Requested Eyebiter Pic

[JONP]

I 've been asked to post some eyebiter pics, so here they are...

I have a couple questions for those of you who know about this species.
(1) What are ideal tank specifics for an eyebiter? (size and setup)
(2) Does this fish do well with other eyebiters? (if so, how many)
(3) Is it okay to feed this fish veggie flakes? (loves shrimp, blood worms, etc)

I 've had this fish for over a year and he was small when I bought him. He is slowly outgrowing my tank as well as starting to become a bully. I 've grown attached to him and would like to keep him. So I 'm just trying to get an idea of what it would take to keep him.

Thanks,

 

[mike dunagan]

Do well in groups 1 male a few females... 6fter is best... a good pellet will work... but they are picky eaters, and they can get agressive and eat other fish, when not feed correctly (my reasoning as to why some people have trouble with them) They are big babies...

 

[JONP]

I really like this fish and would like to have a tank full of them. Without venting, is there any way to tell whether this is a male or female?

So, that's interesting you say picky, he won't ever touch vegtable flakes. He eats everything else including vegtable blocks. Anything solid that hits the water he trys to eat before anybody else can get to it.

Thanks,

 

[mike dunagan]

color showing other wise vent

 

[kay-bee]

...Without venting, is there any way to tell whether this is a male or female?

Matured males are blue/metallic blue. Females retain the juvenile pattern. Juvenile males and females are pretty much identical. Your's may be an immature male based on the amount of red in its fins, but time will tell. How large is it, by the way?

Here are a couple of my males (~8"-9"+):

 

[Bre]

I am really wanting to get one or some of these...Where did you get yours?

 

[JONP]

Mine is about 4 inches maybe 5. I got mine at our Fishland in Houston. Its a small shop but everything they have is healthy and the hybrids are listed as hybrids so you get what you buy.

My understanding is that he'll get to be a foot long in a couple years.

I'm sure he is immature, when I bought him he was $4 and only about an inch and a half maybe 2.

 

[Bre]

How is their temperment? Would they get along with Indo Tiger Dats, Tiretrack Eel, and Clown Loaches? Are they aggressive to other fish or only their own kind? Are they quite active? Sorry for so many questions I just think these fish look awesome. So tell me what you know, if you wouldn't mind.

 

[kay-bee]

Their temperment depends on what they're kept with (ideally they should be kept with other african cichlid types over the types of fish you've listed).

If they're the dominant fish in the tank, they can be on the aggressive side, but if kept with more aggressive fish their aggression level will/can be marginalized (temperment will be highly tied to particular tank set up and tank mates).

Smaller tank mates may be considered prey items (hard to define what a "smaller fish" is when considering a 12" d. compressiceps).

They're moderately active. They can be fairly active swimmers at time, or (being the ambush predators they are), slow and deliberate cruisers.

 

[Pharaoh]

One day I will have some...Oh yes...I will have some.. muah ha ha haaa!