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[cichlidkid]

I have an empty 150 gallon tall, built into a bar, and am looking to get a group of wild Cyathopharynx Featherfins.WHICH ONE DO YOU RECOMMEND? Also what do you think about wild Kilesa or Xeno ochrogenys in with a large group of Cyathopharynx? This again is a 150 gallon tall, I am interested in either furcifer or foae. Any species you can recommend. Thanks

[Thomas Andersen]

This tank is 4 foot long, right?

Personally I think it's too small for Cyathopharynx, a 5 foot/150 cm tank would be the absolute minimum.

All the best, Thomas

[cyatide]

Hi,

I agree with Thomas about the lengh of the tank, but 150 gallon (around 600 liters, right?) could be enough, to me.

I have been keeping Cyathos for about 20 years now and IMO, with no doubt, the best choice are a group of 8-12 medium size (3-4 inch) tank-bred individuals for this species.

Wild caught Cyathopharynx very often arrive in quite bad condition and, even this is not the case, they take a very long time to settle in our tanks and to show their wonderful colours again.
In any case full grown males have often a short life in particular if they start again to have a sexsual activity.

Tank-bred ones start breeding very early and show their colours when they are only 4 inch (if there are not bigger specimens in the same tank) and they live much longer.
In the pic you can see a tank bred Sibwesa foae 4 (!) years old.

About the variant check in a good book a choose by your self, my favourite ones are the so called "green-copper" foae (Kabogo-Halembe-Karilani-Sibwesa), but all, furcifer included, are wonderful!

Last advice, Kilesa and ochrogenis Xenos are bottom oriented fish too, not good tank-mates for Cyathos.
Cyathos are better by themselves but you could try with a group of Cyprichromis leptosoma and a few little shell-dweller lamprologus.

Hope this helps you (and sorry for my English),

Paolo

[tanganyikanhunt]

I agree with Thomas about the tank size, a 5 foot tank is what they deserve. Anything smaller is basically putting a German Shephard in a shoebox.

I agree with Paolo as to wild C. Furcifer or Foai. Wild ones take a very long time to settle, if they ever do. When wild fish are collected they usually take the old ones so if you acquire large fish they won't live very long.

Paolo's fish shows you how beautiful these fish get.

This fish was hatched last year in about May:



Xeno's or Kilesa have no place in a tank of Cyathos. What happens is the dominant male Cyatho will build his bower and when one of the species you mention swims into his bower he will throw them out violently. MIssing eyes or just dead fish is often the result. These fish deserve more respect than that.

[cichlidkid]

I have already bought several small f1 furcifer and geuss what MALE heavy, so if i buy wild ones, like a box of 36, I bet I will be better off.My tank isnt big enough... OK, its a 150 gallon! People in this hobby have been saying this and that about keeping different fish together, but I have kept fish together that know one said I could. I spawned cyp jumbo kitumba with Red Saddle and ilangi,"I moved them to their own tank now". But you said tank raised thou, what if I was able to get a large number of one type of furcifer. Of course I will thin down the group but I was trying to get 2 males 10 female+. Remember people these are questions, so dont tell me about respect, the 150 gallon is empty right know! The only featherfin I have spawned was orange caps. Tell me what you think, if I have 36 wild furcifer, I bet I get some nice ones. Thanks

[AnGsThAsE]

Hi,
i dont know why you ask, if it is possible to keep Cyathos in an 150 gallon tank, if you have made your dission allready

[cichlidkid]

Hi,
i dont know why you ask, if it is possible to keep Cyathos in an 150 gallon tank, if you have made your dission allready

Really what is that decision cause I just cant remember! I havent made anything, but im really glad you responded, should i send a pic of the empty tank? It used to be a show tank. I just wanted to ask fellow hobbiests which cyatho was best, because I have been screwed to many times. I thought I could get the names straightend out.

[Thomas Andersen]

The important thing is that even if this tank contain a lot of water, the footprint is not very big. If I'm not mistaken, the footprint in a 150 gallon high measure 48 x 24 inches or 120 x 60 cm, which is really not much if you want to keep Cyathopharynx. Sure, you would probably have a displaying male, and succeed in breeding it, but the females and spare males will probably be pushed to the uppermost corner, not allowing them to enter the lower section of the tank. You will never see the full range of behaviour in a tank with these diminsions, of course it's your choice, but personally I think it would be waste of one of the most spectacular fish on the planet - they really deserve a tank which is better suited for them.

Why don't you consider some species that are better suited for a tank like this? You could have a group of some of the more robust sand-dwellers on the bottom, and then a nice group of Cyprichromis leptosoma, that could utilize the height in this tank?

All the best, Thomas

[Paulo José Alves]

Hi

I don´t see how a 120 cm aquarium could ever contain 150 gallons... It must be at least 150 cm.

[Thomas Andersen]

Isn't a 150 gallon tall/high 48 x 24 x 30 (L x W x H) inches = 122 x 61 x 76 cm?

[sidguppy]

that is a very odd tank if it has those dimensions.....

[tanganyikanhunt]

Let me make it even simpler. When we talk about the tank size it isn't about gallons. It is about floor space for your males to build a bower and attract females. That, after all, is the reason everyone wants to keep this species. The spectacular color that the male turns on is what everyone wants to see.

That being said, I can tell you from experience that one mostly grown male foai can and will build a bower 20 inches across and 5 to 8 inches deep. If you have the situation that I currently have with 5 males in a 5 foot long tank then you can understand I will have to remove some males. At the moment, although the fish are maybe 3 inches long, I have bowers everywhere. It looks like gophers got in there. By the way, these fish are at least F4, and have adult coloration at this size.

If you can get tank-raised fish and pick out a single male and four females this could work in your tank.

Best of luck!