I plan on getting three pairs of cichlids; Amphilophus chancho, Amphilophus lyonsi, and Parachromis Loisellei. I want to put the chancho in a 150 tall (4'x2' footprint) and I want to put the lyonsi and Loisellei pairs together in a 125 (6'x1.5' footprint). Is there any reason this won't work? I don't plan on having any tankmates. Thank you for your input.
Looking for some opinions on tank size...
- Thread starter fisher12889
- Start date
Two breeding pair in a 125 might get a little sticky. The Chancho should have a 6ft tank 150gals is good but cramped in 4ft if you could get a standard 150 as opposed to a tall I think they would be more comfortable.
If I had to do the same, Id put the lyonsi in the 4ft and the other pairs in the 125 with a divider, but It really depends on how big your pairs are. If they are spawning at 4 inches (and sometimes they will), none of it should be a problem. If youre talking 8-12 inches, I wouldnt try and get 2 pairs in a 125 like that. If youre getting them as fry and growing them out, you have enough time to see what will work best in your particular situation.
your plan for the 125 might work if you aquascape correctly...put terracotta pots at far ends of the tank and put some sort of wood and/or fake plants in the middle to try and somewhat break up lines of sight. it's still going to be a stretch for this to work out long term but it should work for quite a while.
the chancho in that tank will also work for quite a while as i've read in numerous sources they are rather slow growers. however they are also the largest growing of the genus so taking that into account a 125 (6' x 1.5') would be better but even better than that would be a 180 (6' x 2').
the chancho in that tank will also work for quite a while as i've read in numerous sources they are rather slow growers. however they are also the largest growing of the genus so taking that into account a 125 (6' x 1.5') would be better but even better than that would be a 180 (6' x 2').
Thanks for your help guys. My thinking was that the length of the 125 would allow me to split up the two smaller pairs with decor, and they would each have one side of the tank, basically what Jason said. I wouldn't think that I could do that as effectively in the 150. If I buy the chanchos small (3-4" at the most) I should have at least a year before they outgrow the 150, and I can definately upgrade by then. I would like a 6'x2' tank, but I'm getting the 150 CHEAP lol.
my loiselle will not tolerate anything in their five foot, and most days barely tolerate eachother!... my lyonsi only really look their best when totally comfortable, and would be no match for my male loiselle... all fish are different though, hope it works out whatever you do. great choice of fish... lyonsi are very underrated and sadly are on the endangered list...