up being about 50/50 M to F in the grow out. Once you know how many you want in your final group you can plan accordingly. For example, I want 2-3M & 10-12F in my final group of Zaire's in my 500gal tank. To achieve that I am planning to buy 15 @ 2-3" initially, grow them to 5-6", vent them, selling off the extra males, then buy another group of 10-12 to obtain an additional 6 females, and sell off the additional males.

What variant are you planning to get?

I forgot that it's impossible to sex at that young so that was a dumb question by me! Lol
As for size of group, I wanted to get enough for them to be comfortable in my 8x3x3 without feeling too "crowded" so I wasn't sure what a good number that would be for them.

As for vatient.. my local place I get all my fish from has Cyphotilapia frontosa (Burundi) and they are about 2-2.5 inches

 

[danotaylor]

I forgot that it's impossible to sex at that young so that was a dumb question by me! Lol
As for size of group, I wanted to get enough for them to be comfortable in my 8x3x3 without feeling too "crowded" so I wasn't sure what a good number that would be for them.

As for vatient.. my local place I get all my fish from has Cyphotilapia frontosa (Burundi) and they are about 2-2.5 inches

It's all good mate, it's hard to keep track of all the individual species variations of information in fish husbandry.

I would think an 8x3x3 360gal could comfortably house an adult group of 15-20, providing you get the scape, ratio & temperament mix right. If your ultimate goal is breeding, then 3-4M & 12-16F. If it's just viewing pleasure then the ratio is less relevant than temperament compatibility.

 

[Nyrkorey]

It's all good mate, it's hard to keep track of all the individual species variations of information in fish husbandry.

I would think an 8x3x3 360gal could comfortably house an adult group of 15-20, providing you get the scape, ratio & temperament mix right. If your ultimate goal is breeding, then 3-4M & 12-16F. If it's just viewing pleasure then the ratio is less relevant than temperament compatibility.

Okay perfect! I think I will try and start them in my 75.. how many do you think would be ok in a 75 too start? If im going to start with a large group maybe I just get them right into the 360 and let them just grow out right in there. If that's the case I try and get maybe 12 and go from there. But I think 12 small would be packed for the 75? To start with ?

 

[danotaylor]

12 @ 2-3" in the 75 would be fine if you do large weekly water changes.

 

[Nyrkorey]

12 @ 2-3" in the 75 would be fine if you do large weekly water changes

Ok that's easy enough. Perfect. Are fronts slow growers? Makes grow faster right? So I can keep an eye on what size too move them into the 360

Also diet wise, they just do fine with pellets and such?

And flow? Do they like more calmer water then rough, I have a strong power head but I can change settings on it

Apologize for all these questions lol

 

[danotaylor]

Ok that's easy enough. Perfect. Are fronts slow growers? Makes grow faster right? So I can keep an eye on what size too move them into the 360

Also diet wise, they just do fine with pellets and such?

They are. It takes 4-5 years to reach 12"+. They'd prolly be ok in the 75 for at least a year if they're on their own, and get to maybe 4-5" with clean water & high quality food. Pellets, like big fella or fluval bug bites or NLS, frozen or freeze dried krill as a treat. Night crawlers or red wiggler worms.

How much is you LFS selling the Burundi for @ 2-2.5"? I ask because I know where you can get Frontosa Tanzania "Ikola" 2-3" for $25/fish near Staton Island in NY for pick up or the seller offers shipping. These guys are not as expensive as Zaire variants, but do get the cool hooded eye band, and in MHO are more attractive than Burundi types. DM me if you want the details

 

[danotaylor]

They don't need a lot of flow as they are out of the wave zone of the shallow waters of the lake. They can tolerate flow for sure, but it is not a necessity in a front tank.

NP with the questions

 

[Nyrkorey]

They are. It takes 4-5 years to reach 12"+. They'd prolly be ok in the 75 for at least a year if they're on their own, and get to maybe 4-5" with clean water & high quality food. Pellets, like big fella or fluval bug bites or NLS, frozen or freeze dried krill as a treat. Night crawlers or red wiggler worms.

How much is you LFS selling the Burundi for @ 2-2.5"? I ask because I know where you can get Frontosa Tanzania "Ikola" 2-3" for $25/fish near Staton Island in NY for pick up or the seller offers shipping. These guys are not as expensive as Zaire variants, but do get the cool hooded eye band, and in MHO are more attractive than Burundi types. DM me if you want the details

Absolutely awesome information! Ok perfect! And are you able to DM me it won't allow me and give me an option to shoot ya a DM!