Ping pong balls

[Sidrock]

I actually saw a fish "toy" the other day, basically a plastic multi-colored floating ball-like thing. It was marketed towards oscars (at least, there was a picture of an Oscar on it ).

It is pretty common in India with Flowerhorn keepers.. Some reason like steroid fed male needs to direct it's aggression towards something or it will bang the glass.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_MEbtej0V9i4/SXRGSJ0GDXI/AAAAAAAAAIc/94ASSNqRt60/s1600-h/SIDatplay2.jpg

I keep a ping pong ball in my Arowana tank as several "experts" recommended it to prevent drop-eye. It didn't work...

 

[boosh96]

Youll be doing good to keep an RTM from hiding 24/7 or at the very least, being spooked easily, let alone being interactive.

I think the ping pong ball excercise is for more social/interactive/owner responsive cichlids like oscars & midas. I saw on funniest home videos one time an oscar spitting a ping pong ball into a little home made basketball goal repeatedly...and Ive looked for the video for 10 yrs but cant find it anywhere online.

What would you recommend for a large, aggressive, and owner-responsive cichlid?

 

[ciocca]

What would you recommend for a large, aggressive, and owner-responsive cichlid?

Flowerhorn , midas , dovii

 

[The Bass Hole]

I can't remember who but some guy on here trained his flowerhorn to knock the ping pong ball out of the water

 

[boosh96]

I would get a Flowerhorn or a Midas, but I don't like the huge nuchal hump they get when mature. Do Red Devils get a big nuchal hump?

 

[VRWC]

I would get a Flowerhorn or a Midas, but I don't like the huge nuchal hump they get when mature. Do Red Devils get a big nuchal hump?

Im with you on the nuchal hump. I dont like them either. RDs dont get them as big, but they can get them.

I have a managuense thats as interactive as any oscar Ive ever seen, but hes about the 6th or 7th one Ive had and no others were like this.

Id try a trimac. I had one that would bang the glass lids on his tank until I came and pet or fed him, regardless of the time of day/night.

 

[boosh96]

I'd love to get a Trimac, but I've heard they get too big for a 75 gallon tank. Do you have any experience with Red Devils?

 

[Eläköön]

tank size is a relative thing depending on what country you are in, forums like this which are majority American users will tell you to get bigger tanks for fish that European forums will say don't need. Its because larger tanks are cheaper over in America whereas in Europe anything above 3ft usually costs a retarded price unless you get one made or buy one secondhand from the internet.

The thing is, if a fish is too big for a tank, you will know. Anyone can look at a tank and see if the fish is too cramped, yes you could get a trimac or a devil in a 75, but theres a possibility you will have to upgrade in the future, and as long as you don't mind getting a larger tank down the line you can go for pretty much any of the larger cichlids, they all have the same interactive personalities. The reason why i tell you about tank sizes being different around the world is because I'm pretty sure you will be told to go out and buy a bigger tank before you even need one.

some other cichlids i could recomend to you boosh96 would be

Larger
green terror
jack dempsy
jag
-smaller... possibly-
severum
motaguense
loiseli (however that is spelled)
Salvini


You could go for a chocolate cichlid, or perhaps even a pike of some kind,
just google around the different fish and search them on here . and be sure to show us some pics when you set up the tank and buy the fish.

El

 

[Gruff Master]

tank size is a relative thing depending on what country you are in, forums like this which are majority American users will tell you to get bigger tanks for fish that European forums will say don't need. Its because larger tanks are cheaper over in America whereas in Europe anything above 3ft usually costs a retarded price unless you get one made or buy one secondhand from the internet.

The thing is, if a fish is too big for a tank, you will know. Anyone can look at a tank and see if the fish is too cramped, yes you could get a trimac or a devil in a 75, but theres a possibility you will have to upgrade in the future, and as long as you don't mind getting a larger tank down the line you can go for pretty much any of the larger cichlids, they all have the same interactive personalities. The reason why i tell you about tank sizes being different around the world is because I'm pretty sure you will be told to go out and buy a bigger tank before you even need one.

some other cichlids i could recomend to you boosh96 would be

Larger
green terror
jack dempsy
jag
-smaller... possibly-
severum
motaguense
loiseli (however that is spelled)
Salvini


You could go for a chocolate cichlid, or perhaps even a pike of some kind,
just google around the different fish and search them on here . and be sure to show us some pics when you set up the tank and buy the fish.

El

The price of aquariums over here has little bearing on why Americans suggest larger tanks for large cichlids. Many hobbyists including Americans spend a lot of money on livestock, some livestock that can be purchased in other countries much cheaper. Larger tanks are suggested if the fish or number of fish in question require such sizes in order to live long and healthy lives. Granted there are some people who go overboard with size requirements but as a whole I think the advice about tank sizes is good. And not every person has the sense to realize when a fish is too big for their tank. There are tons of threads on here that prove this. Not everyone has the sense to understand that a 12" Dovii needs something bigger than a 40 long. I don't think that anyone should go out and buy a bigger tank if they don't need to. But I also think that a person shouldn't buy any fish if they don't have plans to provide a proper aquarium for it either immediately or in the future. There are a lot of options for a 75 though. But not all of them meet the criteria stated by the OP. Not all large cichlids have the same personalities or traits.

Boosh, I think you'll be fine keeping a lone Trimac in a 75 for a long time. But if while keeping it you realize that it is exceeding the size of your aquarium, be responsible and make an upgrade. An adult Jag, especially a male wouldn't be a good idea for a 75. You'd definitely need to make an upgrade down the road.

 

[Allan01230]

I had a red rubber ball that sunk about the size of a ping pong ball. My 14 inch Midas used to love to push that ball around a 180 gallon amd if you took the ball away he would start banging on the glass.