Tank size for a Frontosa?

[sanny]

Hey Guys!

Planning on upgrading to an either 75 gallon or 80 gallon aquarium for my cichlids, and planning on adding a Frontosa to my stock. Would do you guys think?

[Stussi613]

Hey Sanny,

I know you're new to the forum so I'm going to point out that Looking for Ads are only allowed in the section of the classifieds that deal with people looking for items.  You may have tried posting there and realized that you must be a member of the club to use the classifieds.  Feel free to look through the classifieds and contact members selling items by PM, or post what you are looking for on the OVAS Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OttawaValleyAquariumSociety

[Stussi613]

To answer your question, a 75g or 80g aquarium is a bit too small for Frontosa, they get around 12" in length when fully grown and a 150G or bigger tank is usually recommended for them.  Also, please see the following from cichlid-forum on keeping them:

In the wild, frontosa live in large groups called colonies. In the aquarium, they should also be kept in larger groups, although they can be kept successfully in groups as small as four individuals (1 male:3 females).


http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/c_frontosa.php

[sanny]

Yeah, thought so, they are pretty big fish! I think I'll try a colony of Tretocephalus as they do look like dwarf Frontosas lol.

[Mike L]

Hello Sanny

  When I first came across trets many years ago I thought they where beautiful and purchased 4 juveniles to go in a 125 gallon community tank with lelupi, calvus , julies, brevis, brichardi.
. As they got older one started to dominate killing 2  and pairing with the remaining one. They proceeded to stake out about 2/3 of the tank attacking anything that went near the territory. They were in breeding mode so I had to remove them not being equipped to handle it at the time. A year or so after that I was convinced to only add one to the same tank with the same remaining stock. This proved to be the ticket and that fish lived for many years.   
In my experience trets can be nasty fish and are best kept as a single specimen with other Tanginyikins of the same temperment.
If you do keep them in a species only tank be prepared with a backup plan once they pair off.

Mike

[sanny]

Hey Mike,

Never knew they where that aggressive! I was planning on doing what you did in the past, and add them with calvus, leleupis, brichardis, tropheus, etc.. know that I know that,
I wont get a colony , or will I keep them. Thanks!

[Mike L]

 No Tropheus either I'm afraid. Among other considerations they are very susceptible to bloat and must be feed a almost exclusive diet of vegetable matter. This would not benefit any of the others you mentioned as they need a certain amount of protein.
Tanganyikan cichlids are very complex. Because the lake is a couple million years old the species in them have adapted to often fill a very specific niche with specialized habit and behaviors. If you are like myself and most cichlid keepers you started with South American and/or Malawi cichlids. Whatever you learned about them often does not apply when it come's to tangs.
Having said that they are amazing cichlids to keep and for the most part not any more difficult them any other cichlid. They also have the benefit that many can be kept and bred in smaller tanks then is normal for cichlids. Like Stuart said hit the net for info on what you want to keep. There is a wealth of good (and bad) info

  It's good to hear people interested in cichlids so keep posting your endeavours. I know there are many more cichlid lovers out there in OVAS land.

[sanny]

Hey Mike,

Thanks for pointing that out. If I was to do what I was planning, my Tropheus wouldn't last that long. I either have to keep an only herbavore tank, or trade him in for some malawis.