Growout tank question

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davion2183

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jun 23, 2012
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Hi guys, I have a spare 2 foot 4 inches 36 gallon tank... at the moment its empty... and since that my fronts are not growing that fast.... I am planning to put them into this spare tank to grow them out until they reach the 6 inch mark before plopping them back into the main tank. I lost quite a few during power outages... and I am now left with out of the original 13 I bought. I think the smallest now is around 2 inches, and the largest... I think 3 to 3.5 inches. My question is... how many juvie fronts can I grow out in this tank?

The tank measurements in cm are as follows: 72 cm by 41 cm by 46 cm. Any and every advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
IME in keeping fronts, its best to house or grow in a largest tank that you can or have. You have 13 pcs that you will place in a 36G? I wouldn't if I were you because that is too small con specific aggression might arise. I used a 50G to grow them until 3" then transferred my colony to a 225G on april of this year largest is now around 5"
 
raj914 said:
IME in keeping fronts, its best to house or grow in a largest tank that you can or have. You have 13 pcs that you will place in a 36G? I wouldn't if I were you because that is too small con specific aggression might arise. I used a 50G to grow them until 3" then transferred my colony to a 225G on april of this year largest is now around 5"
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Errr... correction.... I know that it might be too small, but thats all I have for the moment. And right now I only have 6 right now due to reasons I have mentioned earlier.... can I raise 6 in the tank I mentioned for the moment?
 
davion2183 said:
It would be a temporary growout tank.... I don't have any more spare tanks for growouts.
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36 gallon will work, but in a few months you still need to get a larger tank. I have 5 Front in 2-3 inch range, there is already fighting and chasing going on. These front are housed in a 125 gallon tank.
 
chopsteeks said:
36 gallon will work, but in a few months you still need to get a larger tank. I have 5 Front in 2-3 inch range, there is already fighting and chasing going on. These front are housed in a 125 gallon tank.
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Oh yeah? How many juvie fronts do you guys reccomend I grow out in a 36 gallon, if it can be done? The fronts will be going into a 166 gallon tank eventually.
 
davion2183 said:
Oh yeah? How many juvie fronts do you guys reccomend I grow out in a 36 gallon, if it can be done? The fronts will be going into a 166 gallon tank eventually.
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The issue really is how long can you house them in a 36 gallon tank ? A 2 inch Frontosa will grow into a 4 inch size in 5-6 months. So if I put 5 2 inch Fronts, will be planning to move them to a tank with at least 4 feet footprint in 5 months.

The squabble with my Fronts is territorial in nature, fighting over a prized cave. There is a small Front that is not growing as fast as the others but will chase everyone when they get close to that cave. Then the biggest one keeps on chasing the one of the bigger Fronts....I suspect they are both males. Sometimes when they fight, almost locking lips....but nothing serious.
 
davion2183 said:
Errr... correction.... I know that it might be too small, but thats all I have for the moment. And right now I only have 6 right now due to reasons I have mentioned earlier.... can I raise 6 in the tank I mentioned for the moment?
Click to expand...
Correction... putting them in that tank is close to a non-starter at 2-3.5 inches and all the more so to think you'll speed up their growth to 6 inches in that tank. Too small a tank, too small and too short a footprint. Fronts are not like mbuna that you can crowd like that. They need space, especially footprint space and 72 cm (28.3 inches) is not long enough for what you're proposing, not to mention 36 gals might be marginally adequate for them at 2-3.5 inches, but not at all to house 6 of them at more or less twice that size. That tank might be ok as a temporary holding tank, maybe a month or two-- maybe-- but not much more if you want them to be happy, healthy fish.

Too small a tank for a particular type and number of fish is still too small a tank, whether it's all you have or not. An emergency and temporary move is one thing, but proposing keeping them there long enough for them to grow up to 6 inches is not fair to the fish.

Believe it or not I'm going easy on you... Don't take my word on it, ask this same question on a good forum specializing in frontosa and see what they tell you. Or take the time to do some reading for yourself about frontosa, or tank requirements for frontosa, and compare that to what you're asking.
 
I agree with neutrino 36 gallon is way too small to house any cichlid except 1" or 2" fry. You make have a lot of aggression and end up with 1 front in the next couple of months.
 
I have a question how many adults do you have and what size are they? Second how big of tank are the in and what kind of hiding places are in the tank? I would put a divider in the big tank and release the juvies in there. Then when the adults get used to them remove divider.
 
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