Who Gives A Fish Forums

I'm moving into a new place in April and I'll be setting up a big tank, at least 300 litres, but until then I'm thinking of growing out some Geophagus Sveni in my 90 litre. It's a decent size, 120cm x 30 x 30, so a 4ft tank, just not a lot of water volume. The Sveni I can get are about 2 inches, and I know they're slow growers, so I'm hoping I can start growing them out now. I'm thinking of getting 4, does that sound like a good idea?

You're going to need a lot of luck with this.

If you're committed to doing 40 percent water changes three to four times a week, and I mean without fail, you might just manage to keep two of the four Sveni alive until the new tank is cycled. The thing is, Geophagus Sveni need a lot of space, even in a large tank - we're talking around 70 liters per fish. In a tank as small as 90 liters, with multiple Geos, it's a tough ask.

You'll be on high alert for signs of neuromast pitting or hole in the head, and water changes will need to become your new hobby.

Happy to put in the extra effort with water changes. I'm curious, what makes you think the survival rate would be as low as 2 out of 4? I'm planning for a 300 litre tank, with a possibility of upgrading to 500 litres if budget allows.