Twhittle...... I don't believe your fish is an inch over 14 inches....... KIDDING! Good picture! How did the ammonia spike occur? Did he kill off a female and pollute his tank? That wouldn't be the first time that happened!
Spizz, to your point.... It's funny, there are big dovii and umbee from both situations, big and not so big tanks. If someone is willing to change water a couple of times a week his options are more varied. Aquaculture studies show that it is POSSIBLE to grow many types of fish in small environments provided the water is pristine. Doing that with such a large animal can be very difficult. The mass of a 12" fish alone is pretty significant.
Large tanks offer waste dilution benefits, so water changing isn't quite as pressing (but it is interesting to note that Mel Omeara indicated he changes water twice a week in his 600!).
Reagan and I were talking today about something that I've heard both Mo and Chris P (Cichlidscene) mention. The larger cichlids really seem to need better and better conditions as they grow, and it just becomes much harder to do so as their mass increases exponentially. Umbees in particular seem to need truly pristine water or they begin to succumb to a variety of nagging illnesses which eventually lead to their deaths. When you have a fish that weighs several pounds, creates a huge amount of waste (both solid and from respiration) and (in the case of umbees and Pbass in particular) are pursuit predators needing room to stretch out it can be tough to give them what they need.
Another thing Reagan and I have both seen is the behavior changes in dovii when in a very large tank or pond vs. a smallish tank. For instance, Reagan mentioned he sees a big change in his monster dovii when he tanks him from time to time for breeding. I know I've never seen a more vibrant dovii than my last big guy (who is now at a friends house in Richmond). He spent his last summer in a 1500 gallon pond and was a completely different fish after just a few months.
Interesting topic.....
Spizz, to your point.... It's funny, there are big dovii and umbee from both situations, big and not so big tanks. If someone is willing to change water a couple of times a week his options are more varied. Aquaculture studies show that it is POSSIBLE to grow many types of fish in small environments provided the water is pristine. Doing that with such a large animal can be very difficult. The mass of a 12" fish alone is pretty significant.
Large tanks offer waste dilution benefits, so water changing isn't quite as pressing (but it is interesting to note that Mel Omeara indicated he changes water twice a week in his 600!).
Reagan and I were talking today about something that I've heard both Mo and Chris P (Cichlidscene) mention. The larger cichlids really seem to need better and better conditions as they grow, and it just becomes much harder to do so as their mass increases exponentially. Umbees in particular seem to need truly pristine water or they begin to succumb to a variety of nagging illnesses which eventually lead to their deaths. When you have a fish that weighs several pounds, creates a huge amount of waste (both solid and from respiration) and (in the case of umbees and Pbass in particular) are pursuit predators needing room to stretch out it can be tough to give them what they need.
Another thing Reagan and I have both seen is the behavior changes in dovii when in a very large tank or pond vs. a smallish tank. For instance, Reagan mentioned he sees a big change in his monster dovii when he tanks him from time to time for breeding. I know I've never seen a more vibrant dovii than my last big guy (who is now at a friends house in Richmond). He spent his last summer in a 1500 gallon pond and was a completely different fish after just a few months.
Interesting topic.....
