Quick Butti Question

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dougefresh

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Mar 8, 2006
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Was at my lfs today gettin a jag for my 90gal and just lookin around........i saw they had some 2 inch buttikoferi's in a tank for $8 a piece........i really want one the only thing im not sure is .......whats a good tank size for em ........i've heard anywhere from 55gal to 90gal.........was just wonderin cuz it would be awsome to get one.......thanks for the help
 
I also know that a 12'' (width) tank is too small as they can easily get bigger than that........does that help douge?:D
 
yea i know cuz they can get fairly big .......i was just wonderin cuz i wanna get one and get a good tank for it ......i dont wanna have it cramped in a small tank.......i guess i'll try to find some more research..........thanks though.........
 
yea i know cuz they can get fairly big .......i was just wonderin cuz i wanna get one and get a good tank for it ......i dont wanna have it cramped in a small tank.......i guess i'll try to find some more research..........thanks though.........

I almost got a juv/ growing fast. butti for one of my new 30g.......I didn't.........thank heavens I didn't............i would have gotten slaughtered on this site.............so live and let learn.........google it bro, I'm just too tired to do it for ya right now......:D....good luck

(edit)......get a tank that is in the least 18' , but preferably 24" wide for a butti ;)
 
I almost got a juv/ growing fast. butti for one of my new 30g.......I didn't.........thank heavens I didn't............i would have gotten slaughtered on this site.............so live and let learn.........google it bro, I'm just too tired to do it for ya right now......:D....good luck

yea i bet..........na i have been researchin and have just been coming up with various tank sizes and was jsut curious thanks though...........like dr fosters and smith say a 70 gallon but then aqualandpetsplus.com says anthing bigger then a thirty which doesnt seem right.......and then i had another site that said at least a 90 ........so i dunno i'll keep lookin..........
 
You have to use some judgement while the fish grows it will require a larger tank and will you be prepared for that? 2" is fine for a 30 gallon until its grows to 5" or so...I have had one as large as 16" and I kept it in a 6x 2 x 2 long tank....they grow fairly rapidly and if they get the size advantage over others, they will be the bully and kill anything smaller....

Still one of my favority fish - if you can get over the nastiness part and size them with bigger fish than itself
 
I bought one, then went back for his brother ... they fought like wild dogs! But I'm glad I made this video and took pictures while I had them! Now, he's stag in a very well maintained 55gal. Very happy and healthy ... I returned the other guy and he went to a good home in the area.

http://www.sandeeland.com/animals/AmyJoeyButtikoferi1.wmv - Play this video, sorta fun to watch!

thumb_amy-and-joey-1b.jpg
thumb_amy-and-joey-1.jpg
thumb_amy-and-joey-1a.jpg


My advice ... keep them alone, they'll only wind up eating their friends ...

... new to this forum, really getting into fishkeeping these days! :)
 
I had one that grew to 14 inches in a 240. Have heard they grow to over 18 inches in home aquaria.

I think they are just about one of the most aggressive cichlids around. Mine ended up killing a 12 in dovii before being killed by a jardini.

A friend wanted one for his cichlid community, and I advised him against it. He got it anyway, and it ended up thrashing his oscars, green terrors and a jag. He ended up getting rid of it. If you can keep one by itself though, they are a very personable and reactive fish.
 
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