# BV...to Florida?!



## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

First off, the wife and I---along with all our wonderful critters, of course---are going to be moving down to Florida in December (her work has relocated us there). How does this concern my tanks, you might ask? Well...as far as cichlids go...I've only got one Central American (male salvini) and one South American (oscar). They're both getting bigger, but their 'shared' 75 gallon tank most certainly is not!

And it is beginning to show as of late, which is why I've decided to find a new home for the 6" salvini---hence the reason he no longer appears in my sig. Let me give you a bit more of an in-depth rundown on what's been happening with the oscar and salvini...

They've been 'posturing' at one another a lot more lately. Seems like Triton (my tiger oscar) simply doesn't have much tolerance for any other cichlid tankmates. Salvini has kept to minding his own business for the most part, but I can't blame him for getting a little testy when Triton is only giving him a corner of the tank.

It's not like Triton is all-out attacking the sal or anything, but he'll constantly lurk above him with that menacing oscar stare of his and then charge in if the sal takes too long to go and hide. Overall, I just think it's in the best interests of both these guys to be separated before they push each other over the brink.

Were it not for this, I'm almost certain I'd be taking the sal with me down to Florida in December. But as it stands now, I just don't know that they'll co-exist amicably enough in the meantime. And besides, I'll have to wait until I'm actually in the new place to determine whether or not I'll have room for the 125 gal.+ tank I've been wanting...hehe...

That's all for now, folks.
More CA (and SA) cichlids in my future though, me hopes...
BV :wink:


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## ArcticCatRider (Jul 13, 2007)

Man, Sucks you hadtorehome the Sal. He was beautiful! But, sometimes, gotta do what ya gotta do. Where you movin' to in Florida? (PS, There's always lots and lots of big tanks for sale around in Fl. cheap too!)


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## Nathan43 (Jul 9, 2007)

I am envious of the person that got your sal...


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## terd ferguson (Jul 31, 2007)

Well on the bright side, in FL, you can catch your own CA/SA's.  I've seen some awesome Red Devils and jags come from the canals around Miami. Good luck with the move. :thumb:


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## xalow (May 10, 2007)

Isn't Florida warm enough to have a cichlid pond? Just throwing that idea out there. Depending on where you are living it may be possible to house your sal in a new gigantic hole dug by you right by your brand new home.


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

Thanks guys!
We're moving to Gainesville, in the north-central part of the state.

The sal is actually still in my tank as I work out the details with his future keeper.
We'll be in an apartment for at least the first year or so, which means no pond for me even if I wanted one---gotta watch out for them gators! But it's like terd said, I can probably go out and catch some CA/SA cichlids on my own down there! And even if I can't, I'll still be a heck of a lot closer to where they originate, that's for sure. Whether or not that'll translate into better LFS selection is a whole different story though, I'm sure... :-?

Well, here's to hoping we don't get snowed-in as we're about to leave! opcorn: 
BV


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## myselfdotcom (Sep 19, 2006)

hi look at the bright side..you can collect cichlid of the streams or creek! jealous!


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## SYcichlid (Jul 14, 2005)

Well let me the first to welcome you to FL....I live about 1hr from Gainesvile. I've never been there so I can't tell you what the town looks like but it is home of the Florida Gators so I hope you like your football.


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

You'll have to let me know how you like it down there BV. I'm planning to move to Orlando in about a year once I'm done with school and get my A&P licence.

Good luck with the move , you'll like it much better that Nebraska especially in the winter :thumb: .


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## lil mama (Nov 24, 2007)

Welcome to Florida BV! I'm south of Gainesville by a couple of hours. I think it still gets cold enough there, for a few days in the winter, that you would have to worry about a outside cichlid pond. I have thought about making our swimming pool a cichlid pond 8) :drooling: The kids wouldn't like me much. Any way when you get down here if you need any convicts let me know. :lol: I have all the convicts you need! Gainesville is a very nice town. Big with a small town atmosphere. Except when the Gators are playing.
Welcome to Florida to you to Joel. I'm 30 minutes north of O town. Orlando is a great party spot. It's just all the tourists. :roll: Oh and expect road construction ALL THE TIME, EVERYWHERE.


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

Thanks very much for the warm welcomes, guys & gals. 
I'll definitely keep everyone updated about how we're enjoying life down in Gainesville. We were down there for the better part of a week back near the start of August, and we both loved it there---well, at least based on what we saw in the short time we had there.

Hehe, and it looks like a bunch of us are gonna end up being 'neighbors'...we'll have to maybe see about arranging a meetup or something. Maybe a 'collecting trip' in someone's pond, lol. 

