severums

[Ben]

Hi

at my lfs they have a preety small gold severum and he looks really nice. but b4 i get him i wanna do some research. could he live with:

• mollys
• juvie black ghost knife
• angels
• assorted gouramis
• clown loach
• silver sharks

in a 29 gal

 

[Vip]

Nopers, not with mollys dude, if im right you have a 29g tank these things get to and over 12"..


I think you are taking a intrest in cichlids, am i right?

 

[Ben]

ye.......just parrots and severums. my friend Silva_Fishy is gettin a oscar tomorow. and the lfs we go to sorta specialises in cichlids. but the colours on them are awsome!

 

[Vip]

whats he putting the oscar in/size and tank mates?>

 

[Ben]

well the guy at the lfs sed hes just released into the tank with the utha oscars. and let me tell ya. its preety small for an oscar. so hes keeping it in a 15 gal(dont shout) for half a year.

 

[Vip]

Thats a good lfs trick, "Of course a oscar can live in it for 6 months" no, no way, not a chance, unless he wants it to stay small for ever, i brought a tiny oscar to, and it 6 months, you guessed it he is 6" much to big for a 15g.
If he wanted it to live, then he would have to do water changes everday without fail!!! and by doing this will make it grow even faster than mine!

Do not ever, ever listen to a lfs, they are trained to sell, not to educate us on fish keeping, thats what this forum is for dude.
Tell your friend not to go ahead for it because you become attached to oscars and when it dies he wont be to happy, and its not a case of it might live cause it wont..

Hope i can change his mind..

 

[CFC]

If you want to get into cichlids but dont have the tank sizes nessesary then go for one of the many dwarf species, they may not show the same character as the larger more aggressive cichlids but they still have stunning colours and interesting breeding rituals. For the larger cichlids like severums and oscars you will need a minimum of a 55 gallon to start with and be aiming to upgrade before they are full grown.

 

[EX-AmP]

you can get a 20 gal and get a cool pair of breeding firemouths, convicts, kribs, or those easy to breed smaller cichlids. its great to watch

 

[missyintx_99]

He is definately correct in that an Oscar can NOT live in a 15g tank for 6 months. He can't live in there for even 3 months. Oscars grow at a rate of at least 1" per month until they hit around 10" and then the growth slows. Its a recipe for disaster your setting up here. Please talk your friend out of this!

As for Sev's, I wouldn't keep them in a tank that size with the fish you're talking about. Also not a good idea. Sev's are prone to getting a little aggressive, and some even more so than others and I wouldn't want to have you come back saying that your sev has killed half its tank mates overnight! Just not a very good idea mate!

 

[Ben]

Hey

i cant stop him hes determind to get these fish. if i try to stop him its like suicied.

i feel sorry for the little oscar. he was gonna buy three! but lukmy i sorted him out.wen we go to the lfs ill ask the guy./like interigate him on police movies.

wish luck

 

[Silva_Fishy]

nah its over. Im interested tho, how big doz the tank have to be for a gold severum?

p.S Sorry about the mix up with the oscars, dunno what i was thinkin, I WANT A BIGGER TANK!

 

[Vip]

Any 12" cichlid needs a 55g, why not just go and get one dude, what could be better than having a big tank? the bigger the better

 

[Ben]

hey

he doesnt have the space. if he did he would get one.but he cant.

 

[Vip]

got a garage?

 

[Ben]

yep but its not big enuf for 2 cars and a 75 gal tank.