Thought I'd show off my new male Istlanum... hes only about 4" at the moment but showing some good potential.
MY "NEW" ExCichlasoma ISTLANUM
- Thread starter Cyberman
- Start date
congrats on the sweet pickup! I think I read somewhere at about that size bloating is no longer an issue but good luck regardless. Ive lost some juvies due to bloat.
Im curious about this I had a problem with my flowerhorn fry bloating before they reached 1.5 inch do you know of any other species that have bloat issues
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Firemouths istlanum Helleri + many other cichlids are prone to bloat especially when younger... It's down to over feeding, water conditions and stress 
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Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
Firemouths istlanum Helleri + many other cichlids are prone to bloat especially when younger... It's down to over feeding, water conditions and stress
Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
Exactly. I found it more tricky to raise a group of Istlanum juvies for this reason. The more dominant one tends to grab more food and can bloat, then it goes down the chain basically. So much easier to raise a couple so you have more control over who eats what.
Heres a little update of the male.. I'm keeping the female seperate until she grows bigger and can stand up to the male a bit better as hes already killed 2 mates so far.
Just love your fish. I got some istlanum from Mr. Umbriferum years ago and the male already had a large hump at less than four inches. I was amazed. Unfortunately I suffered some catastrophic loss of the whole tank. Seeing your fish makes me want to get more and give it a go again.