Nimbochromis venustus in a 55g?

[cichlidgirl]

I really think you should swap the 90 gallon and put the venustus in it. A big fish needs a big tank to move in. If you have not bought the tank yet, the longer the tank the better, length is more important than height or even gallons really. In a larger tank he might even tolerate a couple females, thats the key for africans, more than one girlfriend LOL. Go for maybe a trio or quad. (one male and 2 or 3 females). Having more than one spreads his aggression so one fish wont get all of it. Include lots of rock caves for hiding spaces.

If you feel guilty about your pet goldfish, why dont you just redo their 55 gallon tank. Buy new gravel, plants, decorations, even a new filter for them. Make their tank brand new. Make it really special. 7 goldfish are just fine in a 55 gallon, no problem there at all. A gold fish is not likely to reach 10-12 inches like a venustus will. It is much more than they need and much more than any goldfish i have ever heard of. Your venustus might really need the extra space of your 90. Just my two cents.

 

[Acer]

If you feel guilty about your pet goldfish, why dont you just redo their 55 gallon tank. Buy new gravel, plants, decorations, even a new filter for them. Make their tank brand new. Make it really special. 7 goldfish are just fine in a 55 gallon, no problem there at all. A gold fish is not likely to reach 10-12 inches like a venustus will.

Goldfish are pretty messy fish... With 6 in my 55, I have an Eheim 2216, an AC110, and a Whisper 60 running, do water changes every 4 days, and the nitrates usually are around 10-20ppm. It takes work to keep them clean

Well... I got the venustus on Saturday!

Here is the story... went in to my LFS to look at his new shipment of fish. He had to make room, so my venustus was moved into a big tank with a bunch of other big african cichlids and another male and female venustus.

Every single fish was hiding, except for my venustus, who was in the middle of the tank making sure no one came out He had beat up some of them pretty bad, and I could tell the LFS owner wanted him gone... and I'd been talking about it for too long.

So right now he is in a big rubbermaid with a couple of filters, a nice current, 80*F, PVC hiding spot, etc. This is his temporary home until May 1st, when I move my goldfish into my NEW 130g grinno and move the venustus into the 55g.

I know 55g is too small... I'm going to keep an eye on deals on used tanks, and hopefully upgrade it after the summer. But he is 2 years old and around 8" long, so I think a few months in a 55g won't be too bad. I love water changes, so even though there may not be lots of swimming space, everything else will be pristine.

What a gorgeous fish though! I love feeding the guy (NLS pellets), he is a very powerful fish. I'm used to big, gentle giants (goldfish), this guy is a giant aggressive punk

Now some questions...

- aside for the NLS pellets, what can I feed him for some variety? I'm thinking thawed white shrimp, the occasional green peas, maybe a guppy once in a while?

- my water is very soft, should I get some of that seachem cichlid salt?

- Tankmates... 55g is small, so I'm not really pushing having tankmates. I hear that African cichlids can be skittish alone, but this guy has been alone for months (before being moved with the others), and he is anything but skittish. If he is in a 55g for a while, should I bother with any? I was thinking about him and a big bichir, but that probably wouldn't mix...

- Aquascaping... I'm thinking some nice big light-colored rocks and a dark, fine sand. Something simple and won't constrict the tank at all... throw in a PVC cave?

My first cichlid I've come home from school everyday since I got him, just to feed him a bit and watch him. What a beautiful fish!!!

 

[cichlidgirl]

I really would consider putting the venustus in the larger tank. A 75 gallon at least.

