Mota mania

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
ehh said:
Don't add punching bag fish. You see how aggressive he is. Anything you add is a punching bag fish.
Something to consider here is that "dithers" are naturally food for these fish. Parachromis are pretty predatory.
And other cichlids are terrority risks. Adding either will likely end in dead fish.
Or just add a million other cichlids and treat the tank like an African tank. *scarcasm*

Keep them separated and be patient. The male might bond with one of females through the divider. I also like the idea of adding more females. Pairing aggressive cichlids is always tricky.

How big is the tank these guys are in?
Click to expand...

This is kind of where I've landed with my thinking. Any other cichlids I add will end up dead eventually. Any dithers will end up dead eventually. Some people may be fine with this but I don't really see the point and I think it's cruel. I was actually pretty upset this morning when I found the one barb had jumped the divider and was shredded to pieces...I know, I sound like a softie.

I think I said 50 gallon before but I think it's smaller. 3 feet x 1 feet x 18 or 20 inches high, not sure.

Whether its a 3 foot or 4 foot tank I really dont think it will make a difference...

So I guess I can either keep them separated and see how it goes for awhile.

Or I can return the male and grow out the two females and keep my favourite one eventually and give the other away. Reasons for this:

- seem way less aggro than the male, possibility of having barbs, plecos, etc in the tank
- stay smaller, so I wont be as pressed to upgrade the tank as quickly
- I like the coloration better on females
- they are less shy than the male, and I want a wet pet. I know the male may come out of his shell in time...but just my observation now.

It's gonna kill me to give the male away, so may stick with option 1 for at least a week or so and see how things go.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ehh
i know its tough, but the key here is gonna be patience. I think you have a future stud with this male, I certainly would not pass him up. However, I think it would be ideal for you to pair him off, that way you can have the stud and the pretty girl. One thing you can do is powerfeed him, more than the females that is. Either way his growth rate will be faster, but the point is that once he is a decent amount larger than the females, you can use an egg crate divider with a whole cut out that only the femles cant fit through. that way they can interact with him, but they can also get away if he becomes overly agro
 
If you have them in a 50 gallon and you know you can't upgrade for a at least a year, adding more fish is something not to do.

You're gonna need to upgrade before then if you're hoping for a pair.
 
I hope I'm wrong here but I raise a lot of mota, 3 pairs spawn every couple of weeks, they all look male to me
 
First I want to thank everyone for their input. Really appreciated and this is why I'm happy I got back into the hobby! Lots of great discussions, and I am learning a lot.

Hmmmm...I really thought one would be okay in a 50 for a year and then I could upgrade. If one really wouldnt then I'm not sure I should keep the male.

Here are some more pics of the other two. The first one seems to be a female to me, but the other one I'm not sure. Thoughts on this??

You guys gave me a thought to think about. I am not sure I am ready to take on the time and responsibility of trying to breed these guys now. Wouldnt be fair to them and I would feel terrible if one of them got killed due to breeding aggression. I really dont want to mess with dividers right now, just want a tank to look at and relax. I think I am settled on selling the male. I hope he can go to a good home so I'll post him on this site.

I will keep both "females" for now. If they get along, then great. If not I will sell one. Hopefully one female would be good in this tank for around a year before I can upgrade.

Starting to realize I really want a "wet pet" out of this, so maybe RTM isnt he best choice. The "females" seem more outgoing and arent hiding as much, so I could be wrong.

DSC03130.JPG

DSC03134.JPG
 
JoeBoxer said:
First I want to thank everyone for their input. Really appreciated and this is why I'm happy I got back into the hobby! Lots of great discussions, and I am learning a lot.

Hmmmm...I really thought one would be okay in a 50 for a year and then I could upgrade. If one really wouldnt then I'm not sure I should keep the male.

Here are some more pics of the other two. The first one seems to be a female to me, but the other one I'm not sure. Thoughts on this??

You guys gave me a thought to think about. I am not sure I am ready to take on the time and responsibility of trying to breed these guys now. Wouldnt be fair to them and I would feel terrible if one of them got killed due to breeding aggression. I really dont want to mess with dividers right now, just want a tank to look at and relax. I think I am settled on selling the male. I hope he can go to a good home so I'll post him on this site.

I will keep both "females" for now. If they get along, then great. If not I will sell one. Hopefully one female would be good in this tank for around a year before I can upgrade.

Starting to realize I really want a "wet pet" out of this, so maybe RTM isnt he best choice. The "females" seem more outgoing and arent hiding as much, so I could be wrong.

View attachment 1187709

View attachment 1187711
Click to expand...
 
Chances are they will not get along,these fish really aren't beginner fish.They are brutal on each other and the bigger they get the meaner they get. In a small tank like yours you'll be down to one in no time at all.I also think the two new fish are one male one female
 
I'd keep the female. From what I've heard about growth rates, a male will out grow that tank quickly.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JoeBoxer
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom