# Carpintis and HRP not growing at all??



## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Okay so this is a strange question, but... I've been noticing for over a year that none of my cichlids seem to grow, at all. I do weekly 50% water changes, and both tanks are running 3 filters (AQ 110, 70, and 50 on the 55 gallon, and an AQ30, 20, and a sponge filter on my 20 long), and I clean one of the 3 each week in dirty tank water.

Here are my setups...

55 gallon

1 carpintis "vontehillo" - I've had this fish since July 14th (4 months), and he has not changed since I got him, I know the growth rate is supposed to be slow (about .25" per month), but I'm confused.

When I got him









Now









20 long

1 HRP Rio Danlii - This guy I've had since March 11th (8 months), he's lived in the 20 long since I got him, has always been the alpha fish, and has not grown either. I know their growth rate is supposed to be slow too, but still...

When I got him









Now









Also last year I had a 90 gallon (before it leaked) and had a baby tiger oscar in it (same water change schedule, running the AQ110 and an Eheim 2026), from august to january he grew 1 inch.

Does anyone have an idea as to why this is happening? I'm using city water for my tanks, and am treating my water as I introduce it. Everyone eats once a day, sometimes twice, eating NLS pellets, and tetra sinking granules, with bloodworms once every week or 2. Just really frustrating.


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## Ilovecichlids82 (Aug 3, 2011)

I would also like to know the growth rate of Carpintis Cichlids. I have a 2.5in female that seems to grow really slow (even though I feed her like a horse).


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Well most carpintes grow around .25" a month, maybe .5" depending on the fish


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## MonteSS (Dec 8, 2008)

My male HRP is about 4" so they dont get very big.

In my 75g the fish grow out fast. Same feedings in a smaller tank and growth is much slower.

....Bill


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

MonteSS said:


> My male HRP is about 4" so they dont get very big.
> 
> In my 75g the fish grow out fast. Same feedings in a smaller tank and growth is much slower.
> 
> ....Bill


So would u say my growth (or lack thereof) is normal?


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## MonteSS (Dec 8, 2008)

I think being in the 20g is slowing him a bit. What is TL?

I have nine or so Crypto Chetumalensis growing out in a 26g (similar to 20 high). When I got them end of May they were about 1/2". Now about 2". I am waiting for a pair, but think the 24" ank is too tight. I may add them to the 75g SA so they can spread out a bit.

....Bill


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Total length of the fish? Or tank length?

I'll check fish length tomorrow when I get home, tank is 30".


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## phishes (May 17, 2005)

H. carpinits are very slow growing. The only thing you can do to speed up the growth is keep the water params perfect, 7+ ph, and a good diet. I would feed the carpinits quality pellets, and veggie based foods. 
HRPs max out at 4'' and that is only males. Females rarely get to 3''. I would be careful mixing the two. They might work now, but you could have some problems w/that carpinits when he gets big. HRPs are a dwarf cichlid sp.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

phishes said:


> H. carpinits are very slow growing. The only thing you can do to speed up the growth is keep the water params perfect, 7+ ph, and a good diet. I would feed the carpinits quality pellets, and veggie based foods.
> HRPs max out at 4'' and that is only males. Females rarely get to 3''. I would be careful mixing the two. They might work now, but you could have some problems w/that carpinits when he gets big. HRPs are a dwarf cichlid sp.


I think you may have misread my post, if you read my sig the HRP is in my 20 long planted, and the carpinte is in my 55 gallon. As of right now I don't have any plans to put them together. If anything I believe the HRP would dominate the texas (when I had my QT tank next to my 20 long, I had a cyano texas in there that was 4.5" and the HRP was the size he is now (around 3"), and he was flaring and attacking the glass any time the cyano went near the side of the 10 QT). But no, no plans to ever let them meet in the future


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## oldcatfish (May 27, 2009)

Hmm...I've been keeping H.Carpintis for years, and I haven't found them to be particularly slow growing. They aren't the largest CA cichlid, and aren't the fastest growing, but certainly should be growing at least .25 inches a month--usually closer to 1/2 inch a month until they hit 4 or 5 inches.