BV


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## FLGirl1977 (Jul 24, 2007)

Welcome and I hope you enjoy it here! Let me just be the first to say that if you live in South FL you most definitely can have your cichlid pond, but unfortunately in Gainesville, no... We live in SW FL and the weather here is perfect in the winter! :thumb:

It still gets cold in Gainesville, it can snow there. Granted, much warmer than Nebraska, but definitely not the tropics. :wink:

Good luck on your move and keep us posted!


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

Thanks Renee...we've got some relatives in Cape Coral too! :thumb: 
It's good to hear that we won't be boiling to death all year long. I've read that the January average high temperature is about 65 degrees F, so that'll be good---our pug will love the cooler weather, lol.

On the fish end of things...well...I'm already trying to plan for a 6-foot tank...
Hopefully the wife agrees that there's gonna be enough room for one once we've gotten settled in! We'll be renting at first, so it won't be a permanent place, but at least the tank will be on the ground floor---and our next move will be local, so it should be doable. (I'll save the 8-footer idea for when we move into a house after a year or two  ).

My 75 gal. will have the tiger oscar and a leopard cactus pleco as its final stocking.
IF I get a 6-footer, I'll start with all juvies and have a CA/SA community of sorts. I'm thinking maybe something involving a Texas...not sure what else though. Maybe JD, and probably a convict. Who knows what else...?

IF for some reason I can't get a 6-footer, I'll probably opt for another 75 gal...not sure what I'd put in it though...

Obviously I've got some stocking plans to work on!
BV


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## lil mama (Nov 24, 2007)

This is a great time to buy a home here in Florida. Prices have dropped a lot in the past year or so. They may drop a little more but they have mostly leveled off. 
If you get the chance, go to Silver Glenn State Park. It's a natural fresh water spring off Lake George on the south west side. The water is crystal clear. Wild shiners 10 to 12 inches long and Bass big enough to eat them. There are all kinds of fish, the water is so clear and you can see and swim with Bass longer than your arm. Huge schools of Needle Nose Garr swim up the run too. It's also a great place to BBQ and party.
I might have a pair of Green Texas if I get fry from them you're welcome to some. They are still small, only 2 and 3 inches. I'm pretty sure I have a male and female.


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

lil mama said:


> I might have a pair of Green Texas if I get fry from them you're welcome to some. They are still small, only 2 and 3 inches. I'm pretty sure I have a male and female.


Thanks for the offer...I just may end up taking you up on that... :thumb:



lil mama said:


> This is a great time to buy a home here in Florida. Prices have dropped a lot in the past year or so. They may drop a little more but they have mostly leveled off.


We had a realtor drive us around and show us about 10 properties in one day.
They were a little above our price range, but for what they are I think the prices were quite reasonable. We'll get back in touch with him when we're ready to purchase (probably some time in 2010).



lil mama said:


> If you get the chance, go to Silver Glenn State Park. It's a natural fresh water spring off Lake George on the south west side. The water is crystal clear.


Definitely will do!
Sounds like one heck of a place! One thing I'll be doing for sure is hunting for crayfish for my collection. Do alligators present a problem for this sort of activity? (you know, picture me kneeling down in about a foot of water, facing the shore---and oblivious to what's happening behind me---all whilst holding a net in one hand and lifting rocks/vegetation in the other) 

BV


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## lil mama (Nov 24, 2007)

:lol: LOL :lol: No the gators don't usually swim down the run from the lake. A small one might get in but remember they are more afraid of you than you are of them. :roll: That's what they say.....I seriously doubt an 8 foot gator is more scared of me than I am of it. But really, there are so many people around in boats that the gators stay out of the spring area. There is a time of year, later in summer I believe, that the crawdads run and you can catch them all over. Is a crawdad the same as a crayfish?
If you buy a fixer upper and need new cabinets and counter tops just let me know I can get you wholesale pricing on....... NICE, NICE...... cabinets, granite etc. for a fraction of what a retail would cost you.
Any time on the Green Texas...that is if I can get them to breed. They are at least getting along now. They joined forces against a bigger male Convict. Don't get mad at me if a stray Convict gets in the bag with the Texas. :lol:


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

Okay lil mama, I'll keep all that in mind.
I'll probably just communicate with you via PM or something so I don't get a scolding here from TFG for getting a little off-topic, lol. 



lil mama said:


> Any time on the Green Texas...that is if I can get them to breed. They are at least getting along now. They joined forces against a bigger male Convict. Don't get mad at me if a stray Convict gets in the bag with the Texas. :lol:


LMAO...okay, I won't...but I can't promise it won't become oscar food...

