Who Gives A Fish Forums

Three questions for you all:

1. Are these guys readily available, or would I need to look online? I'm guessing my local fish store might be able to order them in, but I'm not sure.

2. Just to confirm, I've read they only grow to 4 inches max - is this correct? I've seen this on a few websites, but I'd love to hear from someone with experience.

3. How's their breeding frequency compared to regular jewel cichlids? I'm wondering if I can use the fry as occasional feeders for my bichir and larger fish - I'm not sure I'll be able to find homes for all of them.

They're not that hard to find, most local fish stores should be able to get them in for you. As for using the fry as feeder fish, I'm pretty sure it's not allowed - I think it's actually against the law to use any fish as feeders, but I might be wrong, someone correct me if I am.

No way, I wasn't aware of that.

In the US, feeder fish aren't actually against the law. I've got an LFS near me that's got a whole tank labeled for feeder fish - mostly tiny goldfish. They're super cheap, like ten cents each if you buy 'em in bulk, or nineteen cents if you pick 'em out individually.

4 inches is about the max size, but honestly, they're best kept as a pair, groups can be a nightmare, especially when breeding, the smallest ones get killed off. I've had good luck selling extra fry on Gumtree, it's a good way to rehome them.