# 180 gal video and pics



## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

This is some video I took of my 180 gal. (6' x 2' x2') this morning, nov.22, 2008. The male dovii and female RT have 5 fry , about 2 weeks free swimming:

http://s192.photobucket.com/albums/z116/Bern-C/?action=view&current=fishnov2008298.flv

http://s192.photobucket.com/albums/z116/Bern-C/?action=view&current=fishnov2008300.flv

http://s192.photobucket.com/albums/z116/Bern-C/?action=view&current=fishnov2008299.flv


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## clgkag (Mar 22, 2008)

Nice setup. Keep us posted on how the fry turn out. Would like to see what that mix makes. Those Ps look like you sprinkled gold dust on then. :thumb:


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## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

A few pics of the dovii's teeth:




































A pic of one of the RBP's teeth:


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## maddyfish (Jul 23, 2004)

Interesting mix of fish. 3 guesses how the dovii's tail got chewed up


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## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

maddyfish said:


> Interesting mix of fish. 3 guesses how the dovii's tail got chewed up


It's a lyre-tailed strain of dovii :lol:

Actually, up until a month ago it was 4 guesses. R.I.P. "bonehead". Came back from out of town, and "bonehead' was dead all banged up. Don't know for sure exactly what happened, but more then likely the dovii killed him. He wasn't nicknamed "bonehead" for nothing. "Bonehead' was purchased at around 6-7", 3 years ago (sept., 2005) and always lived in a cichlid tank ever since. The other 3 were purchased at around 1", july 2006,( almost 2 1/2 years ago) and also have always lived with cichlids. They grew very fast; became larger then 'bonehead" this year. "Bonehead" was part of the RBP group, but a little less so. They were different strains of RBP, very different personalities; "bonehead" was less colorful with less red on his belly.

In comparison to other 3 RBP, "bonehead" was very lippy; fought with the cichlids a lot, but not nearly as "nippy" ---- not nearly as exciteable to attack a fish being chased from behind, like the other 3.

"Bone head" had a deformed head and mouth that got more deformed over time. One of his gill openings stuck out, and some gillplate and material that sorounds the opening had gotten chomped out in a piranah dispute; although he was generally much less involved in piranah disputes.

Chomped, rather then chewed, might be a better description of the dovii's tail, as whatever a piranah can get it's mouth AROUND, gets sliced right off (and devoured). Fin rays do grow back but never perfectly, as the new rays in the fins are branched. But usually the overall shape of the tail fin returns to normal. The split in the dovii's tail is permanent; been that way for almost a year now. The new tail growth got chomped, making the tail grow back in two direction, during a period of time when the dovii was harrassing the RBP frequently.

The tank has mellowed out considerably; generally very peaceful. What you see in the 1st video is generally the extent of the aggression in this tank, but of course that can always change, as tanks go through different phases. As long as the piranahs turn away and don't give the dovii too much "lip", the dovii seems content not too bother them much.

The dovii, was purchased at around 5", april 2006. He had been returned to the petshop after wiping out an entire tank ( no idea what size of tank or tankmates as i did not ask). He was very hyper and hyper aggressive at the begining. Innitially he went on a rapid growth spurt to a foot in a matter of a few months , but was long but very skinny. He was measured at 13" , last march. I doubt he is much longer then that but has put on a little weight since, particularily in the head. He has beeen a light eater, but the way he is eating recently, I'm sure he is about to go on another growth spurt.

RT was purchased at fry size, 4 years ago (dec. 2004). She has been a slow but consistent grower. She was measured at over 9" last march; the 3 RBP as well are 9" +.

After I purchased "bonehead", the RT has ALways lived with the RBP. Other then a couple months ( after the Tilapia zilli flipped out on the RBP, and the RBP had to be removed), the dovii has always lived with RBP since I purchasewd him.


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## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

clgkag said:


> Would like to see what that mix makes. :thumb:


Me too, I am very curious to see what this mix makes. Not too interested in most hybrids or crosses, but this is one I want to see how they turn out.

This is the second time I have had dovii X RT fry. The first batch, I kept 2, and were around 7" at 10 months old.

Late april, my 28 year old 180 gal. sprung a leak. The fish went into totes; some went into the 33 gal. To make matters worse, shortly after, the 33 gal sprung a super fast leak over night with 80% of the water on the floor. These fish then went into the totes as well , on top of what was already in there. This 33 was over 30 years old but had been re-sealed at least once. I was busy at the time, visiting my father in the hospital, who was dying of cancer. After the funeral in early may, i went out of town a lot for work, and when i came back home one week end to the smell of rotting fish: one tote went bad, with my T. zilli, the two hyrids ( RT x dovii), belly crawler, and a female con all dead. My male auratus survived in a 5 gal. pale with an air stone, but died as soon as he was put in a tank. I also lost a walmart male sal in one of the totes.

