Group size for Paretroplus

[duanes]

The largest mine have reached is about 8-10 inches total length, mostly smaller.
Whenever mine have spawned, it has been in an area where water flow was fairly strong. The last spawn I had was in a community tank, where the chance of keeping any fry alive was slim, so I removed the rock that had the most eggs, and hatched them artificially in a breeder box. This worked well.




I do think the fry grow faster and healthier when kept with the parents

 

[ciclasoman]

Good point Duane- all Ptychochromis species will guard their fry and other adults won't bother juveniles- I have a group of large grandidieri (about 10 inches) swimming peacefully with 0.5-1 inch fry. They are awesome!!
The smallest is probably oligoacanthus (maybe even insolitus- though insolitus not available in the US) reaching 6-8 inches for males (females are smaller). All others are larger, with the largest being grandidieri in which both sexes grow same length of around 12 inches but I have seen a larger individual of around 14.

 

[kewpiefishypewpie]

Is there a way to easily sex the Oligacanthus? I have what I believe to be two females and a male. But I'm only basing that on the fact that two are small and one is bigger.

 

[duanes]

With my oligacanthus the female had a much more torpedo shaped profile, the male was higher bodied and about 1/3 larger than the female.
female

male