# Emporer Cichlid.....



## mormodamballa (Feb 21, 2007)

Looking for any and all info and some home photo's of this fish. I have the option of buying one and would like to do some homework.
Thanks in advacne.
-Norm


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## Solchitlins (Jul 23, 2003)

They have some at highland tropical in White lake michigan.
I would guess 400 gallons might be needed for a full grown pair.


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## Guest (Dec 11, 2008)

I would suggest a minimum 3ft wide tank, and minimum 9ft long and minimum 2ft tall.

These guys get 3ft long and need huge tanks... They also unlike other cichlids swim (and easily do it as well!) all over the lake so they need a decent amount of swimming space.

And personally, I would not keep more than two in the same tank (a male and a female pair). Unless you are going to keep them in a monster tank like over 1,000 gallons two is the limit in my opinion...

And anything else in the tank would likely get eaten or killed... They aggressively defend their nests and young and are pursuit predators in the wild...if they don't catch their prey immediately they chase it down...

One more thing worth noting, I heard that the pair dies after caring for the young from not eating but that it can be avoided by removing the fry. I'm not sure if that is true or not...it's just what I heard.

~Ed


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## Furcifer158 (Feb 16, 2008)

they really are not a very good cichlid to get just do to there size. but hey if you have a huge tank to put them in do it. I would get some if i had a tank big enough. there so cheap to here. $10 for a 5 inch fish.


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## fiupntballr (Jul 7, 2004)

I would love to drop some into a tank at Bass Pro Shop


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## Chris2500DK (Feb 15, 2006)

Marduk said:


> One more thing worth noting, I heard that the pair dies after caring for the young from not eating but that it can be avoided by removing the fry. I'm not sure if that is true or not...it's just what I heard.
> 
> ~Ed


Would you want to stick your hands in the tank trying to get the fry from a pair of highly aggressive 3 foot cichlids though?


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## Guest (Dec 13, 2008)

Chris2500DK said:


> Marduk said:
> 
> 
> > One more thing worth noting, I heard that the pair dies after caring for the young from not eating but that it can be avoided by removing the fry. I'm not sure if that is true or not...it's just what I heard.
> ...


I'd wear chain mail sleeves or net the adults out first XD.


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## seerstower (Nov 13, 2008)

I own this incredible book by Angel Fitor with the most insane pictures of everything in the lake including Emperor's. See his webpage for an idea: http://www.seaframes.com/tanganyika/


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## mormodamballa (Feb 21, 2007)

Thanks for your input to all
I currently have the 7" Emperor in a 75 gallon by itself. I am in the process of buying a house and will have a basement that is unfinished and ready for me to expand my hobby.

some Questions I have-
1. What is the growth rate that some have expierenced with this fish? i.e. Reaches 3ft in 5 years or reaches 3 ft in 2 years.

2. Is there a way to determine sex without venting?

3. How aggresive is one fish compared to haveing a nesting pair?

4.Is there anyone here that has first hand expierence raising these fish here or do you know someone?

5.What tankmates have you had with this fish?

thanks in advance for your time.
-Norm


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## Guest (Dec 18, 2008)

I have no experiences with them but from what I have been told they are one of the fastest growing cichlids... You can probably expect him to be over a foot long in a few weeks.

It will definitely reach 3ft by 5 years...maybe by 2 years too (have no idea, and I am not sure anybody has kept them long enough to know themselves).

I don't think there is a way to determine their sex other than venting. But their ventral pores would be so large though it should be pretty obvious in my opinion to figured it out.

They'd likely eat any tankmates 12" or smaller...maybe even larger...so I doubt they'd tolerate tankmates.

The only problem I see with having a nesting pair is the male and female pairing off. With so few people keeping them in captivity I have no idea how easy it is to have them pair off or if they'd just kill one or the other or what. They'd probably be even more aggressive though as a pair...did you ever see the National Geographic video where they tossed an at least 15 pound turtle away from their nest?

Hope that helps...

~Ed


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## the_evil_dickfeldi (Feb 17, 2006)

mormodamballa said:


> Thanks for your input to all
> I currently have the 7" Emperor in a 75 gallon by itself. I am in the process of buying a house and will have a basement that is unfinished and ready for me to expand my hobby.
> 
> some Questions I have-
> ...


I'd just like to share my experiences....

