Solo front.

[..puSkar..]

My lfs had 3 1-1.5" fronts out of a group of 6. 2 of them succumbed to ich .
Now it's only 1 left . It's in there with some senegals and other small fish in a 10g .
My friend wanted it for his tank but I think it'll get skittish being solo in such a large tank ( 55g for now )
So I suggested him to maybe add some other less aggressive cichlids or some dithers.
I warned him against other mbuna and haps as the ones available are larger and would harass the frontosa imo.
What do you guys recommend ?
Maybe some neon Blue acara or firemouth or severums .
Or should I tell him to get some larger tall tetras like the lemons , skirt , Buenos Aires etc?
The well Water is neutral at about 6.9-7.2 it fluctuates seasonally .
The tankmates will be replaced as they grow . His main motive is to grow the frontosa.

 

[Stephen St.Clair]

I think the first obstical to conquer is the PH problem. Crushed coral in the filter & a limestone hardscape should bump the PH up into a survivable range.
Keeping the Frontosa solo in a 55 gal. probably won't hinder its development, but adding a group of higher PH loving fish, like Swordtails probably wouldn't impede things.

 

[..puSkar..]

Swordtails? Umm can i replace them with platys instead?
The swordtails and mollies available are very inbred and they die very easily.
What about 1 frontosa and 12 assorted platys?

 

[..puSkar..]

I think the first obstical to conquer is the PH problem. Crushed coral in the filter & a limestone hardscape should bump the PH up into a survivable range.
Keeping the Frontosa solo in a 55 gal. probably won't hinder its development, but adding a group of higher PH loving fish, like Swordtails probably wouldn't impede things.

I've read many a times that solo frontosa are very boring and sh*t.
Is it true? If the frontosa will be fine as a solo fish then that is what will be done.
And how many years will it need on avg to reach about 7-8 " Cause that is when he plans an upgrade.

 

[Stephen St.Clair]

I'm not the go to guy reference Frontosa. I keep Lake Malawi Cichlids.
I believe if kept under proper conditions. Fronts. grow pretty fast the first year, maybe four inches, then things slow down. They are late bloomers & it takes a few years to reach adulthood.
Platies should be okay.

 

[..puSkar..]

Milingu DJRansome

 

[Milingu]

As Stephen St.Clair already mentioned the pH has to be stabilised. Cyphotilapia can adjust to a ph lower than their natural environment as long as it stays alkaline. But they don't like ph fluctuations at all.
This means, if your friend stabilizes the aquarium water with crushed coral or the like, that he would have to adjust the well water every time before it enters the aquarium.

Why to take so many efforts for a fish that will outgrow the tank in 1-1.5 years?
Even if he were ready to provide a larger tank, the chances that the fish will show permanent stress coloring and that it will just sit in a corner the whole time are quite high.

 

[RD.]

As Stephen St.Clair already mentioned the pH has to be stabilised. Cyphotilapia can adjust to a ph lower than their natural environment as long as it stays alkaline. But they don't like ph fluctuations at all.
This means, if your friend stabilizes the aquarium water with crushed coral or the like, that he would have to adjust the well water every time before it enters the aquarium.

Why to take so many efforts for a fish that will outgrow the tank in 1-1.5 years?
Even if he were ready to provide a larger tank, the chances that the fish will show permanent stress coloring and that it will just sit in a corner the whole time are quite high.

Thanks for posting that.

..puSkar.. I didn't want to be debbie downer, because I always seem to be that guy, picking on all the defenseless little snowflake hobbyists - but really, WTH? Clearly this isn't going to end well unless your friend finds this fish a more suitable home, and soon. Even in a larger tank, and even with a stable pH, this genus does best in a group, not flying solo. This info is easy to find online, even for a kid in elementary school. All I see is another fish in a glass box living out a miserable existence. If that was my friend, I'd smack some sense into his head.

One of the greatest challenges in this hobby is self control, and learning to work within your limitations. Some folks learn this early on (after a few failures), others never seem to figure it out.

 

[..puSkar..]

Any other solo 55 gal suggesion? He's had sevs, Oscars in the past. Should I tell him get a fh?

 

[RD.]

A short bodied FH could work in a 55.