I hope you have a lid on that tub, weighted with a heavy book or rock. They can jump out. My venustus love freeze dried krill (I soak it in warm water for a couple minutes to rehydrate them, rip them in half since my fish arnt as big as yours yet) they love that krill, stuff so many peices in their mouth they cant shut their lips and some krill hangs out their mouth LOL. I know you can also feed them raw shrimp peeled, i have not done that since i end up eating it myself LOL. I also feed them a small amount of seaweed once a week, they love that too. Also along those lines i noticed they really like to eat the algea wafers for plecos when i put them in the tank. I feed two differnt brands of cichlid pellets (one floating and one sinking) they get a bit of each of those. That started cause i have frontosa that need sinking pellets. Thats about it, this summer i might go to the bait shop and pic up a couple night crawlers and see if they like them. I hear that some like crickets too, my oscars used to go into a actual frenzy for crawlers and crickets so i imangine my venustus will like them too.

Have you seen or heard how a venustus will hunt ? They lay down on their sides, often ramming or jamming part of their head into the sand and play dead. They mimic a dead carcuss even moving in motion the current appearing to be drifting on the bottom etc..and when the not so bright fry or juvie of other species comes over to get a bite at the all he can eat venustus buffet he gets a nasty suprise. The venustus suddenly explodes up out of the sand and snaps up the unsuspecting fish whole. All takes place in the amount of time it takes us to blink. Its amazing, i saw a video of it occuring in the wild in lake malawi. It was so cool !! I have even heard of people seeing it in their tanks. I hope i can see it one day. I would even feed some live food if i thought it would induce the behavior but i am attatched to all the fish in my tank, some are expensive and i realize if i see this in my own tank that means one of my other fish is the food !! Your fish being alone in the tank would be the perfect setup to see if he would ever do it.

 

[Robertshadow]

I've never had a ven, lovely fish though, all the fish in its family have been terriors in my tanks. Most of the time I've had to get rid of them after they reach full size.

 

[gazella]

i got into the hobby because of a venustus.
i make fun of my little brother because he start spending a lot of time and money in a little tank..and i couldn't comprehend that. i was always telling himm..instead get a couple of beers or something..
i use to consider fishkeeping lost time.. because i use to think that lilttle danios..or bettas or mollys & plattys were the only avaible fish for domestic aquariums.
and he always used to tell me abaout our cousin tank..that he have seen..

so one day i when to visit our cousin..

and my face pass to something like this in the first moment i see a 10'' male venustus. he start to talk me about cichlids and other incredible fish..

and my first step to fishkeeping was introducing a zebra mbuna fish to my brother's little comunity tank.
once the tank was empty i buy more and more..malawis.. until i discover tanganyika..

i've never keep a venustus..because of space issue.. but still love em

 

[mike dunagan]

they r great but crazy aggressive

 

[cichlidhopper]

I would think that a 55 would be fine. The venestus will only get about 10 inches. If a grown oscar (messy marvin) can live in a 55. I would think he could..

 

[krzr3000]

55 will suffice, but bigger is always better obviously. I have a ven in a 55 mbuna setup right now. Hes not that bold, but is such a great looking fish.

I was in disney a few weeks ago for spring break. In animal kingdom there was a huge pond full of mbuna and haps. There were some foot long ven's in there, just so impressive looking!

 

[Acer]

Nice picture!

Yeah where I live, there just isn't much in terms of used tanks... the odd good deal creeps up, but usually 55 and under. If I find one in the fall, I'll definitely upgrade it.

I can see how a venustus would get you into the aquarium hobby... these things are just amazing! This may be the start of a cichlid passion

What do you guys think of throwing a powerhead into the tank? He seems to love current; he swims in front of the underwater filter and HOB flow all the time.

 

[navygirl76]

as far as food, mine likes to eat spirulina crumbles ( there is a seller on ebay that sells really great cichlid food). He also eats krill crumbles and loves flakes to eat red algae flakes though they are messy. Oh, and my 9 in. male loves to eat Hikaru cichlid pellets (in the red bag)... he wont touch zucchini or other veggies though...
For aquascape, i have some rockwork, and I have sand in my 90 gallon tank-and he loves it, and he has NO tankmates. he cant even live with a pleco- he attacks everything that i would put in there, so he is happily by himself now...

Cichlidgirl- i have heard about their hunting skills but havent seen mine display any of that-id love to see it someday!