Any other thoughts on possibilities for stocking a 125 gal. in addition to the Tex?
BV


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

Viejas' , dempseys, snooks, bocouti, theraps lentiginosus, either of the tomocichla species, amphilophus robertsoni. I would think any of those could hold their own with Triton.


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

Thanks Joel, but my oscar Triton is gonna stay in his current 75 gal. tank alone.
I'll be adding a leopard cactus pleco once I've moved, but ultimately I don't want him housed in with other cichlids---he's got more than enough personality on his own to be kept as a wet pet. 

Once I'm in Florida, I'm hoping to get a 125 gal.
IF that is too big for the place (according to the wife anyway), I'll get a 75 gal.

Assuming I get the 125 gal., my plan will be to start with a group of juvies:
-Texas cichlid
- ?
- ?
- ?
etc...

BV


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

All of those would work, I just assumed you were gonna give triton a little more "leg room" and a buddy or two. Considering your looking to house a Texas with whatever else ends up in there, I'd do a Vieja of some sort , a bocourti, possibly the Robertsoni, or anything else that has a little size to it and enough attitude to hang in there if the Texas decides to get rowdy. Texas are cool fish but my experience with them has been far from cool. I've never had one that didn't try to kill all of its tank mates even as juvies. It's like they're part pirrana :? .


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## lil mama (Nov 24, 2007)

Are Green Texas equally as mean as regular Texas? How do you tell a male from a female with the Green Texas? Do the females have a dark blotch on the dorsal fin like the regular Texas? How big do they have to get tell their sex? Sorry BV for all the questions I'm just trying to figure out what I have. The small one 2" has a dark blotch that is there most of the time but sometimes it's not. :-? But man these fish have amazing color!
Oh and BV is a crawdad the same as a crayfish? The kind you find here are reddish brown in color. They look like the little grass shrimp when they are small. When they hatch you can net hundreds of them in the grass at the edge of the river.


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

LMAO...sounds like a tank with a big Texas cichlid attitude in there oughta be fun to watch!
But yeah, I understand what you mean Joel...not so much fun when it goes postal and kills everything else in the tank. :?

Hmm...
Well, I'm a big fan of convicts too.

Wonder what would happen if I had a spawning pair of Texas and a bunch of convicts in a 125 gal.?! Is that just asking for trouble? 

See, I prefer to have a lively tank with some personality and attitude in there...



lil mama said:


> Oh and BV is a crawdad the same as a crayfish?


Yes...and sorry, I meant to answer that earlier for you.

BV


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

Hmmm pair of Texas and a bunch of cons, well there would certainly be enough personality in there to make things exciting. Particularly when spawning. IMO it would be more like borderline mayhem, but I think it could work. Lots of hiding spots would be a must though even with a 6' tank.


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

Let's say I go for a Texas pair and a bunch of convicts...here's how I'd do it:

-add ALL juvies at the same time (5 or 6 Texas cichlids and ~8 convicts)
-remove all unpaired Texas cichlids once an obvious spawning pair is established

This would leave the Texas pair, along with 2-3 pairs of convicts.
Actually, I'm thinking it might be best to keep 2 male cons and 5 or 6 females.

Any feedback?
BV


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

Sounds good except I'm not real sure how the unpaired females would hold up. Still with enough hiding spots it should work. I think. Really I've never kept more than one pair(of cons) in the same tank cause one pair has always been more than enough for me :lol: .


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

Okay, so let's consider that plan to be locked in as one of my possible options. :thumb: 
(and remember, guys...I'm brainstorming this stuff months in advance, so nothing is set in stone---I'm really still not sure what I'll do)

Moving on...
I really like the look of female _festae_---something with her as the centerpiece fish might be cool. Not sure how much room that'd leave for other cichlids though, and I'm not sure which species might be compatible...:-?

Thoughts?
BV


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## lil mama (Nov 24, 2007)

I love the female Festae, their color is awesome. I hear their a pretty mean though. When you go to look for your 125g let me know I might be able to get you the same deal from my LFS as he gave me. 125g All Glass with Versa Tops and lights for $400. This is in black I think oak might be a little more. He was going to charge me $460 but gave it to me for $400 cause I buy so much from him. Sometime you can get a better deal on Craigs List but sometimes people want so much for their used stuff you may as well go new.


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

lil mama said:


> I love the female Festae, their color is awesome. I hear their a pretty mean though.


Yup, and that'd be my main concern...especially with a fairly sizeable fish like that. :?



lil mama said:


> When you go to look for your 125g let me know I might be able to get you the same deal from my LFS as he gave me. 125g All Glass with Versa Tops and lights for $400. This is in black I think oak might be a little more.


