Firemouth help

[Dyl123]

I have recently bought I young Firemouth who is around 2 inches, it seems quite shy and stays in around its cave which I expect as its new, is has just started to dig a pit in the sand in its cave and whenever a BA tetra swims into the cave the Firemouth will chase it back out the entrance, I am wondering if this is normal behavior and could it be it is building a nest? There is currently just the one Firemouth in the tank and I am under the impression it’s a Male as it has pointed dorsal and anal fins, thanks.

 

[TekFish]

Firemouths, like a lot of cichlids, are territorial. If the BA's get too close, he will chase them off. As long as he leaves them alone after they leave his territory, there shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Dyl123]

Firemouths, like a lot of cichlids, are territorial. If the BA's get too close, he will chase them off. As long as he leaves them alone after they leave his territory, there shouldn't be a problem.

As soon as they leave the cave he’s fine .

 

[TekFish]

Then it's just your run of the mill Cichlid territorial aggression. The BA's will be fast enough to escape so you shouldn't have any problems. Just keep an eye on it, if it gets more serious, you may need to take one of the two species back, but it should be fine.

 

[Dyl123]

Then it's just your run of the mill Cichlid territorial aggression. The BA's will be fast enough to escape so you shouldn't have any problems. Just keep an eye on it, if it gets more serious, you may need to take one of the two species back, but it should be fine.

Ok Thankyou

 

[Metalhead88]

Normal territorial cichlid behavior. As he gets bigger, it'll likely get worse.

The tetras are fast, but will keep going his way. They have no regards to territories.

 

[Dyl123]

Any chance I could breed firemouths in the 40 gallon, I’ve heard that it’s best to buy multiple and let them pair off but a 40 gallon breeder won’t be big enough for me to get multiple.

 

[Metalhead88]

Any chance I could breed firemouths in the 40 gallon, I’ve heard that it’s best to buy multiple and let them pair off but a 40 gallon breeder won’t be big enough for me to get multiple.

Is that really what you want to do though?

When giving stocking advise, we advise based on being kept in a permanent home due to longtime concerns of aggression and water quality. If kept only temporarily, you can double down on fish to find a pair and rehome the rest. You can keep a breeding pair in the tank with nothing else. What would you do with the babies?

If you are new to fish or cichlids, I'd advise against this plan.

But to answer your question, yes. A 40 breeder would be a good size for a breeding pair. Nothing else.

 

[Dyl123]

Is that really what you want to do though?

When giving stocking advise, we advise based on being kept in a permanent home due to longtime concerns of aggression and water quality. If kept only temporarily, you can double down on fish to find a pair and rehome the rest. You can keep a breeding pair in the tank with nothing else. What would you do with the babies?

If you are new to fish or cichlids, I'd advise against this plan.

But to answer your question, yes. A 40 breeder would be a good size for a breeding pair. Nothing else.

Thanks for the help, I’m going to do a lot more research before I come to a decision so I don’t regret it.

 

[Dyl123]

Also if I stayed away from a breeding pair, what could I keep in my 40 gallon with my BA tetras and Firemouth?

 

[Guppy10]

Don't bother trying to breed. Enjoy your fish as they are.