How would you pick an FH type?

[cideon]

Hi all. I recently saw some FH, not sure the type, at my LFS, and got interested in them again. I had a passing fancy with the types when I got some kind of FH from petsmart last year or so, when they'd all been mismarked as some other species. Unfortunately, he died young because he jumped through a small lid crack

I'm hoping to have better luck this time around! I'm freeing up a tank soon, but before we get too specific, I must check something. It sounds like a 75 gal is the basic adult size tank for a FH. Is this volume or footprint? I'll have a 65, you see. If it's a footprint thing (thus not fixable with extra water changes), how long would it take for a young FH to get close to outgrowing it? 5 months? A year? Slightly longer maybe?

The meat if my post is trying to figure out what kind of FH to get. While the Thai Silks really catch my eye, are any of th FH types the best one for a beginner FH owner? I don't feel like a novice aquarium keeper, but I am certainly not even close to expert status! Would the care of the short bodied or those rounder FH's be about the same, being that I think they at least would be ok for life in a 65? Any other things I should consider other than the adult colors for making a decision?

 

[Magic Water]

As long as you got the basic fish keeping skills and over 55 G tank, you can always begin with almost any FH of your choice.
Although 65G is a decent sized tank, I hope it's at least 3 feet long and over 1.25 feet in width.
Short body FH rarely gets over 7 inches. The largest I have come across was 8 inches. I do not really prefer them as much.
ZZ Red Dragons or Super Red Dragons make great beginner FH, you could also try a Kamfa and of course a Thai Silk. Personally I love Fader FH (my display pic) All the best. They are amazing fishes. So much personality.

 

[cideon]

I like the vote of confidence there, heh heh. A 75's dimensions (L x W x H) are 48" x 18" x 21", and a 65 are 36" x 18" x 24", so would that work for all but the big guys? Like, I should stay away from any FH advertised as 'big' specimens, or having big parents, that kind of stuff?

It seems choosing a type is more about personal aesthetic likes then, huh? I wonder if there's any sites out there that have a good example of growth pics for each of the types, so a beginner like me could get a better idea of what to expect.

I'm also wondering, are females smaller than males like other cichlid species? That might make my 65 idea work better, as I don't like the very big koks anyway. Moreso I am looking forward to the very personable "wet pet" FHs are reported to be. How big do they have to be to be sexed, usually? But on that, if I just feed a male a healthy diet of cichlid-type food that isn't specifically to encourage kok growth, colors, and all that jazz, will he still be healthy? Or is such a diet the best overall for an FH?

Actually, after looking at some stuff, I'm wondering if maybe I should get a Red Texas instead... they are gorgeous, kok less, and supposedly just as rambunctuous. Any thoughts?

 

[izzy_here]

Many types of fh come in sb versions, including silks, if you're wanting to use a 65 breeder, an sb might be a better fit. Be careful when purchasing a red texas, make sure you get it from a reputable breeder, or at least purchase an rt that's already faded...the pics you're looking at may bear little to no resemblance to the fish you actually purchase....something else to bear in mind, red texas also come in short body versions.

 

[Magic Water]

For the dimensions that you mentioned, you can try any FH !!
I would get a kamfa or ZZ red dragon!
You can feed him cichlid feed and it's much more healthier for your fish.


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