Firemouths Bullying

[minnnt]

Conspecific aggression between thorichthys species can be a nightmare! They're wind up merchants most of the time with other fish, but between themselves they are a nightmare!

 

[KittyKat]

I didnt actually want to but my dad was arguing they wud go well with bolivrams ( I knew they wudnt) we argued untill my dad just bought them then they attacked the bolivs and each other

Does he see the error of his ways now? But this also makes me wonder why you have two Bolivina rams in a tank which is smaller than 3 ft (I think they should have 4 ft as a minimum).

 

[Blue Ramirezi]

Does he see the error of his ways now? But this also makes me wonder why you have two Bolivina rams in a tank which is smaller than 3 ft (I think they should have 4 ft as a minimum).

Oh goodness! shame I didnt know woops

Conspecific aggression between thorichthys species can be a nightmare! They're wind up merchants most of the time with other fish, but between themselves they are a nightmare!

AGREED!

 

[KittyKat]

Hun, you should at least look up the adult sizes of fish before you buy them! It is safer to believe the larger numbers which you see, rather than the small ones. The thing about large fish is that they need large tanks!

 

[Blue Ramirezi]

I want an axolotl :3

rather than these constantly giving me problems large cichlids ARRGG I love rams tho ( not large ones) I mean now my bolivs are randomly staring at the glass (they have for 2 days)

 

[KittyKat]

Axolotls will give you just as many problems, if not more, if you don't keep them properly. My ex-housemate used to have them, and they did require more attention than the fish!

 

[Blue Ramirezi]

A= I spend 2 hours a day watching my tank for strange activity B= I WORK at a fish shop C= tank size is perfect and I have done more than nessesary research.
Axolotls grow to max size 45 cm. you cant get fine gravel as they can eat the gravel, pebbles work. aeration is important 3 air rocks for a tank that size, they do tend to tear up plants , never get axolotls of different sizes and.... I will be here forever

 

[KittyKat]

A= I spend 2 hours a day watching my tank for strange activity B= I WORK at a fish shop C= tank size is perfect and I have done more than nessesary research.

And now you just made me realise how depressing it is that many LFS staff do not have the proper training and knowledge, thanks!

If you would have done your research, you would know that to grow properly fish need the swimming space and that a potentially 6" fish will not have that in a 55 or 65 litre tank. You would have known that aggressive fish will fight, especially in small tanks. You would have known keeping three territorial species in a 65 litre aquarium will result in disaster.

Axolotls grow to max size 45 cm. you cant get fine gravel as they can eat the gravel, pebbles work. aeration is important 3 air rocks for a tank that size, they do tend to tear up plants , never get axolotls of different sizes and.... I will be here forever

Erm, why are you posting axolotl care? Why would anyone care if you frequent the forum or not? So far, you have only indicated that you know more about axolotls than fish, but why would that matter?

 

[Blue Ramirezi]

I'm not trying to be mean sorry if I sounded like it, but I love fish alot. more than anything and I knew perfectly well they would fight but we were meant to get the big tank immediately the day after. but we didnt anyway im only 12 Lol I know quite alot about fish 4 my age

 

[Diesel Trout]

My Firemouths pretty much leave my Rams alone. They have been in the tank for nine months now - the FMs since they were juvi's - and while there was some food competition at first everything has settled out nicely. Now if only the FMs would leave my Rainbows alone...

 

[Proxo]

two Bolivina rams in a tank which is smaller than 3 ft (I think they should have 4 ft as a minimum).

4ft for a pair of rams, really? Yes would be nice but it's not needed?
I mean people are keeping a pair of salvini cichlid in a 4ft, numberous discus (obv not together), i've got a pair of 'smallish' green terrors in a 4ft? and so on.

IMO 2ft for a pair of rams is fine, 3ft would be alot better though.

 

[KittyKat]

two Bolivina rams in a tank which is smaller than 3 ft (I think they should have 4 ft as a minimum).

4ft for a pair of rams, really? Yes would be nice but it's not needed?

I think 3 ft is needed to allow them enough space for swimming and healthy growth, but I would not want to keep them in anything under 4 ft because I feel that they would benefit from the extra space. I have seen, in person, adult rams which were in the 4-5" range (4" SL, 5+" TL) and were kept in a large (I estimate 500+ litres) tank. I have never heard of rams reaching those sizes in a small tank. A 4 ft tank would normally take more than one pair of rams.

I mean people are keeping a pair of salvini cichlid in a 4ft, numberous discus (obv not together), i've got a pair of 'smallish' green terrors in a 4ft?

…and I once bought a 3 ft tank with green terrors included, with the owner telling me that they would be fine in there for life, and I once got given a common pleco which was kept in a 10 gallon tank for so long that it was severely stunted. Because people do it does not mean it is the best thing for the fish. My personal experience is that, up to a point, tank sizes make a huge difference to the behaviour and health of the fish.

(For the few weeks it took me to find the terrors a new home, the male spent his whole time going around in circles, bored out of his mind, while the female remained permanently stunted at 4" (it has now been 4 years, and the fish were at least 1.5 years old when I got them) as the tank did not allow her swimming space or good access to food with the male pacing for the whole time. I was able to find the terrors a home in a 6*2*2 ft tank with some severums though the fish club I was a member of at the time. The pleco was beyond help and lived out the rest of his days in a larger tank. There was also a 3 year old, 3.5" molly with a bent spine and swimming difficulties that came with the pleco: over a period of a few months in a larger tank, her spine started to straighten out and she eventually achieved a length of 4", with visible improvements to her swimming.)

 

[Blue Ramirezi]

Getting 300L tank very soon

 

[Blue Ramirezi]

oh hey if u get this kittykat i out them together now their brooding eggs