How many is too many??

Discussion in 'Freshwater Fish' started by CUCCI-WALDRON, Feb 24, 2009.

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  1. CUCCI-WALDRON

    CUCCI-WALDRON Astrea Snail

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    HEY YA'LL!

    I RECENTLY BOUGHT A 50 GAL TANK OFF OF CRAIGSLIST. I HAVE A 150 GAL FW WITH 1 TIGER OSCAR, 1 RED OSCAR, 1 GREEN TERROR, 2 PACUS, 2 BABY CHANNEL CATS (THAT WILL GO INTO MY POND WHEN THEY GET BIG ENOUGH), & 1 PLECO. WHAT I AM THINKIN OF DOING IS TAKING THE PACUS AND PUTTIN THEM IN THE 50 GAL, SO I CAN FREE UP SOME SPACE SO I CAN ADD SOME MORE CICHLIDS. I THOUGHT MY OSCARS WERE MALE AND FEMALE B/C THEY INSTANTLY STARTED FOLLOWIN EACH OTHER EVERYWHERE BUT NOW THE RED ONE IS GETTING BEAT UP BY THE TIGER:(:(. I KNOW THAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO HAVE ONLY ONE OR MORE THAN THREE. DOES THAT MEAN ANY TYPE OF SOUTH AMERICAN CICHLIDS OR DO THEY HAVE TO BE OF THE SAME SPECIES?:confused::confused::confused::confused: AND IF I TOOK OUT THE PACUS (THEY ARE FREAKIN HUGE; 7IN) AND ADDED LET'S SAY 2-3 MORE CICHLIDS WILL THAT BE OVERCROWDING? AND DO THEY NEED TO BE THE SAME SPECIES OR CAN I ADD ONE ALBINO OSCAR, ONE BLOOD PARROT, ONE CUBAN CICHLID??:confused::confused::confused::confused::confused::confused::confused::confused::confused:
    NO OFFENSE BUT PLEASE ONLY EXPERIENCED OPINIONS!:cheesy::) THANKS!
    NATALIE
     
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  3. CUCCI-WALDRON

    CUCCI-WALDRON Astrea Snail

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  4. CUCCI-WALDRON

    CUCCI-WALDRON Astrea Snail

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    i will be back tomorrow and i wanna see some replies on here ya hear! :)
     
  5. john300389

    john300389 Astrea Snail

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    caps make my eyes hurt...
     
  6. CUCCI-WALDRON

    CUCCI-WALDRON Astrea Snail

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  7. LCP136

    LCP136 Sailfin Tang

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    Okay, since nobody is answering, I will give you what I think. I have never kept cichlids, but I have kept fresh and saltwater, and there are themes to stocking issues that span all fish and water types. First of all, cichlids come from brackish, not fresh water, and many people keep them at a low specific gravity, but not fresh. I think it lies around 1.010, but I am not certain. About the stocking, I can't help you on what cichlid is compatible with what, but my answer to the question "How many is too many?" is, there is no answer. IMO, what you have to do is do some research on what types of cichlids are compatible with what. Then, you can add cichlid, but you have to take queues from your tank and from your fish. What I mean by this is that once you can't keep you parameters in check with regular water changes and good filtration, your tank is overstocked-that is taking queues from your tank. Taking queues from your fish meant that you have to watch their behavior. Even so called compatible fish will start to fight if they don't have enough space. If this happens you will know you are overstocked even if the water is okay. The last thing you have to take into consideration is that fish grow. This is the hardest part because it involves your own judgement rather than cold hard facts. You have to keep in mind that you are likely buying juvenile fish, not adults, and they will grow. Even if fish are not fighting as juveniles and your parameters are fine, your fish will grow. To address the aspect that fish may start to fight as they grow, you have to research who's compatible with who. Thats not very hard. The part that is hard is trying to determine if you will be overstocked when your fish are full grown. This is a judgement call that you have to do by doing research on how large your fish get, how messily they eat, etcetera, and making your own inferences.

    Some people follow the inch of fish per gallon rule. This rule has some value, but I personally do not like it because an inch of one fish may have more of an impact than an inch of another. If you want to follow this rule, it works for many people. That is another decision you have to make, but I personally do not use it.

