# 33 Gallon firemouth tank?



## AdAndrews (May 9, 2009)

i hope to get a 33 gal, basically a 29 tall. so i was thinking about what fish i could keep and am intrested in firemouths, can someone give me a bit of info about them, are they easy to breed, realistically, i am looking at a pair in this tank i think, what decor would i need..

i have never tried to breed anything before,

ps. i wont be breeding for a profit, just for intrest really

thanks in advance


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## AdAndrews (May 9, 2009)

anyone have any clue?

will it be better for me to try something like endlers before i move onto cichlids?


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## Comic Sans (Apr 21, 2009)

I have a firemouth and a salvini (same size, but more aggressive) in a 29. With cichlids, the extra height isn't likely to make much difference. A pair should be fine, but if they do spawn I'd have a divider handy, in case the male gets aggressive trying to spawn before the female is ready.

As far as decor, driftwood, they might do ok with a planted tank, they might dig them up. Plastic plants would be fine. I am stuck with gravel unfortunately, which doesn't be a problem, but sand would be preferred.


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## Comic Sans (Apr 21, 2009)

Also, if you are planning on breeding, unless there is a LOT of tiny little structure there isn't likely anywhere for the fry to run once the parents decide to go again and they might all get killed off. I'd have a plan for the fry.


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## chrispyweld (Dec 20, 2005)

FM in my experience will seem to pair young but not actually spawn for some time. Be patient.


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## AdAndrews (May 9, 2009)

thanks people, any more info

because i am new to breeding, would you recommend i try something like endlers livebearers first?


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## Comic Sans (Apr 21, 2009)

I think as long as you have a plan for how to deal with fry and/or one of the parents if there's aggression, you'll be good to go. There's lots of threads with good advice.


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## illy-d (Nov 6, 2005)

If you are only doing this for interests sake I would say to plan on letting the parents cannibalize the fry... If it sparks you're interest and you want to continue to breed them and perhaps raise or grow out fry then a 2nd tank may very well be required - because as Comic Sans has already mentioned once they want to spawn again they will most likely go after the young...

Cichlids are way more entertaining then live bearers... With cichlids you actually get interesting behaviour - with my live bearers they just get fat, then have babies, then get fat again... I've never bred Firemouths so I don't know how difficult or easy they may be - but if you want something very, very easy you could start with Convicts - all the same requirements as the FM's but they are very prolific and you will get to see parenting behaviour in short order - gauranteed.


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## AdAndrews (May 9, 2009)

ok thanks guys, i have heard that firemouths are excellent parents, and that they will do anything to protect the fry, so they say i can raise them in the same tank, i have thought about convicts but spose i should have a look at them in person, they just dont seem very atractive at all on internet pics

thanks again-


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## AdAndrews (May 9, 2009)

ok... so what would i need to go convict breeding???


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## mok3t (Nov 28, 2008)

1 Male Convict, 1 Female Convict, and a puddle.


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## Comic Sans (Apr 21, 2009)

I honestly wouldn't go the convict route. They are a PITA to get rid of, it becomes a nightmare just keeping up with them. Eventually, it will be more hassle then it is worth. Unless you are breeding for feeders, I'd stay away. Plus, I agree, they generally aren't that attractive (with the exception of the pinks and the odd male)


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

firemouths are great parents, but as with most cichlids, if the fry stay to long the parents will look at the fry as unfit to survive in the wild, therefore "disposing" of them. which is guess in a way makes them better parents, looking out for the best interest, even if they do eat there own kids 

stay away from convicts unless you really like them, i keep them because they are my favorite pure bred cichlid, and i have a Rainbow Snakehead to feed all the fry to...

you will want them to eat the fry, which is why i would recommend staying away from neets (Neetroplus nematopus) and Convict (Amatitlania nigrofasciata). these are the only 2 species i have had that would spawn with existing fry there, your tank will become over stocked and you wont have any place to put the fry.


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## AdAndrews (May 9, 2009)

so you are saying that its good to get rid of the fry by letting other fish eat them?
if so what pred can i have in a 15gal that would do the job,

thats what i am thinking about convicts, they arent that nice, but i will have to look in my lfs next time i go in i suppose, what extra equipment will i need?


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## Comic Sans (Apr 21, 2009)

I assume in a 15g it's just fry and not the parents, correct?

There isn't much you can fit in there...and it doesn't really make sense to me to remove the fry from the main tank so that they can be eaten. A pictus or other carnivorous catfish in the main tank should do a pretty good job of wiping out eggs and small fry.


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## AdAndrews (May 9, 2009)

ok, its just i have been told by many not to keep anything else what so ever with breeding firemouths, as they can get extreemly agressive over their eggs

what do you recommend- i have thought about a pleco in the tank, but people have told me no.

please advise


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## Comic Sans (Apr 21, 2009)

Well, if we're talking firemouths again, and I presume you would like keep/rehome fry, then I would agree, maybe some dither/target fish, but nothing else. This will eliminate the risk of FM aggression and predation on the fry.

The suggestion to add other fish to a breeding tank is a poor one, EXCEPT to prevent being run over with con fry


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## AdAndrews (May 9, 2009)

thanks, what target fish would you recommend?

and i am also being told to try and get some wild caught firemouths, because they say the colours dont compare with that with tank bred specimins... wouldnt a target fish eat the eggs?


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## Comic Sans (Apr 21, 2009)

Well, they might. I had a spawn with some Tiger barbs - it was the parents first spawn and they didn't guard them well and the barbs went to town.

I have Buenos Aires Tetras right now, which have a reputation for eating plants, so I'd hope they wouldn't be as interested.


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## AdAndrews (May 9, 2009)

ok,

thank


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## AdAndrews (May 9, 2009)

ok,

thank


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