I have a 220 filled with CA/SA cichlids and as they get bigger I am starting to wonder If I should make swimming space for their bigger bodies, or put in more plants and driftwood to make more hides and places to define territories. At first I had a lot of open space, but I am starting to notice that most of the fish prefer to pick one place of the tank and just hang out in it instead of free roam the whole space. Ive also noticed that people like terd ferguson have many many plants and hides even though he has extremely large fish. Anyone have any input? I think Ill add more hides and territories as the fish grow to give them each their own space, since so far they seem to like it that way. What say you MFK? Do larger fish not swim as much? Are hides more important than open spans?
Open swim space VS Hides and territories
- Thread starter takinap
- Start date
for this everyone will tell you something different, I personally think that of course they need room to swim and roam, you shouldnt fill the take up so much with hides that they cant make a full lap of the tank but that hides are extremely important for our territorial cichlids. my guys just seem to be much happier when they have a space in the tank to call their own on the bottom and then can make laps around the top but then go back to their home under the log, rock, etc. i say this because with my fish i have noticed that when in my big tank which has large pieces of driftwood raised up on rocks on the bottom where they can go underneath all of it that they seem much more comfortable and come out to swim in the open area more when they know they have the log to retreat to if they want. but when i put them in my smaller tank that only has rock formations but nothing for them to actually hide under, they act very stressed and hide under anything they can try to fit against and it takes FOREVER for them to come out and feel comfortable enough to eat and not be skittish when i approach while in my big tank they adjust within an hour or so. take my midas for example in the big tank he was always the first to come up to eat and say hello but when i put him in the small tank to treat him for something he is totally skittish and just wants to hide under the filter sponge and has taken 2 days to even want food when im near the tank
I believe my fish prefer hiding places. The plants, PVC, pots, etc. helps bring down the aggression towards one another. I have a 55 gallon with quite a few fish. Not much aggression, even though, most of the fish can be aggressive.
No if you read the OPs (I learned this from you) first post it says right at the top he has a 220 gallon!Sarah88;4154157; said:in a 55?!?!
Sarah88 is totally right. I think that swimming room and hiding places are equally important. I have what I call an apartment complex of caves made from pieces of slate in the middle of the tank for hiding and territory. While the outer footprint of the tank and the top of the tank are open space for swimming.
haha my bad i didnt look at who posted it and thought that it was the stock list of freddi mercury saying he had aggressive cichlids who got along because of the hides in a 55thedarkone;4154171; said:
takinap;4153987; said:
Having lots of territories and places to hide has been a big part of my success. With your stock, I'd strongly suggest using as much decor as you can. With fishes as territorial as that, why deny them territory? Having decor breaks up the line of sight, they don't have to stare each other down all day every day. "He was looking at me cross ways." I like wood and strawberry pots, not so much stacked rocks. I don't want anything that can fall and hurt a fish. As you probably know from your tank, most of my fishes are strong and super fast. I'm pretty sure rock stacks would never last in my tank.
By the way, just because you have decor doesn't mean the fishes won't have plenty of swiming room. I try to keep the plants, wood and pots mostly on the bottom half of the tank. The entire top half is totally open. I find most of my fishes want to hang out in their "house". They all come out to eat. The dovii is the main one that NEVER hides, swimming around where he pleases all day. I think he thinks the entire tank is his "house".