    Good luck. -LCP
     
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  9. CUCCI-WALDRON

    CUCCI-WALDRON Astrea Snail

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    Yeah i dont like the 1 in of fish rule. Those pacus are going to get huge in that 150 gal. I will take them out once i get a heater for the 55 gal and get maybe 2 more oscars, i wanted atleast 4 or 5 oscars so that i could try to breed them. Any way thanks for answering my post i guess it is a judgement call.
     
  10. Guinness0052

    Guinness0052 Plankton

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    Here's your answer....

    Sexing Oscars (and other related South and some/most African Cichlids).

    Check out the Anal Fin (bottom towards the back...not the "tail")... A male Cichlid, generally speaking, will have a pointy or sharp tapper to it. A female will be rounded. Put a male and a female side by side and it will stand out like a sore thumb. You can also sex them by making a visual check to the fornication "area". Females are more oval or eye shaped. Males are round and sometimes "tube" looking. MUCH EASIER to go by the fins though. Then, at full size maturity, the females are always bigger in size. Females at about 10 to 12 inches...males usually cap out at about 9. The fins will be a complete givaway at maturity. Most people will say you "can't" sex them. That's BS. Then some will say you can't sex them until they're a year old. Wrong again. It is hard to sex them when they are really little....but after they hit about 2 inches...its doable.

    To breed them...they the water needs to be slightly acidic. Use some actual Peat as a buffer. Have a nice blend of rock pebbles for them to digup. Remove the undergravel filter on one side of the tank and hopefully the gravitate that way. Bare glass is the best for eggs to lay on. Maybe a plate of flagstone if they will allow it (they may move everything in the tank). Temps in the range of 77 to 79. They will need "quiet" and AND a little trick....let the water evaporate over a month or so. Hav the tank drop down a few inches. This represents a drought. THEN....when the time looks right (after they do a few days of the "love dance")....dump gallons of water (not disturbing their nest) and fill the tank. This represents a flood. BOOM.....you may just get some eggs. Have good if not great waterflow over the eggs. Don't blow them away...but they need waterflow to breath. And the deadly part....MOLD. Hopefully if the eggs are on glass or a rock....no moldy eggs. You'll know and the fish will learn too. Also....NO LIVE GOLDFISH during breeding attempts. To much risk of disease on the little eggs or babies.

    Tank size....7 full sized Oscars will do fine in a 150 gallon. Just have enough cover for them. Big rocks, driftwood, maybe plants. You need a "home" not a wasteland desert. You can do 3 Oscars in a 50. Reason is Oscars are lazy overall. They don't move to much. Now PACU's....they are nutz and a mess. 2 Pacu's in 50....3 in a 150. I had several breeding pairs of oscars each pair in 20 gallon tanks. They did just fine. I had about 80 full size Africans in a 150 tank for about 5 years. I had eggs and babies oozing out of every nook and crevace.

    Also....2 female Cichlids for every male is a great idea. males fight....females fight....but too many males and not enough female love to go around will cause chaos. Also...get the cats in the pond ASAP. they'll eat every egg before you even new it happened.

    >>> I used to raise Oscars. Tigers and Albino Tigers back in the 1990's. I have a few Africans now. Only one breeding pair. I also dabble in salt.
     
    Last edited: Mar 6, 2009
  11. Guinness0052

    Guinness0052 Plankton

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    Also....2 female Cichlids for every male is a great idea. males fight....females fight....but too many males and not enough female love to go around will cause chaos. Also...get the cats in the pond ASAP. they'll eat every egg before you even new it happened.

    OOPS.....I hit the wrong button
     
  12. CUCCI-WALDRON

    CUCCI-WALDRON Astrea Snail

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    Very interesting....i now am getting a 75 due to the fact that the brace cracked on the 50. The catfish are just going to have to go in the lake in a lil while. One of them is close to 6-7 in now i wanted to wait to put them in the lake so they could get big enough to fend for themselves. Im scratching the pond idea, too much $$ and i live in a rental. If it was my place i would do it but im not putting money in the landlords pocket unless it's for rent. :)