Ranking

[McPhishy]

Tankmates: 7x datnoids, 1x flagtail, and 3x goldy L14 plecos.

If I buy 8x Zaire Blue fries and grow them out.

1. Will I have to eventually separate the males?
2. Or will there be a ranking and everyone will be kept in their place with minimum fighting and I don't have to separate them?

I really want to keep the 8x fronts for life and don't want to sell/trade anyone off.

If I have to eventually separate them, what age will I have to do it? These fronts were born in May.

 

[mike dunagan]

tank size?

 

[McPhishy]

tank size?

180 gallon.

 

[djm5222]

I'd only keep one male in that tank... and after a year or so you should be able to determine the males and females... It's just you have the perfect size tank for 1 male and whatever amount of females

 

[swk]

Since they're tank raised you could get away with at least 2 males in that sized tank w/o problems for quite a while.

 

[mike dunagan]

They are slow growers...be sure they are not eaten...

 

[McPhishy]

I'd only keep one male in that tank... and after a year or so you should be able to determine the males and females... It's just you have the perfect size tank for 1 male and whatever amount of females

So only one male?

Since they're tank raised you could get away with at least 2 males in that sized tank w/o problems for quite a while.

So two males?

They are slow growers...be sure they are not eaten...

I know they are slow growers, so are the datnoids. What about my original question?

 

[mike dunagan]

Since the only fish you gave an age for and that we could guess was the fronts I had no clue how old the other fish were. Seeing that datniods will eat other fish, I thought it was a fair point to make. If you are buying all the fish together at a small size if will not matter how many males you get. It will be difficult to vent them and know for sure. Since you are getting then from one source you will not want to really breed them. Since breeding is not the issue, just get a group. You may lose a male if you have a lot of them, but in a 180 8 should be fine. As your dats get larger you may run into tank space issues with all of these fish. I have seen 8 fronts own a 180 and use most of the tank.

 

[swk]

Just get them and see what happens. It'll take a LONG time to get them to the point where they're reliably sexable. Since they're tank raised and will grow out together I doubt you'll have any major problems related to the males fighting. If you do, then sell some. Otherwise, if you want a guaranteed ratio you're gonna have to shell out the dough for a wc group or adult f1's

And yeah, like I said, AT LEAST 2 males