# best tank mates for featherfins foai sibwesa



## ialtalal (Mar 12, 2012)

i am getting 2M and 6F featherfins foai sibwesa and i have a 125 gallon tank ready for them but i wonder if there is any good tank mates for them that i can add to the tank? any suggestions? thanks


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Cyps usually make a good tank mate.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

In my opinion, foai look best when they are on their own. That being said, if you want tankmates make sure that they aren't a species that will challenge the foai in any way. Stay away from more aggressive Cyps, such as Jumbo Kitumba. Smaller regular Cyps, Blue Flash, Utinta are the better choice. Smaller Xenos, such as flavipinnis or spilopterus wouldn't be a bad choice either. Even a pair of L. brevis could be mixed in.


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## Qaddiction (Oct 16, 2007)

You could also go with any Paracyprichromis, or a pair of Altolamprologus has worked well for me in the past.


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## ialtalal (Mar 12, 2012)

what about some cherry princess?


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

ialtalal said:


> what about some cherry princess?


Sure, they kind of fall in that spilopterus/flavipinnis group in my opinion.


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

I wouldn't put cherry princess in with anything except paracyps. Cyp Micros, Cyp Pavo, Non jumbp cyps and paracyps are all good tankmates for Foai.


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## Charles (Feb 25, 2003)

don't put any sand dwellers in with the foai. They should be by themselves.


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## ialtalal (Mar 12, 2012)

as far as breeding the fish? anybody here any tips that would help? i am planning to breed them. i am getting 1F0 male and 1F1 male and all the females are F1


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## Qaddiction (Oct 16, 2007)

Majority of the time my featherfins will dig their borrow at the ends of the tank. Maybe leave 12"-18" of open sand on both sides of their tank. The first thing to have when trying to breed these fish is patience. Sometimes they can take quite a while to mature, or settle in. Remember, this is a 9" fish so don't get excited when your 4"-5" fish aren't spawning yet. Some will show signs of coloring up and spawning at that size, but it's not a given. Make sure the foai are the king of the tank. Any other fish that might chase, or intimidate the foai will more than likely keep them from spawning and coloring up the way you expect them to. From there it's pretty easy. Clean water, good filtration, food, and it helps to have at least 1 male and 1 female! lol

Good luck. Foai are beautiful fish and well worth the wait once they color up and show signs of spawning.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Usually two males doesn't work out too well for the second male. Keep an eye on things, and be prepared to put the second male in another tank. A third male would increase the probability of keeping more than one male.


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## ialtalal (Mar 12, 2012)

anybody got pics for their fish? i was reading when you have a wild caught male they usually just stay stay gray and never color is this true?


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## pellegrino (Jun 9, 2012)

I have a 8 furcifer kigoma, all about 3" and are starting to color up. I know for a fact I have at least two males. They are in a 55 gallon tank right now and have created pits on each side of the tank. They are in with 4 xeno flavipinnis "crocodile island" and a group of syndontis petricola. I will be moving them into a 180 or 245 gallon in July, and plan on adding 12-15 paracyps or micros, and trio of alto goldhead.


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## ialtalal (Mar 12, 2012)

pellegrino said:


> I have a 8 furcifer kigoma, all about 3" and are starting to color up. I know for a fact I have at least two males. They are in a 55 gallon tank right now and have created pits on each side of the tank. They are in with 4 xeno flavipinnis "crocodile island" and a group of syndontis petricola. I will be moving them into a 180 or 245 gallon in July, and plan on adding 12-15 paracyps or micros, and trio of alto goldhead.


wow thats sound like its going to be a great tank wish i had more space for something this big?


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## Creepy85 (Aug 26, 2009)

Fogelhund said:


> In my opinion, foai look best when they are on their own. That being said, if you want tankmates make sure that they aren't a species that will challenge the foai in any way. Stay away from more aggressive Cyps, such as Jumbo Kitumba. Smaller regular Cyps, Blue Flash, Utinta are the better choice. Smaller Xenos, such as flavipinnis or spilopterus wouldn't be a bad choice either. Even a pair of L. brevis could be mixed in.


Indeed


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## pellegrino (Jun 9, 2012)

pellegrino said:


> I have a 8 furcifer kigoma, all about 3" and are starting to color up. I know for a fact I have at least two males. They are in a 55 gallon tank right now and have created pits on each side of the tank. They are in with 4 xeno flavipinnis "crocodile island" and a group of syndontis petricola. I will be moving them into a 180 or 245 gallon in July, and plan on adding 12-15 paracyps or micros, and trio of alto goldhead.


My ratio might be getting closer to 5 males now, a lot of action and color in my tank. What is the recommendation for pulling males? At what size do I pull them, and what would the best raio be with 3 females?


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

One of the best pieces of advice I have ever received on here was, "no more than two males Furcifers in a six foot tank".
Of course I didn't take the advice and ended up with some pretty beat up males.


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## SupeDM (Jan 26, 2009)

another thing to consider is non cichlid tankmates. I had a couple clown loaches in with my furcifers and it didnt work out well had to move them. When they get down to breeding it is in my opinion not wise to have anything else in with them.


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