The primary factors that affect growth rate are...genetics, water quality, and food.
You can't do much about genetics unless you pick the fish as fry from known parents. 
Your food and water change regimen is not bad...but try feeding 2 to 3 times per day(very small amounts) and 40 to 50% water changes twice a week for better results. You can try it now, but for best results, you need to start it when the fish are very young. As fish age, their growth rate slows.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Trying to up my feeding still, everybody is very happy with that around here. Hoping for the best at this point


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## bjland4 (Nov 29, 2011)

YES! I agree this :"The only thing you can do to speed up the growth is keep the water params perfect, 7+ ph, and a good diet. I would feed the carpinits quality pellets, and veggie based foods. HRPs max out at 4'' and that is only males. Females rarely get to 3''. I would be careful mixing the two. They might work now, but you could have some problems w/that carpinits when he gets big. HRPs are a dwarf cichlid sp."


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Small update - I feel as tho he may have grown a little (the HRP), he was posing tonight so I had to snap a couple pics




























And a certain someone was caught on my car...


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## MonteSS (Dec 8, 2008)

He is lookin real good. But youe eight. He kinda has a young fish look to him. Wait till his forehead grows out a bit.

I love his cartoon looking face and smile in te third pic .

...Bill


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

MonteSS said:


> He is lookin real good. But youe eight. He kinda has a young fish look to him. Wait till his forehead grows out a bit.
> 
> I love his cartoon looking face and smile in te third pic .
> 
> ...Bill


Thanks Bill! Yeah I can't wait for his forehead to grow out and give him the look that his name implies (Brutus). Didn't even notice the cartoon face either! He always has that look about him to be honest, maybe he's just happy that he rules the roost in that tank


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## heaya (Oct 18, 2011)

Chubbs the Jellybean said:


> And a certain someone was caught on my car...


ah this made me laugh.

It seems like you're doing everything right. I agree with what everyone else has said. It seems like fish will grow larger with less feedings in a larger tank at a quicker rate. 
Nice looking fish!


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## Chromedome52 (Jul 25, 2009)

What is the temperature? It can have a major effect on the growth rate. For example, people always think _Geophagus _and _Biotodoma _are slow growers, but if they are kept in the high 80s, they will grow as fast as any other fish. I don't think the _Herichthys _is going to want high 80s, but they certainly aren't going to grow as fast at 75 as they will at 80.

The HRP is a sexually mature fish, and growth will always slow when fish become sexually active. It's more noticeable in females, but it's true of males, as well.

clean water/large water changes, plenty of room, and good food. Young fish need higher protein foods, shrimp pellets/flakes or non-dry krill, for example. I don't know which NLS pellet you're using, but they are usually formulated for mature fish that eat less protein. Bloodworms aren't that great either, IMO.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

I'll grab some shrimp pellets when I'm out, and the temp of the tanks is 78-79. I'm using the NLS medium fish formula, as well as hikari bio gold on both tanks at this point, and I'm target feeding the texas with a bunch of the larger hikari pellets each day, twice a day. The HRP I'm working out a feeding plan because I don't want too many nutrients in the water even with the plants.


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## smitty (May 7, 2004)

Hopefully you did not get a bad strain from small parents. I don't think the size of your tank is an issue at this point because they are still small. Also I try to stay away from in breeding because I have had experiences where they seemed to grow a little slower.


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## Flippercon (Mar 5, 2011)

Chubbs my carpintis was a slow grower as well. It grew fast at first but once it hit 4" it slowed way down. I rehomed it a month ago, in the last year it grew 1-1.5". It lived with a salvini in a 75 and was fed Nls pellets the last year. This particular carpintis I believed to be a female but can not confirm that.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Good to hear that I'm not the only one who's carpinte grew very slowly, I guess we'll see what the future holds :fish:


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Well we're definitely going to find out about the Carpintis because I've got a 75 gallon now that I'm in the process of setting up.

You can follow the thread here
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... 79#1681879


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