midas in a 55..still too small??

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skinless

skinless

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 5, 2005
751
2
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Edmonton, CAN
hey all


looking for opinions whether a 55 will be suitable for my male midas..

tank dimensions (36"L x 18"W x 20"T)

most 55's ive read about are 4' long, but i believe this tank volume is roughly 55 gallons

filtration consists of one Fluval 204 +Emporer 400 and i perform 10-20% water changes every sunday religiously. I never overfeed.

the tank is currently housing smaller SA/CA cichlids but i figure it could hold one solo Midas for his lifetime (trick fish). I realize Midas can grow large (12"up??) but i have also read of Midas living long, although not neccessarily happy, lives in much more cramped digs.

BTW, my Midas is in a 25 growout right now..YIKES....

So MFK, am i alright following through with this or am i doomed for eternity
 
The 18" width of the tank is alot nicer than a standard 55 but then 1 foot of the tank's length is sacrificed.

For me, if the the tank volume is the same...I'd rather have it in a tank like yours than a standard 4 foot 55. I've seen a few huge healthy midas/RD that are 12"-14" in standard 55 gallons with really good maintenance. As you can see, they get up to 14" and so the 18" width is a MUST!!

IMO, to comfortably house the fish, a 75 gallon would be minimum for life...get one if ya can....but it's not like your fish will die if you keep it in that tank alone with good water changes and filtration. It's doable.
 
I think the 55 will work as well, I keep my oscar in a 50 alone with the same dimensions but 1 inch shorter (36x18x19). It's working fine and I have no intention as of now to move him/her.
 
75 gallons is cheap.. it wont cost you 150 ..then just diy the stand. A 75 would be optimal for a big messy adult cichlid like a Midas .
 
55gal for life, is okay for a female. For a male Midas, nothing less than 75gal. It really won't cost you much more. Have a look through your local classifieds, I've never paid more than $250 for a complete 75gal setup (tank, stand, hood, lights, two or three filters, heater, and usually gravel).
 
bud, it is a 16" cichlid, don't dkimp out and get anything smaller than a 75, like what the majority said, ..... they are very aggressive, bulky, and strong cichlids, if you like Midas' that much you'll do the right thing and hook him up with a 75 or bigger, they are great cichlids. i've had three, they grow really fast, i got of two of them to grow up to a foot in a year in a 55 gallon before i upgraded them, but theygrow really fast, don't hesitate to geta bigger thank than a 75
 
thanks for the opinions everyone

i totally agree with the affordability of a 75, there are many deals to be found locally, especially in/around that tank size....thats how i wound up with the 55 to begin with, a real hella bargain (stand, two double bulb canopys included).

just wanted to see if it was cool, as its only one fish (i know, bad logic).

oh well, i should know there is a price to keeping monster fish.......
 
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