Who Gives A Fish Forums

Got a new bunch of fish, 1 male and 4 females, and I'm really excited. They're going in my 90 litre tank for now with some neon dithers, which might not last long if the male gets too hungry.

If the male turns out to be too aggressive and the females can't find a place to hide, I might need to think about upgrading to a bigger tank. Adding some more wood and rocks tonight to give them some extra cover.

Has anyone here kept these fish before? I couldn't find much info on the forum, and I'd love to hear about other people's experiences.

I had a pair of these a few years ago, they were a gift, and I was excited to see the mouth brooding behavior. They're the only African fish I've ever kept, and I have to say, they're quite something. Some people say they're the nastiest cichlids out there, inch for inch, and I wouldn't disagree.

I had them in a well-planted 15-gallon tank, and to be honest, it was a challenge. To get any surviving fry, I had to remove the male as soon as I noticed the female holding. If I didn't, she'd either spit them out or the male would eat them - it's amazing how quickly they go from looking like tiny fish to looking like food. I lost the first spawn within 48 hours of her spitting.

Eventually, the male killed the female, which wasn't surprising. I did manage to get a spawn or two from him and one of his daughters before I lost him to a mess of java fern roots. He got entangled and that was the end of him.

You're right about the need for cover, but if the mom can eat her own kids that fast, I'd assume other females would do the same even faster.

I've got some old photos here - not great quality, but they might be of interest. Here's the male shortly after I introduced him to the tank - he colored up well once he settled in. And here's the female holding - as you know, they're not as colorful as the males. There's also a photo of her letting a few fry out to explore the moss.

Cheers for the info, been told removing the female once she's holding might be the way to go - take her out till she spits, then back to the main tank while the fry go in a separate tank. Not sure what I'll do yet, just gonna get them settled in for now and maybe start looking for a bigger tank.

Found that pretty funny, read an article on them and it said they're "peaceful, hardy, and beautiful" - quite the opposite of nasty, lol. Guess that's why I'm a bit concerned about the male's aggression, seems a bit contradictory.

Looking forward to seeing how your group settles in flarix, I've had my eye on these fish for a while now and was thinking of trying a harem with a pair of my Steatocranus casuarius, maybe even in one of my larger tanks, 4-foot or 5x2x2 - could be an interesting mix.

Got them settled in tonight, they're doing alright. Male's coloured up really well, stood out in the group, will post some pics at the weekend.

How's the pseudo-nicholsi group doing, flarix? Wildwoods seems to have sold out fast. Guess I'll have to wait for your potential future spawns.

How are they doing, flarix? The stock at Wildwoods has gone rather quickly, so I might have to wait until you have some youngsters to sell.

The male is on patrol and the females seem happy enough at the moment. Bloody hard fish to sex, I'm hoping all the females are actually female - only difference at the moment is that they are smaller and lack the colour depth of the male.

Just a quick update on my group, I think I've got a better idea of the sex now, but I'm still not 100% sure, the females seem smaller and lack the colour depth of the male. Still, they all seem to be getting along for now, and the male's still patrolling the territory. Haven't had any major issues yet, just the usual cichlid stuff.

Found some more at Maidenhead Aquatics, not as many or as mature as mine though. Three of the females I'm fairly sure are female, one's still a bit of a mystery, 50/50 at the moment. If it's a male, I've got a feeling it won't be for long. They're all eating well, no worries on that front - Tetra Prima, flake, and pellets are all going down a treat. Haven't spotted any "action" just yet, but I'm not around to keep an eye on them as much as I'd like.