Wow, that's a good deal.
Matter of fact, that's what I paid for my 75 gallon tank/stand combo with versa tops/lights.
Black works for me too! I'll definitely keep in touch...thanks, lil mama. 



lil mama said:


> Sometime you can get a better deal on Craigs List but sometimes people want so much for their used stuff you may as well go new.


Exactly! It'd have to be a pretty darn good deal for me to go with used stuff.
Plus, I like the added peace of mind in knowing things are covered under warranty in case something goes wrong---not to mention having a friendly LFS owner on your side can make life much easier as well when it comes to 'cashing in' on manufacturer warranties, etc.

So, about that female _festae_...opcorn: 
BV


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

Where's the mods to move this to the south american section eh??? Festae ... jeez. 

A female festae would make a killer 12" red showpiece in that tank *BV*, pun intended. Festae are odd in the fact that when compared to other south americans (except the umbie and maybe a Xingu 1 pike), they are mean sob's. But when compared to the most aggressive central americans, they usually get killed.

Depending on the festae you end up with, it could be relatively mild and could go with other large mild fish like pikes, brasilinesis, robertsoni. The last two's blue would stand out even more next to the red of the festae.


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

dwarfpike said:


> Where's the mods to move this to the south american section eh??? Festae ... jeez.


LMAO...you're probably right though!  
I was thinking it'd probably be in a tank with a bunch of CA, but maybe that won't be the case after all. If I were to do it, I just might end up going with some of those others you mentioned instead, such as A. robertsoni and G. brasiliensis... Of course I have yet to see any of those (aside from maybe the brasiliensis) in the stores here, but maybe the ones down in Florida will have better selection...

Good point about the festae red contrasting against the blue of those other guys...it'd look awesome!

Thanks dwarfpike! 8)
BV


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

I deffinately prefer biotope style tanks with regards to fish at least, plants I just go with what grows for me. But display tanks sometimes have to be prettier due to our sig. others, so the best way I've found for that is contrasting colors. For example, once I get my two empty tanks up and open up my 38 gallon, I'll turn it into a yellow nano tank. They give me the yellow, and I will use dwarf neon rainbows as dithers for the blue. Red rocks, black sand, plants for green. It makes it pretty (with sharp contrasting colors versus bleeding colors like orange) and more likely to get me more tanks. :thumb:


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

That's a great idea, and that setup sounds like it'll definitely be an eye-catcher.
Hopefully those rainbows will help fill out the upper portion of the water column too, because I know firsthand how empty the 38 gal. tanks look with only cichlids in them (unless of course they're angelfish).

You've made a good point about wanting the thing to be nice to look at...
My oscar tank has a more natural theme with the brownish gravel (although I may switch to black) and green (fake) plants, so for this new setup I'm wanting something a little different.

With the first plan I talked about (Texas/convicts) I was thinking about maybe doing a black and white mix of gravel and using some of those black glossy-looking 'moonrocks' or whatever they're called. Black/silverish fake plants could be used for 'lines-of-sight breaks' and creating territories as well.

The more I think about it, the more I'm leaning toward the Tex/con plan...
BV


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

They were carpentis aye? The blues would look sharp, and can still contrast with the red of the festae. Carpentis don't tend to be quite as aggressive as cyano's ... the exception seems to the be the 'escondito' race. A pair of carpentis, a pair of cons and the female festae would look sharp over black sand. You would think convicts would be swallowed up over black sand/gravel, but mine showed more blues and other tiny differant colors than when over natural type colored gravel (same fishies, not differant individuals).


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

dwarfpike said:


> They were carpentis aye?


Well, lil mama generously offered some for if/when hers end up breeding.
But truth be told, I think I might actually be leaning toward cyanoguttatus---especially if I go the Texas w. a bunch of cons route (but shhh...don't tell her that, lol).  :lol:



dwarfpike said:


> A pair of carpentis, a pair of cons and the female festae would look sharp over black sand.


Now this is a case where I could see being more partial to the carpintis (did you hear that, lil mama?  )!
Could this reasonably be accomplished in a 125 gal. (which is 6 ft. long x 1 ft. wide, right?)?

How would you go about adding the fish?
Start out with 5-6 convicts and Texas and add a juvie female festae at the same time?
Or add in a few female festae and then just hang onto my favorite when it comes time to weed out the non-paired cons and Texas'?

BV


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

Becuase of how young/small both texas and convicts breed, in this case I would probably go against normal convention and put the red terror in first and let it get established ... then add the blue texans and convicts.

I think the mix would work, but in this case due to the aggression level of those two breeding cichlids, I'd want the female festae to have size and establishment first.

At least that's how I'd try it.

Other options could be a pair of texas and a pair of salvani in a 6ftx1.5ft tank (most 125's should be 18" wide).


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

dwarfpike said:


> in this case due to the aggression level of those two breeding cichlids, I'd want the female festae to have size and establishment first.


Makes perfect sense.
Assuming the cons and Texas I add are in the 2-3 inch range, then a 6-8" female festae oughta be about right?



dwarfpike said:


> 6ftx1.5ft tank (most 125's should be 18" wide).


Oh, okay...so the standard 125 gal. is 18" wide...good---that's what I was hoping! 

Texas pair with a salvini pair would be neat too, so I'll keep that in mind as well...thanks for mentioning it.

Here's the potential 125 gal. setups I'd be looking at (not necessarily in order of preference):
Plan 'A': Texas (cyanoguttatus) pair + a 'bunch' of convicts (most likely two pairs)
Plan 'B': A. festae female + Texas (carpintis) pair + convict pair
Plan 'C': Texas (carpintis or cyanoguttatus) pair + salvini pair

Wow, I'd say those are some pretty kick-a$$ setups if you ask me!
That gives me plenty to work with as the move draws nearer and I'm in a position to get the new tank.

Thanks a bunch for the help. :thumb: 
BV


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

> Assuming the cons and Texas I add are in the 2-3 inch range, then a 6-8" female festae oughta be about right?


That would sound about right. The only problem is festae tend to be slow growers, so you would need to get her and grow her out first, or pay extra for a larger, colored up female.

Those three all sound good for a central/mostly central tank. :thumb:


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

dwarfpike said:


> only problem is festae tend to be slow growers, so you would need to get her and grow her out first, or pay extra for a larger, colored up female


Ah, good point.
Haven't seen em' here locally...otherwise I might consider picking up a group of juvies and growing them out. But I suppose it doesn't matter, because I don't have enough room for that at the moment. And besides, I don't wanna take on anymore fish until after the move.

How long would you say a 2-3" juvie would take to reach 8 inches total length?

Here's what I'm thinking---IF for some sick and twisted reason my wife doesn't seem to think we have room for a 6-footer in the new place, I could always get a 75 gal. and grow out a group of juvie festae. Only problem is that we'll be living there (renting) for a year and-a-half before getting a house, and I'm worried the festae might get _too big_ by then.

Or would it? :-?
BV


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## BigJagLover (Oct 25, 2006)

Big vine if you got juvis they woulb make it to just about 6" in a year for the female and I would bet 8" max if she was by herself for the entire year. You kow becase of the whole big water thing. Most fish grow a lot better by themselves but luckily Festea are slowish growers. But be advised they will one day top out at more then likly 12" for your female. I'm sure you know this though. you are the type of fish keeper the hobby needs more of/ Do the reserach then buy the fish. B ythe way my spelling sucks so please forgive me.

good luck on the move and the new tank!!!!!


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

Thanks BigJagLover---that information helps. :thumb: 
BUT, in the end I've decided to go with the Texas pair + convict idea instead:

-Texas cichlid (_H. cyanoguttatus_) pair
-3 pairs of convicts

BV :dancing:


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## bell (Dec 12, 2005)

shoot me a pm when you get here, my wifey and i moved to ocala a few months ago (about 45 minutes south of gainsville).
i will be starting all over with a new giant tank once i get fully situated, i kept all my sump stuff from my many other setups at the old house in ohio......
it's awesome down here, we're just now getting into the dry season (you can set your watch to the rain durring the summer) and the weather will keep getting better and better through next year 

fyi.....a few of the big insurance companies are not taking any new homeowner policies, and some will be canceling +50,000 of them in early 2009 (state farm), also the rates for my 3 cars MORE THAN DOUBLED.....so be prepared for very high rates....
electric $$ isn't too bad, a tad more than ohio but not much, water is a bit more also but not too bad.....

and when "love bugs" get stuck to the front of your car remove them daily as their guts eat paint


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

Thanks, bell...will do!  
(feel free to PM me with any LFS recommendations in the area in the meantime  )

About my 125 gal. setup idea...
What would you guys recommend (if anything) as far as bottomdwellers?
(I'm thinking something that will be good at Tex/con fry-control without getting killed)

BV


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## bell (Dec 12, 2005)

i haven't found any good freshwater stores down here yet, everything has been saltwater......haven't searched gainesville yet, i'm currently tankless so it hasn't been a priority yet.
i can tell you that "aquatic ecosystems" is in orlando, if they have a retail store i'll be happy, they have ALL types of specialty stuff 
http://www.aquaticeco.com/


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