Frontosa Tankmates

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J

jpjn

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 10, 2007
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I have a 6" Frontosa in my 75g with a Green Severum, an Eartheater, a Ghost Knife, a Headstander, an 5 Silver Dollars. The Frontosa has been fine in there up until recently. She has become extremely territorial and semi aggressive. She bit a chunck out of a Silver Dollars head and is constantly going after everyone BUT the Severum.

Now I know that they are usually best in really large tanks, in colonies of other Frontosa's. However, she is the only Frontosa I have, and I have to move her out of the 75g asap.

I have a 220g with only an Oscar, a Convict, a Royal Pleco, and a female Jack Dempsey in it.
If I put the Frontosa in the 220g do you think the Dempsey will go after her? Has anyone here ever had those two species of fish together in a tank?
 
I don't know how well they'll do together, but I do think that the additional space will allow her to protect her own territory she can pick out. Although she will likely have to take it away from a resident in the 220g.
You are sticking her in a SA or CA tank, not really her environment or water conditions.
 
my 9" front did the same thing. he did great for a few weeks then started to establish territory. luckily the other fish are 3 gar and a pumpkinseed. gar arent very territorial and the pumpkinseed had already established territory on one end of the 180.

what i did was put a large piece of driftwood in the tank and the front made that his territory. now the front just sits in or around the wood and keeps a close eye on passing tankmates. there is very little aggression now.
 
I have an area set up just for her. She has mostly always just hung out in her cave, but now she stays in the middle of the tank chasing everyone else into one corner and expects them all to stay right there.

She was originally in with another Frontosa and African cichlids. But the other front started beating on her all the time, and I don't have another tank just for her. Oh well... I dunno.
 
Sounds like it is time for another tank or even a trip to the LFS to see if they are up for a trade. I'm not sure how well she will do in another established tank.
 
Well how big is your Jack Dempsey? if its smaller than your frontosa... then i dont' think the JD will try anything.
 
I have never been to "hip" on mixing different areas of the globe...

This is what I have in my 150 Tang' tank:
(4) Altolamprologus calvus Ink Fin
(4)Altolamprologus calvus White Chaitika
(3)Altolamprologus compressiceps Black Nangu
(4)Altolamprologus compressiceps Malasa Gold Head
(3)Altolamprologus compressiceps Red Lufubu

(5)Cyprichromis leptosoma Malasa
(4)Cyprichromis leptosoma Utinta
Cyprichromis sp. Assorted Cyps
(4)Lamprologus brevis Katabe
(3)Lamprologus brevis Namansi “Sunspot” “Wild”
(4)Lamprologus ocellatus Gold
(3) Syn Petricola
(2) Mustache cats
 
My Jack Dempsey is just a little bigger then the Frontosa. About 7". She's pretty tuff though. She beat up a flowerhorn twice her size. But then other fish she never messes with. So there's no telling.

Frontosa's are known to be peaceful. But they'll also eat anything that can fit in their mouth OR they think can fit in their mouth. Basically, they need enough space to establish their own territory. The 75g doesn't cut it for my Front.
 
the 220 probably has enough room for the frontosa, but like you just mentioned, it does depend on the individual personality of the fishes involved. Personally, I've never found dempseys to be particularly aggressive, but yours obviously is a bit of a ruffian. I'd give it a try just to see what happens.
 
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