What size tank?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
R

richkid

Candiru
MFK Member
Dec 1, 2011
458
0
46
Penn's Woods
I know this is the wrong forum for this probably, but not much traffic in the african riverine forum :irked: I'm trying to condense tanks. I have four total. Would like to end up with just two nice size ones. I have a 125 and three 55's. I'm trying to get rid of all the 55's and get one big tank, making my 125 my small tank. :drool: ;) I have fish in the 55's, obviously, and out of them there are two, who are now the boss in their own tanks, that I just can't part with. A Flowerhorn and a Buttikoferi. I want to know how big would a tank have to be to keep these two together. Currently the Flowerhorn is alone with a Con, and the Tilapia is in with some mbuna. There is no aggression in either tank, I think this is only cause these two reign supreme and unchallenged. I know if they were together one would vie to be boss and I want to make sure there is enough space for them to break up territory. Thanks.
 
I was planning on that, but I'm just curious what more experienced aquarists would consider the minimum for these two guys to cohabitate nicely
 
Put them in the 125g together, it's more then big enough for the two of them. If they get along together, then great, get whatever tank works for ya. If they don't work out, then most likely it won't work with most any sized tank you get.

I had a Argentea and a breidorhi that would not get along, even tried putting them into my 450g, still with all that room it didn't work.
 
I mean at this point, the Mbuna aren't 100% must keeps, I figured the two and the Con to break up the tension. 125 really? Thats actually more than doable, I was expecting people to say at least 200+. I check craigslist constantly but I haven't come across much in my are for anything over 125 unless its ridiculously priced. I see tons of 55's and a few 125's. I'm ready to remodel my basement and I just have too many tanks to do anything with! Maybe I'll start checking for 125's. If I could do that it soon I think there are better chances of it working. They are both I would say medium size, def far from maxing out. Maybe they will grow together. Fingers crossed.
 
I have a 40cm butti 2 Red Devils 2 flower horns and a few other big guys in my 1000l, but the butti is an old guy now so he does not worry about the smaller fish really.
 
2 of them as the only big fish IMO probably won't work in any size tank. Ur best bet would be to put many big fish with them in order to disperse aggression and no one can be the boss of the tank unchallenged since there'll b too many fish to compete with. Similar strategy aquarists use for African cichlids. Ofcourse for that u'll surely need a much larger tank then 125. Another strategy is having a bunch of target fish to keep them busy chasing away from their territory, so they won't have time to pay attention to eachother that much.
 
I think if you want to keep them together nothing less than a 240 gallon imo . Really i see it like this if they do fight your flowerhorn will start it . The Butti will finish it . If your keeping the 125 put the con and the flowerhorn in there and get a 180 for the Butti and the mbuna if your gonna keep them .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom