Big Fish

Another bug showed up in my room. I am fantasizing about another tank some time, possibly a 4ft. I was planning on doing another planted tank if I can get it, but now I'm thinking about big fish.

Big fish means not much scaping and no plants. Big rocks and wood would be ok? And just normal pool filter sand.

What fish do you get at LFS (or members [breeders]) that grows BIG (20cm +) and grows fast and would be OK for that size tank? It should also be easy to maintain, like a pleco. They get big and don't die, almost like a Nokia 3310. I don't mind having only 1 specie + a pleco. They should not be fussy about water conditions or water changes. Cold water fish can do.

A fish that I would be able to keep and are easy to come by is some Blue Kurpers, but I guess these are on the BL? They are indigenous so I don't see a problem.

Fish that would be able to grow and stay as a couple, and also easily breed would be even better. As an example: If krupers aren't invasive and should be conserved, then fry can be put in the river where I can get some? I know a person who raised a 5cm kurper to a 30cm beauty. It lived happily with 2 big plecos in a nice large tank with a bare sand bottomed tank.

I know of several fish that can get big but they are also expensive (well most of them) and I guess aren't easy fellas. Examples: Arowana, Oscar, Ghost Knives, Clown Loaches, Pangasius.

This only the beginning of brainstorming and might not even come to reality. Let's hope the parents like the idea.

 

A 4ft is a tad small for fish that grows 20cm plus.

Nice bigger fish I have always likes is deacons. Especially the yellow and red spotted ones.

 

You could keep Uaru as well. But like Vis mentioned 1.2m is on the small side. 1.5m would work well if you have space.

 

Damn. I can't really go that big. What if the criteria can be changed to max 20cm fish?

How is Firemouth cichlids?

Another option again is just to get some of those nice angels from prof and let them grow to about 15cm in diameter.

 

Hi there

I'm sorry to tell you, but nearly all (if not all) local freshwater fish appear on the blacklist. The blue kurper is one of these fish.

Like has been said above, a 1.2m tank won't do for a 'big' fish, so to speak, but medium sized fish will do perfectly fine. As you've mentioned, 15cm fish are a good fit for that size tank (although with the angels you'll want a suitably tall tank). Other fish of similar size include certain Synodontis catfish, some Ancistrus (bristlenose), gouramis, some rainbowfish, some silver dollars (but be careful on the ID - some grow much larger), as well as a handful of Central and South American cichlids, such as some Geophagus.

Alternatiely you can try your hand at Malawi cichlids, which IMO a 4 foot tank is just right for them. They average in size from 10 to 15cm (although you do get slightly larger ones) and make for an attractive setup. Do some reading up and see if those tickle your fancy.

Regards

 

Agree with @SalmonAfrica, Geophagus Brazilliensis gows to about 20cm and are very easy to keep and breed very easy, especially if you have some wood in your tank, they also sell under the name Pearl cichlids, very beautiful fish, not very aggresive and are bottom to mid swimmers. Had two, unfortunately my female passed away this past weekend and still have the male left, either need to look for a new female or sell my male as I'm tempted for a revamp and go for a planted community tank. The golden deacons mentioned by @Vis also very beautiful peaceful fish, sell as golden severums as well. Seems if my two golden deacons want to spawn one of these days as they start moving around the gravel and "kiss" one another as part of their mating behavior, the brazillies did the same before they have spawned and they had some fry twice. As for fire mouths, they don't grow as quick and seems a bit fragile with some cichlids that out grow them. Bought my red heads (also a very beautiful cichlid to keep) and fire mouths at the same size, at the same time and the red heads grew much faster than the fire mouths. Red heads are very terotorial and by some times become quite aggressive but as I have said also very beautiful fish, gave my male and female last night to @CRH. They also grow to about 15 - 20cm. HTH

 

Forgot to add, the golden deacons/severums and the fire mouths are also bottom to mid swimmers, red heads bottom to mid swimmers but have the tendancy to go for the top from time to time. All of them are insanely in favour of blood worms, wether frozen or alive. I usualy take the frozen ones which you buy looking like a slab chocolate and break a small block into two pieces, all of my cichlids swallow the half a block in its frozen form completely. Still wondering if they do suffer from brain freeze as we do when eating your ice cream to fast, lol!!:vollkommenauf:

 

Pity you're not up here n Gauteng where you could come see for yourselve.- I have Deacons (my favourite) with some lovely bottom feeders (6 medium Spotted and 2 large striped Doradids/3 large Clown loaches, 2 red Pleco's about 6 inches) Silver Dollars, Spotted Silver Dollars, Parrots, Clown Knife, three types of smallish synodontis to be moved later (and unmentionable Ctenopoma family).
Due to the large plastic plant, there is plenty of hiding as well as open swimming area to keep all happy. I like wood, which is up against the front of the tank, where the Doradids hide - come feeding time they become very lively.
I keep a breeding pair of Deacons alone in a 3ft tank and about 40 smaller ones with more than 100 also home bred Kribensis in another 3foot tank.

 

That's a pity. I'd really like to keep some kurpers. The Geophagus Brazilliensis looks nice. The others mentioned don't really tickle my interest :cheesy: I am not a very big fan of colorful fish (except dwarf cichlids). I can only settle for a 4ft as bigger gets expensive. Getting a 4ft custom made at 120X60X60 is too expensive

@SalmonAfrica - What Gourami's get big? I know the giant Gourami gets huge.

@wsteene - LOL @ brain freeze

@abdd003 - That's a nice selection of fish, except the parrots.

Festivums jumped in my mind now. How easy are they to keep and breed, and how big do they get?

 

The fish I'd been talking about in that paragraph were what I'd call medium-sized fish - in this case the gouramis in the genus Trichogaster typically attain between 10 and 15cm in aquaria, and would suit a 120cm tank well.

 

I saw some stunning fire mouths at Perky Pets Super Store in diep river today @Razer2007. They also have some stunning salvini cichlids.

 

Ah. I don't think I'd want to put up with fry of the Pearl Gourami if they do breed.

I've been looking around at some other South American Cichlids, and found some pics which I like but I think they are a bit delicate and touchy to water conditions, from what I've read.

http://forums.overclockers.com.au/showthread.php?t=748577

 

Oh hey Henk didn't see you pop in while I posted I'm not sure how firemoths will be if kept alone with some bottom feeders like clown loaches or cory's? Will go google that other fish..

 

LOL I google'd it. Looks beautiful but not really my "taste" :worried:

 

@Razer2007 - A planned 4 footer really is to small for Clown Loaches mate.... fine for a year or two,but after that they will require a bigger tank then... A school of many of the other Botia type loaches will be fine though....

Look at Ctenopoma acutirostre - an African anabantoid.... With a school of Congo Tetras and a small school of lets say, Botia rostrata or B.kubotai... Make a nice medium sized fish mixed community.... Fish swimming at all levels

 

What a pity.

Looked up on this one. It eats small fish (which won't be an issue in this case) but requires a heavily planted tank. If I do go planted on this one then it will be for some kribs.

Quite an oddball fish. Saw it a few years ago in my dad's aquarium book. Never in a LFS.


Anyone got any experience on Festivum Cichlids?

 

Flag cichlids are uber cool fishies - love them to bits - relatively peacefull for a medium size cichlids - you will be very happy if you can get hold of some - not seen all that often...

Good quality water is a must with these guys - don't overcrowd the tank

 

So they are more delicate than what I am used to?

 

Sensitive to high Nitrate levels - keep up on the waterchanges and you'll be fine.... Your CT water nice and soft already,so no problems there....

 

mmm will once a week do? No need for some RO water or heavy prepping of water? I really like them but don't know if I would be able to keep them happy. Don't have a lot of experience.