This is only my second post so if this is a stupid question please dont roast me. I know their is a search function but im not quite sure which combination of key words to keep from looking at 200 threads. Basically I'm a huge cichlid fan and wanna get a few more really beautiful ones but I've read all of these threaqs about making sure your fish has enough space and making sure you research on how big a certain species will get. I definetly dont wanna cramp any of my fish bc thats just lame I know its gotta be a sucky life for the fish so basically my question is: How long does it take the more common cichlids like Firemouths, JD's, Convicts, etc to get to full size? I wanna start a new tank w/cichlids but I wanna plan it all out right so I dont end up having any space problems or having to get rid of fish, etc.
How Long until Full Size?
- Thread starter Ahli1500
- Start date
It depends on how you care for them actually. You can have an automatic water changer that's going 24/7 with new water always in your tank, this usually results in super fast growth rates is enough food is fed. Or do the regular weekly 50% water changes and you'll get average growth rates according to the species that you are keeping. Since you are planning to keep them in a community type setting, the dominant fish will grow faster than the rest while the fish at the bad end of the stick will grow a lot slower, trying its best not to look threatening or get noticed by the larger fish. They may also get varying amounts of food. So there are lots of factors, just have a large tank ready for them to go into initially. If you want to start them in something less than ideal until they outgrow it, expect about 6-7 months of leeway, then you have to get the larger life set up.