I found the type of fish... now what?

[scrappy]

Thanks to kay-bee's link I found the unidentified fish in my tank Tilapia
buttikoferi, found at
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1442 This is a
gorgeous fish but it grows to as big as 12 inches. Mine are about an inch
and half long. Do I keep it in my 46 gallon tank and hope it stays smaller
or do I see if I can return them?

Thanks,

Nanette

[Amateur Cichlids]

"scrappy" > wrote in message
...
> Thanks to kay-bee's link I found the unidentified fish in my tank Tilapia
> buttikoferi, found at
> http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1442 This is a
> gorgeous fish but it grows to as big as 12 inches. Mine are about an inch
> and half long. Do I keep it in my 46 gallon tank and hope it stays
> smaller
> or do I see if I can return them?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Nanette
>

If you own a Tilapia buttikoferi, I'd return it. They require a large tank,
and have problems playing well with others. In a 46 gallon tank, it won't be
long before it's larger and grumpy enough to start beating on it's tank
mates.
Tim
http://www.fishaholics.org

[Polarhound]

Amateur Cichlids wrote:
> "scrappy" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Thanks to kay-bee's link I found the unidentified fish in my tank Tilapia
>>buttikoferi, found at
>>http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1442 This is a
>>gorgeous fish but it grows to as big as 12 inches. Mine are about an inch
>>and half long. Do I keep it in my 46 gallon tank and hope it stays
>>smaller
>>or do I see if I can return them?
>>
>>Thanks,
>>
>>Nanette
>>
>
>
> If you own a Tilapia buttikoferi, I'd return it. They require a large tank,
> and have problems playing well with others. In a 46 gallon tank, it won't be
> long before it's larger and grumpy enough to start beating on it's tank
> mates.
> Tim
> http://www.fishaholics.org
>
>

My buttikoferi gets along perfectly with my leporinus. Both are about
5" right now and have lived together for months. They are actually very
competitive for food, but they don't fight. The leporinus has been
known to often pull strips of algae leaf right out of the buttikoferi's
mouth. A fellow fishkeeper had a 15" and 12" living together in a 125
as well.

As for their size, a 46 gallon tank makes for a good growout
environment. By the time he outgrows that tank, you will have had
plenty of time to set up a replacement should you desire.

[scrappy]

I am seriously considering putting my tropical fish in this 46 gallon tank
and moving the cichlids to the 70 gallon tank. I spoke with the manager of
the store where I got my other fish and he put me in touch with a guy that
breeds cichlids. He will take buy the fish from me if/when they get too
large for my tanks. They are beautiful fish and right now they aren't
showing any signs of aggression.

In raising tropical fish it was always my understanding, in most cases, the
your fish wouldn't get too big for the tank. In 30 years I've only that 3
fish outgrow and tank and two of those were gold fish.
"Polarhound" > wrote in message
...
Amateur Cichlids wrote:
> "scrappy" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Thanks to kay-bee's link I found the unidentified fish in my tank
Tilapia
>>buttikoferi, found at
>>http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1442 This is a
>>gorgeous fish but it grows to as big as 12 inches. Mine are about an
inch
>>and half long. Do I keep it in my 46 gallon tank and hope it stays
>>smaller
>>or do I see if I can return them?
>>
>>Thanks,
>>
>>Nanette
>>
>
>
> If you own a Tilapia buttikoferi, I'd return it. They require a large
tank,
> and have problems playing well with others. In a 46 gallon tank, it
won't be
> long before it's larger and grumpy enough to start beating on it's tank
> mates.
> Tim
> http://www.fishaholics.org
>
>

My buttikoferi gets along perfectly with my leporinus. Both are about
5" right now and have lived together for months. They are actually very
competitive for food, but they don't fight. The leporinus has been
known to often pull strips of algae leaf right out of the buttikoferi's
mouth. A fellow fishkeeper had a 15" and 12" living together in a 125
as well.

As for their size, a 46 gallon tank makes for a good growout
environment. By the time he outgrows that tank, you will have had
plenty of time to set up a replacement should you desire.

[Elaine T]

scrappy wrote:
> I am seriously considering putting my tropical fish in this 46 gallon
> tank and moving the cichlids to the 70 gallon tank. I spoke with the
> manager of the store where I got my other fish and he put me in touch
> with a guy that breeds cichlids. He will take buy the fish from me
> if/when they get too large for my tanks. They are beautiful fish and
> right now they aren't showing any signs of aggression.
>
> In raising tropical fish it was always my understanding, in most cases,
> the your fish wouldn't get too big for the tank. In 30 years I've only
> that 3 fish outgrow and tank and two of those were gold fish.
>
Perhaps you choose your fish with more care than you realize. Lots of
people returned to the store where I worked with plecos, oscars, bala
sharks, large catfish like red-tails or channel cats, and arowanas that
had far outgrown their tanks.

--
Elaine T __
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