how to make frontosa group

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
The hormones I'm referring are generated from the fish themselves, so it IS genetic in as far as most fish are born with the potential to accomplished superior growth if the conditions permit. And as I understand it the hormones are growth inhibitors effecting growth rate of the other fish. Probably more of an 'aquarium thing', since in the wild hormone concentration would be vastly diluted in the rift lake.

What I meant by it NOT being genetic was that it's not genetics specifically which caused some fish to become much larger than their peers (when water quality, diet and age are identical), but rather with certain juvies it's just how things played out in that particular tank due to hormones involved.
 
I bought six 1 inch burundi fry. They grew nicely and were filling out and then i noticed one of the fish become more dominant than the others. He did have a huge growth spurt and color change in what seemed like over night, compared to the others (his blue got darker) he developed the high forehead first (in jan, other 2 biggest are just now showing signs of the foreheard but dont have it yet) . The next two biggest fish are banished to the two corners of the tank and not allowed to leave those corners, ever. He is allowed in there areas but they are not allowed in his. If smaller fish venture in these banished fish will attack them. The smaller fish are allowed in his(alpha) area he staked out, prime realestate, and he is allowed to go anywhere he wants. He is the "alpha" front and the ruler of the tank including several non front species.

From what i understand if you have a large group of juvies growing out together and remove the fish that shows the mentioned traits to a seperate tank and continue to remove the "new alpha" as they take their place (often selling them) , over the months you will be able to weed out the males from the females since most females will remain smaller and keep the best (original )male for your breeding colony.

That was how i was told to do it anyway.
 
mike dunagan;1588702; said:
but, not all fish will become a alpha if put in the best of conditions.
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But due to the nature of these fish, at least one will.

If one had 10 separate tanks of frontosa juvies, 1 or 2 larger dominants would manifest in each tank. If all of these dominants were then placed in another tank containing just them, 1 or 2 would retain dominance (and continue a somewhat faster growth rate) while the others, would, by default, become sub-dominants. Basically the production of growth-inhibiting hormones is an ongoing competitive process, at least in the early stages of juvenile and sub-adult development.

cichlidgirl;1589279; said:
From what i understand if you have a large group of juvies growing out together and remove the fish that shows the mentioned traits to a seperate tank and continue to remove the "new alpha" as they take their place (often selling them) , over the months you will be able to weed out the males from the females since most females will remain smaller and keep the best (original )male for your breeding colony. That was how i was told to do it anyway.
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Some hobbyists use this method but remove ALL of the males as they become apparent. Then add an unrelated verified male of breeding age to the remaining harem to form the breeding colony. Depending on the size of the colony a beta male may also be added.
 
Thats correct. I should have clarified the male should come from a different batch than the females for the best breeding gene pool.
 
Back to the original question, introducing new fronts to a tank with fronts can be tricky. Provide plenty of hiding spots, move things around and give it a couple of days. If there is still a lot of aggression issues, the ones being picked can be killed over time. I lost a Burundi Juvie awhile back from being bullied too much.
 
they fit in now but its just little fights once in a while between the smaller ones. the big one just hides in its little corner while the smaller 4 just camp out around him.
 
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