Paretroplus lamena/nourissati question

[freshwaterfishfan]

Hi, this is a question to your Madagascar experts:

I am thinking about buying 6 Paretroplus lamena/nourissati. I would put them in a 75 G. Is that going to be too small for a pair? I know they are quite aggressive and I have plenty of tanks to disperse them too, but I don't have anything bigger than a 75 in my fish room at the moment.

Thanks
Steve

[duanest]

They are very aggressive with each other. I found even in a 150 gal tank, my 6 would try to kill each other.
I kept them with menerambo and central Americans, when the tank was crowded, they were more well behaved than when I tried to keep them as a species colony.

[freshwaterfishfan]

That is my big worry. I have other CA/victorians I could stick in with them as dithers. Did you ever get a pair to form out of your 6?
Steve

[duanest]

I did get a pair, they spawned 3 times, but I never got viable fry.
This is a blurry phone cam pic as spawning started.

Can't remember who killed who later that night.
The lamena seem to want to search each other out, so lots of hideouts to break sight lines are needed even with dithers.
I believe a power head for heavy current also helps.

[sidguppy]

where is it that you can buy this fish?

on this side of the pond it is extremely rare.
are you both located in the US?

[Sébastien Bochenko]

Young near Paris (France)

[freshwaterfishfan]

Thanks for the advice. I think I am getting 7 of them. Young fish. I'll start them in a 75 and let them grow and see what happens. I might be able to squeeze a 5 foot tank (100-125G) in my fish room if needed.
Any thoughts on why your spawn weren't viable? Did they eat the eggs?
Steve

[Marko Lenac]

I don't look a lot outside SA and CA but this fish amaze me!