1: Mine had a growth rate of MINIMUM 1.2cm a WEEK! Very fast! And it wasn't like I was power feeding either! And loved swimming around the entire tank like a shark, when he was 2 inches long!

2. Sorry....My experiences with a juvie only  But I'd think the males would be more aggresive.

3. I'd say VERY different. Even if one fish is very aggresive, how I'd put it is that a breeding pair of these fish would probably be the most aggresive of all cichlids.

4. Somebody here in Korea seems to have bred them with a small wild pair(By small I mean 20"~22"  But I could be wrong) There are lots of fry around, but their price and adult size discourages most from buying them. Sorry you can't come to Korea..... 

5. Tankmates....I guess I was a bit lucky on this side. When I got mine, he was a tiny 1.5 inch smelt. I put him with my Tropheus duboisi and Tropheus sp. Red, thinking that since I was feeding NLS, the aggresive little snot wouldn't have any problems. I was.....right! Co-existed very well with the tropheus! I must have had a more peaseful one. Sad I don't have him any more 

But mine was a baby. The adult ones I saw(Including the afformentioned pair) used to live in a 10 foot tank with about 25+ WC Mobas, some giraffe catfish, and some huge butterfly koi. Maybe size and quantity oppresed their aggresive issuses. Eventually the fronts were all sold and they lived only with the catfish. Still okay. But when the tank had to be used for a different purpose, they got moved to a 5 foot cube. Bad. The dominant one would ram the others, and their escaping and jumping rumbled the tank walls and lid. Talk about aggresive!

So, I would conclude that adding tankmates is a risky task, not help by the fact if they don't like newcomers they could injure it badly in moments.

PS: Is your Emperor doing fine by itself? I had mine for 2 weeks during the last days of being with me in exactly the same conditions(72 gallon alone) And he would sulk, only hesitantly feeding. I guess yours is a more outgoing one?

Ted


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## mormodamballa (Feb 21, 2007)

He is very normal, swims freely and when it's feeding time acts just like anyother cichlid always ready for more. Thanks for the info.
Anyone else?


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## Jason S (Feb 7, 2003)

There's a shop here in the Cleveland with 3 of them in the 24-30" range. Housed in huge acrylic cube tanks. Had a pair together for sometime, female conditioned but never spawned; male could be unpredictable. They vigorously [BITE] defend the entire aquarium.


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## mormodamballa (Feb 21, 2007)

So jason S did they have other tankmates then?


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## Jason S (Feb 7, 2003)

Only as food.


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## mormodamballa (Feb 21, 2007)

Lol, I see.


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## mormodamballa (Feb 21, 2007)

Anyother thoughts or expierince?


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## myselfdotcom (Sep 19, 2006)

watch the Crown of Jewel Lake of Tanganyika Documentary..they show a pair of breeding Emperor ! They took a turtle out!


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## Josh_McFadden (Jul 5, 2004)

If you are interested in finding some information Contact Spencer Jack. He has a breeding pair and knows allot about the fish. He is a forum sponsor. www.cichlaholic.com

He should be able to help answer your questions.

Josh


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## bigsloe (Nov 16, 2006)

yea... go to youtube.....type in lake tanganyika part 2........ like myselfdot com just said...they battle this giant turtle until it has nothing left....theyre batch of babies is gigantic....they say that only 1 in 10,000 will make it back to where the parents were...im assuming in size.. awesome video....everyone should just watch all 4 parts...nothing boring about it.....especially the catfish that drops eggs by breeding cichlids so they pick them up. what an amazing ecosystem.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Apparently they do not die in captivity after breeding (unlike in the wild where they die after prolonged looking after of the young and not feeding during this time) and can produce more than one batch. Perhaps because the young are removed, just like in the wild if the young are lost to predation, they have extra goes at producing young.
I assume you have read this?
http://www.cichlidae.com/article.php?id=89 reports I think of their first breeding successfully in a tank, 1993-1994 ish
Very large tank (850 litres, = about 225 US g eventually used in this case after the 8 became two (three survived the growing on and pairing I think)) needed I think.
I have a 225 US g aquarium, it looks far too small to me. :-? 
Perhaps a tropical pond or vat would be a better/cheaper choice?

All the best James


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## mormodamballa (Feb 21, 2007)

Thank you all, I have seen those video's and also the article on the succesful breeding. There is some helpful information there.

I am looking more for first hand information on peoples expierence with them in there own tanks.

Any thing else out there that you all have run across?


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