Freshwater BeginnersA place where freshwater aquarium fish beginners can go to post their questions and hopefully get responses from those more experienced. Also check out the Freshwater Fish Beginner's Guide and Aquarium Setup Guides. Setting up a new freshwater aquarium can be a rather large project and you want to make sure you do it right the first time. If you need help with your fish tank please don't be afraid to ask questions. That's what this fish forum is all about!
i got a male and a female. i don't know a ton about their social behavior but hopefully they will pair up. i honestly don't care about breeding them. if it happens it happens but at least they should get along!
hmmm i would be concerned about your stock. Not only are you overstocked but you are endangering them as well by getting a couple. They are aggressive and will defend and stress all your fish.
hmmm i would be concerned about your stock. Not only are you overstocked but you are endangering them as well by getting a couple. They are aggressive and will defend and stress all your fish.
you mean during spawning, since i got a male and a female?
give them a bit whats your stocking list again? i can see them haveing every fish in your tank pushed to one side of the tank all stressed out one day you may only have 2 firemouths in there
give them a bit whats your stocking list again? i can see them haveing every fish in your tank pushed to one side of the tank all stressed out one day you may only have 2 firemouths in there
right now all the fish are acting completely normal, like they always have. i know it hasn't been long but it's better than them having started attacking immediately.
The 1" per gallon "suggestion" doesn not work for fish this size. It is intended to be a guideline for smaller schooling type fish. Where are they going to swim??
The 1" per gallon "suggestion" doesn not work for fish this size. It is intended to be a guideline for smaller schooling type fish. Where are they going to swim??
Yup, I'll agree. The 1" per gallon is only for small fish. For example. 10 1" inch fish like neons would do fine in a 10 gallon tank but 1 10" Oscar would not survive in a 10 gallon tank. its' all about swimming space
Woah. Those firemouths will get nasty. You may have got a male and a female, but it's a 1 in 6 chance any Cichlid will pair up. If not, you'll have aggression no end between them, they may kill each other, or the other fish as they grow.
You're probably sick of hearing this, but as your fish grow, they may as well have been crammed into a shoe box. The balas will have no turning room, the room to swim, the firemouths will get nasty as they spawn (if they do, if not, multitude of other issues)
I know one members GBR's (peaceful, nice fish) stressed out another fish so much during spawning it died. Imagine was a 5" firemouth will do to a tiger barb.
I seriously hope you either re-home or upgrade the balas. Stunting kills fish slowly and painfully.
As Cesch said, It's allllll about swimming space. If you were 16" big, and only had 12" of turbning room, you wouldnt be happy. Like being 6' tall but in a 5' space to turn.
My firemouth killed many fish, including an 8 inch sailfin pleco. Best of luck with yours... hopefully they are better behaved than mine was.
EIGHT INCH! And plecos are the Elephants of the fish world O_O (I mean thick skinned and big, I'm not aware of gratuitous tusks LOL!) What a mean fish. I agree that they are lovely, but stlighty evil...
i might would consider just giving the bala sharks away, but how would i know that they are going into better conditions (a larger tank) than i have them in now? even if i give them to the pet store they are likely to sell them to someone who has the same size, or even smaller tank than me. the store i got them from told me, and they advertise it, that the balas need a minimum of 40 gallons. and anyone could go up there and say "i have a 75 gallon tank" when they really only have maybe a 20 or 30 gallon tank.
if i put them on craigslist or aquabid, the same thing goes. someone could say they have a 150 gallon tank, but am i actually going to follow them home and see it for myself? so you see my situation right? it's not just about me being selfish or irresponsible. i have the fish, they are fine for now, and they honestly would probably go into a worse situation if i were to get rid of them.
Good morning Swiftzer. I think your tank looks fine with or without the plants and your fish are beautiful. I like the video in post #109. Thanks for sharing!
Ken
The 1" per gallon "suggestion" doesn not work for fish this size. It is intended to be a guideline for smaller schooling type fish. Where are they going to swim??
I totally agree. It must be used with common sense or it is useless!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Swifterz
i might would consider just giving the bala sharks away, but how would i know that they are going into better conditions (a larger tank) than i have them in now? even if i give them to the pet store they are likely to sell them to someone who has the same size, or even smaller tank than me. the store i got them from told me, and they advertise it, that the balas need a minimum of 40 gallons. and anyone could go up there and say "i have a 75 gallon tank" when they really only have maybe a 20 or 30 gallon tank.
if i put them on craigslist or aquabid, the same thing goes. someone could say they have a 150 gallon tank, but am i actually going to follow them home and see it for myself? so you see my situation right? it's not just about me being selfish or irresponsible. i have the fish, they are fine for now, and they honestly would probably go into a worse situation if i were to get rid of them.
If you put them n craigslist, you could contact the potential buyer and ask for a photo of the tank. I don't know if this will work because I am no familiar with craigslist at all(never used it) but it is an idea.
I totally agree. It must be used with common sense or it is useless!
If you put them n craigslist, you could contact the potential buyer and ask for a photo of the tank. I don't know if this will work because I am no familiar with craigslist at all(never used it) but it is an idea.
well they are on craigslist right now. i'll do my best to send them somewhere nice and roomy.
i'm starting to get really attached to my firemouths. they are pretty much the only south american cichlid that really caught my eye.
mine are starting to get more color now that they've been in the tank about a week, and maybe it's my imagination but i've been back to the store they came from and it seems like mine are already noticeably bigger.
they are always active and they greet anyone who comes near the tank. i didn't expect them to act this way. i thought they would spend a lot of time either hiding or sitting still near a rock.
i am very actively trying to rehome my bala sharks. i don't really want to have to have two tanks. i want to get everything i want into one tank and have them peacefully coexist. this obviously can't be achieved with african cichlids being involved at all.
i had no idea just how much i would absolutely love the firemouths. they are so beautiful and active. i don't really like convicts or any of the other SA cichlids other than the keyholes i had mentioned here much, much earlier. they are 100% peaceful and would do great.
i'm thinking once the balas are gone the firemouths and a pair of keyholes would make excellent showpiece fish. maybe even some rams. i have just 100% put the idea out of african cichlids out of my head.
i wouldn't mind having another firemouth or two once the balas are gone, and to add in a pair of keyholes. i could keep the 10 tiger barbs in there and would be more than willing to remove the rainbow shark if neccessary.
all cichlids have their own personalities even the angels i like how they know who you are they know me over anyone in my family cause i feed them maybe one day i 2 will have firmouths when mts hits me once more i do like them!!!
Similar Aquarium Fish Forum Threads 
??
