Severum to stay in 40 Breeder?

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Stump

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 19, 2008
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Bichir Alley
Hey everyone.. The other thread I was going to ask this in was a total disaster, so I will hope this will turn out better.


As you can read in my sig, I have a green severum (nearly/around 4") in my 36"x18"x16" 40g tank. I also have a 55g that I was looking to put a single cichlid in. If you can see where I am going with this...

Do you think I should keep the sev in the tank it's been in since it was a mere 1.5" (that was even pushing it), or move it to the longer, taller, but narrower 55g?

I would definately have to move the driftwood from the tank also, and buy some more considering the 55g is actually bare (black background, black bottom).

I don't want to risk stressing it out any, it's like a pet to me. In the long run, what would it be better to do?



If you haven't seen my tanks, check out the last few pages of 'Stumps Picture Thread' in the photo lounge.



Any help would be appreciated. I just don't want to do something on a whim, and regret it, you know?
 
Heck yeah leave him in there! Breeder tanks have good foot prints and a Severum would work in there! Probably two if you wanted!!
 
Ok... That's good. I wasn't sure if she would appreciate the length more than the width (:eek:)...


I like my Breeder, very roomy.


Thanks man.
 
Either tank would be fine for 1 severum. Once it's larger it would probably be happier in the 55g, but that would be more of your preference. As long as you don't try to add a bunch of tankmates you will be good either way.
 
Good to hear.

I will not be adding anything to either tank s/he is in besides MAYBE a small school of giant danios (I attributed my last 5 dying off as a result of bad food -- old brine shrimp cubes... they were the only ones to really even touch them)... Either way that will be further down the road.

Thanks for the responses guys. I got some heat a while ago from Japes saying how a severum "needs a 75g to be happy..."

While I know one would most definately be happier in a 75, a statement like that just irks me a bit. No offence to Japes of course. :)
 
Hope this doesn't irk you then ... :grinno:

For now either tank is fine. As an adult however, I personally wouldn't consider either tank appropiate for a green sev. The 40 breeder would be too short. I have one, as well a 50 breeder (same footprint, 2" taller), and simply couldn't picture a full sized adult sev in either. The 55 is too narrow for an adult as well. For sev's I actually like at least a 90 gallon becuase of the height over a 75 gallon.

I know it's considered conservative (perhaps even ultra-conservative) but I don't think it's appropiate to keep a 10-12" SL fish in a tank that's only 12" wide. Personally I don't keep anything larger than 5-6" in a 12" width tank.

But I know many others will tell you it's fine.
 
I've never seen a true 12 inch severum. Most max out at 9-10 inches and there's a lot that don't get that big. I've seen extremely happy healthy pairs in 55g tanks many times. Bigger is always better, but a 90g for a lone severum is definately overkill.
 
I've personally never seen a sev over 9-10", but I know it happens...



Either way, like peathenster said, I'll most likely have more tanks by that time anyway.:D
 
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