I bought a 75 gal. and a 29 gal, a while after.
I orderd a 125 gal., it was suposed to take 2 weeks to come in, but it took over 3 months. I re-fiberglassed the 180 gal., inside and out, including the metal frame ---- took me a whole weekend to do it, when I finally got around to it.

It was a major disaster; I lost 7 fish! But on the bright side I now have less fish ( or at least less big fish) and more then 200 gal. of extra space.

3 weeks ago, my 3rd old tank, a 27 year old 100 gal., sprung a leak! Good thing there was only BB fry in it, and they were easily transferred to the 29 gal. I could fix it ---remove the front glass and reseal it to the fiberglass box, but I'm just gonna put it in storage and buy a 5 ft. 120 gal., for now.

Anyways, in my breif 10 months with dovii X RT cross, at this early age, the fish exhibited traits of both fishes but seemed a little more like an RT.


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## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

this is a video of the dovii X RT pair with their 1st batch of fry, june 21, 2007:

http://s192.photobucket.com/albums/z116/Bern-C/?action=view&current=BerniesFish-June2007084.flv

These are some pics of the dovii X RT cross at around 5 months old:



























These are pics of the 2 I kept, measured at 10 months old. They turn black because of being scared and out of the water. They still had not colored up yet, and were a brownish colored fish but when looked at closely had LOTS of color underneath the brown, red dots etc. There aggressive colors were yellow and striped both vertically and horizontally.

















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## Burtle (Dec 25, 2004)

What a bunch of mean fish!
And here I thought cleaning the Midas tank was trouble... :lol:


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## George Walker (Nov 10, 2008)

Bernie, that is for sure a great tank. How do you do syphoned water changes with the potential for tooth marks on your hand? I had a red devil that drew blood eveytime I did a water change, and he was the only guy in the tank.


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## George Walker (Nov 10, 2008)

Bernie, that is for sure a great tank. How do you do syphoned water changes with the potential for tooth marks on your hand? I had a red devil that drew blood eveytime I did a water change, and he was the only guy in the tank.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

*bernie* has a pair of those shark proof, chain mail diving gloves for this tank!!! :lol:


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## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

dwarfpike said:


> *bernie* has a pair of those shark proof, chain mail diving gloves for this tank!!! :lol:


 :lol: No, I haven't needed that ----yet. The RBP are pretty scared of me and can get pretty skittish, during a water change. The dovii and RT stay in the caves but are never too scared or stressed during a water change ---- The RBP always try to hover in front of their cave ( safety in numbers?) even though the 2 cichlids keep pushing them away. Sometimes the RBP are in my way and I have too "shoe" them away ---- they run to the left side of the tank but come right back to the right side to hover close to the RT and dovii.

Yup, George Walker, I'm well aware that a large CA cichlid can draw blood. But large CA/SA often act a little different as lone specimens. Of course once the dovii get's a little bigger and older, it might be a different story. Dovii have a super high speed dart and are very powerfull, so i don't think i would be willing to get a hit from one :lol:

The RBP, I think will always be scared of me, though I certainly wouldn't stick my finger in front of their mouth, especially out of the water. My nets are all full of holes because they bite at what ever they can when they are caught in a net.


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## George Walker (Nov 10, 2008)

Sorry for that double post, Bernie. Knowing large cichlids as you do. Have you or does anybody know how a pair of Jaguar cichlids would do in a 70-100 ga. Probably just as a grow out tank,but could it be done?


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## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

George Walker said:


> Sorry for that double post, Bernie. Knowing large cichlids as you do. Have you or does anybody know how a pair of Jaguar cichlids would do in a 70-100 ga. Probably just as a grow out tank,but could it be done?


Sure, it is possible if your intention is to breed them. Jags can usually breed at 5-6".

In a 4-5 ft. 100 gal. you would have some time until you need a larger tank. Probably a few years.

Bear in mind that a pair is not usually compatible long term with out other tankmates; with out others to distract and direct some aggression elsewhere. It is quite common for males to kill females if they are the only 2 fish kept in the tank. In the wild, males and females often live together for the duration of a spawn, then once the fry are let go, it's goodbye, so long.

Never owned a male jag, but my female jag got 16" in my 180 gal. , at about 6-7 years old. Female jags can get very similar in size to female dovii. Male jags, of course, get a lot heavier and bulkier, as well as a little longer then female jags, though not USUALLY quite as big as male dovii can get, in captivity.


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