need definitive Umbee info!

[cichlid2006]

ok so i was searching the forums here for dovii info and came across Cichlasoma umbriferum and I was immediately hooked. I think I have found my holy grail for when I come out of the armed forces and finally settle in one place. a huge tank with this will look great next to my Uaru A. tank IMO.
what a magnificant beast. now the problem.
info is sketchy at best, did a search on here and google but the max size seems to be different everywhere and also tank sizes, one site says 300+ gallons and one says 135 gallons min, one thing I have got from everywhere is that its strictly no tank mates (except possibly a plec) but thats fine. so my questions:

1 - How big will an Umbee, male and female, get (realistic size not wild size) in an aquarium?

2- How big an aquarium (dimensions please as im no good with volume) will a male Umbee need for life at its max realistic size?
(was thinking 7 x 2.5 x 3ft custom made)

3 - how would I possibly accomplish filtration on a tank with such a huge, powerful and destructive monster in?
(as I assume it will rip the pipes out for an external, so wier perhaps with external filter pipes in that?)

4 - I know its a silly question which I probably know the answer to, but will such a huge beast possibly break the glass when charging?

Many thanks.

 

[catfishlover106]

Well to be able to accompany an umbee to its full potencial...you should have atleast anything like a 240 gallon...but for me i'd go with anything like a 300 gallon possibly larger than that....but thats in my opinion....im having mines with others in a tank im building....its going to be well over 1,500 gallon....way more than that though....so its alot of space and aggression reduction towards anything else in the tank with it...a male will get about 18-24" in a tank...a female likely 16"...for that size dimension....i would think all the aggression would be contained into one glass box and if anything hits the tank....it would explode its aggression so much with thrashing...but in that dimension...i think you should definately go with sometihng bigger than that...for filtration i'd go with a Wet/Dry filter system...supposedly...use a 55, 75, 100 gallon tank and DIY it....so it would be cost effective to your interest...it would cost way less than buying a brand new one thats already made....also to add some extra filtration to help with such bioload from a monster like an umbee you can add a Emperor 400 or 2...it wouldn't hurt...it depends...if your get such a smaller tank like what you plan on custom buying or making...the glass thickness plays a roll on the tank support....i would never break a 3/4" or a 1/2" glass while charging....so no worries...just let us know how thick your going

 

[cichlid2006]

the glass would be 12mm with a double bottom. i was thinking of 2 x eheim pro3 with in built 500w heater. the pipes would be in weirs at either end of the tank. decor would be a couple of very large and heavy boulders with a couple of blobs of silicone for good measure and some gravel.
so would a 7x2.5x3 (390 US gallons or so) be sufficient with the filtration proposed?

 

[shamrock]

I have had an Umbee for many years I currenlty have one for 14 months now-I got him from Rapps at 1/2 inch and he is now 14 inches-I have had all my Umbees live comfortably in my 240 gallon tank (though eventually they go in a 1032 gallon pond) It is possible to have tank mates for a while-all depends on size of tank-and if you raise your Umbee as a juvie with other fish-I have had Umbee with -Dovii (female! not male!) Trimac, Red Devil, Jaguar, Black Belt, RT, Barred Midas, and Escndido-I have also in the past had Umbee with shoals of Tin Foil Barb-if you want check my Umbee on Cichlid Forum-I posted some neat picks-One more observation is that if your Umbee goes solo it turns on its owner you see right now my Umbee shares the tank with a Dovii (with a divider of course) and since there are no fish to flare at he often attacks me-especially when I clean the tank-it is getting to a point where cleaning the 240 isn't fun anymore-he has pretty sharp teeth-good luck and I think a 240 gallon is ample room.

 

[shamrock]

Forgot I have two Emperor 400's and two Magnum 350's and yes he does charge the glass but my glass is pretty thick!

 

[catfishlover106]

the glass would be 12mm with a double bottom. i was thinking of 2 x eheim pro3 with in built 500w heater. the pipes would be in weirs at either end of the tank. decor would be a couple of very large and heavy boulders with a couple of blobs of silicone for good measure and some gravel.
so would a 7x2.5x3 (390 US gallons or so) be sufficient with the filtration proposed?

that im my case is good enough to hold that monster...=] just have heavy filtration running all over your tank....then you all good =D

 

[artemis1]

1. 24''+ for male, considerably smaller for female. (16-19'')

2. Depends on sex. Males, probably need something with a width of over two feet, a hight of two feet, and a length of about six or seven feet. (That's just one)

3. Lots of water changes and doubled or more filtration.

4. If the glass is too thin and yout umbee feels like he wants to break it

 

[FSM]

1 - How big will an Umbee, male and female, get (realistic size not wild size) in an aquarium?

2- How big an aquarium (dimensions please as im no good with volume) will a male Umbee need for life at its max realistic size?
(was thinking 7 x 2.5 x 3ft custom made)

3 - how would I possibly accomplish filtration on a tank with such a huge, powerful and destructive monster in?
(as I assume it will rip the pipes out for an external, so wier perhaps with external filter pipes in that?)

4 - I know its a silly question which I probably know the answer to, but will such a huge beast possibly break the glass when charging?
[/quote]

1. Males supposedly get 24 inch max. I think 18-24 is a normal size. Females are considerably smaller

2. I think that would be large enough, just swap the depth and height, so it is 3 feet front to back instead of top to bottom. 8 feet would be even better. If you want a pair, that may not be large enough.

3. A few large canisters would be good, but if you are getting it custom made you should definitely get it drilled and put in a sump.

4. I think a large tank should have thick enough glass. A guy on this site has one (roliva, I think) and it seems pretty mellow in his videos.

BTW, I think it is currently in the genus Caquetaia.

 

[PMK]

Males should get to 18-24 inches like most say im sure if you have kept the fish for say 10 years it could possiblely grow larger. females are said to grow to 16 inches roughly

The tank preferably should be 3ft wide (8x3x2) but alot of them seem to do fine in 240 (8x2x2) as adults.

For filtering the tank just get a sump so you want have to worry about him tearing up the filtration or messing with heaters

If your getting a tank that large go acrylic its lighter stronger and ive never heard of any fish breaking an acrylic tank. (On a side note you want throw out your back moving the tank and less food to buy your buddies for helping which means more money for beer )

Ive got my male in a 180 for now he is about 7 inches or so ive had him since he was 1/2 an inch he should be fine in there for id say atleast a year maybe 2 then ill probably upgrade to something larger. heres a pic

 

[Tongue33]

Just to add They are currently classified under Caquetaia Umbriferus and or Umbriferum