# how many firemouth cichlids in 5x2x2



## alan_mary (Nov 9, 2012)

hi

I've recently set up our 5x2x2 as an amazon theme tank and currently have 8 albino cory's and 1 gold nugget plec

the tank was going to house a group of 4 geophagus altifrons which were wild caught and are really nice but with the max size topping out at 12" it kind of puts me off as i prefer to see the fish have some space to swim and not liking the crowded look

so was going to change to firemouths as they are really nice and colourful and topping out at 6" thought would be better

my question is could i have 4 firemouths in this size set up with the fish mentioned above and if i wanted would a coupke of wild swordtails go in there too or would it be best not too ?

thanks for any help info 

this is the tank


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## Azedenkae (Apr 19, 2012)

Yeah would be plenty of space for 4 fitemouths, you can do more if you want but 4 is fine. Also whatsoet of swordtail are you referring to? There's a number of fish referred to as a swordtail. If it's the green swordtail (the one related to platies), then unless you get full grown ones they may be eaten by the firemouths.


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## FishFanatic245 (Oct 17, 2012)

ya, i am pritty sure he means the platy relative, and i agree get adults, i got juviniles when my angels were about half grown and they still got eaten (angels have much smaller mouths that firemouths). do you plan on getting the firemouths when they are young or adults? and do you plan on breeding them?


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

alan_mary said:


> amazon
> 
> firemouths wild swordtails


Well, depending on species, Corydoras can be Amazon. But FM and sword tails, not even close, as you probably know. So no clue, what type of tank you are trying to make??

I think a larger group of FM can make a great tank...if enough space. Never tried to keep them with swordtails but many people have. Funny how many cichlid keepers are so against hybrids, but think nothing about keeping swordtais or platys which are undoubtebly hybrids of each other ....unless you can get wild caught.

IME, FM can be very aggressive but do not do well with really large aggreesive CA. IME, they may very well pick on Corydoras...though ther is no real way of predicting what will happen.


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## Azedenkae (Apr 19, 2012)

Well discus, platies, mollies, guppies, bettas, angels are all hybrids really, are at least a lot of them in the industry are.  Most people who keep them will be keeping a hybrid, only some who actually look will be keeping wild caught ones.

So yes lol indeed, it is funny to see someone going 'screw flowerhorns' when they have a tank full of hybrid discuss.

Anyways, besides the point. But yes, swordtails (platties) aren't really Amazon, but meh. Tho to be honest the reason why I say they won't work is because over the years I have gathered that in many ways the Thorichthys species are very similar, and whilst they may focus on different food sources,it's been known that they do settle for the same sort of food. My suggestion to keep them separate comes from experience, because my Ellioti (about 9cm in length) ate 5 of my flamebacks (all of which were 3-4cm in length) so that was pretty impressive, and I'd imagine Firemouths would do the same. Given that much of a swordtail is actually the tail and not the body, I'm sure that unless it's a large one, it'll get eaten.


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## alan_mary (Nov 9, 2012)

thanks for all the info and help 

ill give the swordtails a miss as they were never really in the plans to be honest and just to set the record straight i did mean the platy relative 1's 

on the other hand i know firemouths are not amazon fish the tank was originally for a group of 4 wild caught geophagus altifrons i was getting from a friend but after finding they grow to a possible 12"i figured the tank would look a little crowded so decided against and have always really liked the look of firemouths and they dont get too big 

it was just my understanding that you could only keep 1 pair in a tank but if 4 will be good thats the route im going to take  and on the same note lol anubias and java fern are not even amazon plants i dont think are they lol :fish:


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## alan_mary (Nov 9, 2012)

and forgot to mention i was going to have a go at breeding if poss but was going to go for 1 male and 3 females  would that work or would 2m 2f be better ?


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## Azedenkae (Apr 19, 2012)

I heard for firemouths 1m3f works best.


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## alan_mary (Nov 9, 2012)

well tank is now cycled and stocked

have

1 gold nugget plec
4 firemouths sex unknown
8 albino cory's

heres some pics


























rubbish pic of fish









and were it sits in room


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## FishFanatic245 (Oct 17, 2012)

the only thing i would change is move the table that is infront if the couch and put the tank there, lol. is the back also made to sort of display the tank? could you maybe turn of the room light (if it is on) and take a pic from the other side of the tank (the side the window is on)? what plants are those? anubias and java fern?


