# Jumbo Cyps



## CichlidAndrew (Jun 29, 2005)

Are jumbo cyps too big for an 80 gallon. 48x18


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## Multies (Mar 9, 2007)

there are accounts of people keeping jumbos in smaller tanks.
i havent kept jumbos so im not sure.


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## 12pointer (May 30, 2006)

If you get them at a young age you should be able to keep them in an 80 for awhile. But as they mature it would be better to put them in a larger tank like a 125. Right now I have a young breeding group in a 90, and thier doing good, but I'm keeping my eye on them to watch for aggression. As soon as they start to act up I will move them to a larger tank.

Like Multies said some people do keep them in smaller tanks with success. but over time it will be more benifical for the fish to be in a larger tank.


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## TorontoRaptorsFan (May 20, 2005)

After keeping Cyprichromis Kitumba in larger tanks and in smaller tanks here's my advice.

If you want to breed them put them in a smaller tank. I had far better breeding results when I crammed my Cyps into 50g and 75g tanks. Once I moved them into a larger tank even after 5 months I've had no breeding success whatsoever! I've also spoken to several other breeders who have reported the same results.

If you end up putting the Cyps in a smaller tank make sure you have plenty of hiding places for the subdominant males. You will likely see the dominant male flare up all the time with his colors and fins trying to entice females to breed with them. If you place them in a smaller tank I would advise either doing shell-dwellers, O.Ventralis, E. Decampsi, or sand-sifters as tankmates. Or you can do a species only tank and let the females release the fry into the tank.


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## CichlidAndrew (Jun 29, 2005)

Well I am planning on shellies, goby pair, a calvus, a julie, maaaybe brichardi, then whatever cyps. I just dont know if jumbos would be a bad idea and if not how many I would need.


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## stslimited84 (Oct 5, 2007)

On a related note, not to hijack the thread, at what size do cyp's color up, and also start to breed?


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## CichlidAndrew (Jun 29, 2005)

I have heard that jumbos start at around 3 inches


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## stslimited84 (Oct 5, 2007)

hmm, i wonder if its the same for non jumbos, b/c thats what i have.


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## rrich741 (Apr 18, 2008)

i have about 18 in my 100gallon and there doing fine. plus i also have 15 almost adult tropheus with them. so i would say it is okay


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## Thao (Jan 30, 2006)

TorontoRaptorsFan said:


> After keeping Cyprichromis Kitumba in larger tanks and in smaller tanks here's my advice.
> 
> If you want to breed them put them in a smaller tank.


You must have some sort of trick, because *** seen jumbos in such tanksizes and the males killed each other (tanks had hiding places).
How many you put in 75 gallons?


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## triscuit (May 6, 2005)

I suggest that as crowded as your tank is with other tankmates, and that this is a show tank instead of a purely breeding enterprise that you stick with non-jumbo cyps. They get so much bigger than non-jumbos and have reputations of being meaner. I don't think you want to push your luck. :thumb:


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## TorontoRaptorsFan (May 20, 2005)

Thao,

In my smaller Cyp. Kitumba tanks I had some plastic plants in each corner of the tank for males to escape to if the dominant male got out of control. In my new 75g tank I'm also going to put some O. Ventralis in with them and get some breeding activity out of them as well.


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