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## sweety (Jan 10, 2010)

Love that wood in your tank :thumb: Tank looks great & like where you have it. The Albino cory's will have a great time in your tank & will breed no probs in there. 
Could I ask where you are in the UK ? i'm 10 miles north of Newcastle


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## alan_mary (Nov 9, 2012)

cheers 

and im 30 miles south of newcastle 

the albino cory's were the wife's choice i would of went for sterbai :S lol

and the plants are anubias cofofolia and java fern 

and yea the tank is 3 sided viewing


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## alan_mary (Nov 9, 2012)

some more pics


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## FishFanatic245 (Oct 17, 2012)

very nice now that we can actually see the fish, lol. great looking tank


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## sweety (Jan 10, 2010)

Hi alan_mary your not that far away from me then  I'm sure the FM's are going to love your tank


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## MonteSS (Dec 8, 2008)

Nice tank. You may have algae probs with all that sunlight.

IME Firemouths are nasty SOB's once you get a dominant one. They are a pairing fish, and am not sure why people think they like groups. That tank may be big enough for the other two to hide, but you might get two pairs and be OK. All my Thorichthys species were not stay in a particular spot, but patrolled the whole tank looking for a fight.

...Bill


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## alan_mary (Nov 9, 2012)

thanks for the info 

if i do have problems i will just split them up and keep the pair, and im also already having algae problems i added a bunch of nerite snails yesterday and also got a trio of large green swordtails 1m 2f so thats the tank stocked now just hope for peace lol























































1 with the blue moon light


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## alan_mary (Nov 9, 2012)

just done my first water change taking out 70 litres and to my suprise found these

can anyone confirm if these are cory eggs ?


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

MonteSS said:


> They are a pairing fish, and am not sure why people think they like groups.l


One reason is that they are often found in the wild in large groups as adults.........unlike most other CA cichlids that are usually in groups only as juveniles (sometimes in groups that include a number of cichlid species).

A lot of people have had success keeping them in larger groups.....as aposed to the really aggressive, large CA that seldom work out well in groups, unless the tank is really huge.
I think the key is to have enough to make a larger group.......and even then, sometimes the conspecific aggression is too severe for it to work out well, depending on a whole range of factors.

Never kept a tank of FM myself; only amongst other cichlids. But i have kept convicts as a species tank for a number of years in my 180 gal. IME, female cons are definately more compatible then males. I use to have sub-dom males that had to hide 24/7 when they had eggs or fry, in fear of the dominant male. The dominant male was not interested in fighting females with fry or eggs.....but was more then willing to take any number of hits from a female, just to get that one shot in against a competeing male. It was not with out any problems, but worked OK, IMO. IME, a convict is a more aggressive species then FM......speculating, but IMO, if it can work out OK with convicts in a large enough tank, shouldn't be so different with FM (?).


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## sweety (Jan 10, 2010)

Yes those are cory eggs :thumb: If you want to save them you can often pick them off with a pair of tweezers & put them into another tank to hatch. The albino's are easy to breed so if your wanting to do that just PM me & i'll take you through it


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## MonteSS (Dec 8, 2008)

I get those on the glass and they are from the Nerites. I believe Nerites need salt water to successfully breed though.

...Bill


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## ahud (Aug 22, 2009)

I had a group of firemouths in a 125g (sadly it was short lived due to a disease). The key to keeping them in groups is to have at least 8+ and to provide plenty of cover. I will certainty try it again down the road. Rusty Wessel keeps all of his Thorichthys in groups.

It makes for an interesting tank if you can pull it off.

Very nice tank you have there. I like they layout.


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## alan_mary (Nov 9, 2012)

thanks 

just a few little pic updates on the tank

removed the spray bar for better flow added some more java fern and got a group of columbian tetra thinking about removing the swordtails as not keen :S

shot of the firemouths









the only time we have seen the plec lol









a snail lol









the tank









































the new moon light


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