A Thread for River

[Stanzzzz7]

Hi guys, sorry of I'm getting annoying...

This morning I noticed what looks like Rivers vent hanging out and I'm a little worried. I've been trying all morning to get a pic of her (try for 20 mins, fail, leave for half hour, try again). The one I've uploaded is the best I can get, you can see in the pic how stressed she is by the camera following her around so I don't really want to harass her any more if I can help it.

View attachment 1224902

It's hard to see in the pic but just in front of her anal fin is a bump thingy hanging down. There's no other fish in the tank with her, the water is clean (90% change done yesterday morning), she still eats well and swims normally and all the rest I'm just worried it may be something to be concerned about... Is it?

Thanks in advance guys.

That's perfectly normal and nothing for you to worry about at all.
If she was about to lay eggs it would be protruding a lot more than that.
The fish looks perfectly healthy.

 

[Kittiee Katt]

That's perfectly normal and nothing for you to worry about at all.
If she was about to lay eggs it would be protruding a lot more than that.
The fish looks perfectly healthy.

Awesome thank you!

The last cichlid I had was a male and I never seen anything like this on him so it worried me a little bit. It'll go back in by itself when she's ready then?

 

[Stanzzzz7]

Awesome thank you!

The last cichlid I had was a male and I never seen anything like this on him so it worried me a little bit. It'll go back in by itself when she's ready then?

Not necessarily, you may always be able to see it a little.
Don't be to alarmed if it protrudes more,she may even lay eggs even without a male to fertilise them.
It's all normal and nothing to worry about.

 

[Stanzzzz7]

Here are some of my old females,see the ovipositor hanging out? It's all normal.

 

[Kittiee Katt]

Not necessarily, you may always be able to see it a little.
Don't be to alarmed if it protrudes more,she may even lay eggs even without a male to fertilise them.
It's all normal and nothing to worry about.

She laid eggs when we first got her, that's how I know she's a she

If she lays more after being in my tank for three weeks that'll blow me out... If she lays eggs constantly I may have to go hungry for a month to get a tank big enough for a mate for her.... No, no I won't, I can't house thousands of baby terrors nor is there a big enough market down here for them for me to be able to get rid of them, and I can't kill a healthy animal... Hell I can't squash a mosquito let alone kill healthy fry lol

Those pictures bring a lot of piece of mind, they're beautiful btw! Do you think River will be that pretty when she's all grown up?

And may I ask how big/old they were? I'm worried River will hit the 8" mark and look crammed in her 4'x2'x2' tank...

 

[Stanzzzz7]

Those pictures bring a lot of piece of mind, they're beautiful btw! Do you think River will be that pretty when she's all grown up?

I don't see why not.I know from reading some of your old posts she will get the best of care.The rest will be down to genetics.

 

[Stanzzzz7]

And may I ask how big/old they were? I'm worried River will hit the 8" mark and look crammed in her 4'x2'x2' tank...

The females in my tank grew to around 6 inches
in just under 3 years.The were spawning a lot and that slows growth down a bit.Yours will probably grow a little faster than mine without breeding.I wouldn't expect it to grow much more than 7 inches.This could take a couple of years.

If you fancy a pair but don't want to cull fry,you could add some catfish that would eat the eggs during lights out, before they have chance to develop.

 

[Kittiee Katt]

I don't see why not.I know from reading some of your old posts she will get the best of care.The rest will be down to genetics.

The females in my tank grew to around 6 inches
in just under 3 years.The were spawning a lot and that slows growth down a bit.Yours will probably grow a little faster than mine without breeding.I wouldn't expect it to grow much more than 7 inches.This could take a couple of years.

If you fancy a pair but don't want to cull fry,you could add some catfish that would eat the eggs during lights out, before they have chance to develop.

I definitely wouldn't say the "best" of care, there are many people out there capable of providing her with better care than us. I just want to give her the life my Horrace deserved, which is much easier with a 6-8" fish than a 13"+ one

In order to give Horrace a tank that was at least 8x his body length long and 4x his body length wide would be a 104" x 52" tank and I don't really have that kind of room without getting rid of a bed or a couch... If River stays 6" she can (imo) live comfortably in a 4x2x2 with regular maintenance for life...

I was told Horrace would max out around 1' (if that) and it would take "years" for him to get there... Yeah it took "years" four short as hell ones and I had a small monster that was still (slowly) growing! By year five he was just over 13"!!!

As much as I'd love a pair as said above I don't have space for a tank large enough for a "larger" cichlid.. Well I do technically but that space is being saved for when my dollars get an upgrade, if she had of been a male she probably would of ended up sharing a tank with my dollars in the next few years... I don't think I like that idea, they were chew toys for five years I couldn't do it to them again.

Sorry for my bugging you, I love your tanks and your fish always look so beautiful so if you think I'm doing right by her then I must be.

 

[robham777]

That is a fine looking gt. Kudos for for not cramming everything you can or the biggest fish you can into a tank. I agree a single stunning fish in a tank is a good way to go.

 

[Kittiee Katt]

That is a fine looking gt. Kudos for for not cramming everything you can or the biggest fish you can into a tank. I agree a single stunning fish in a tank is a good way to go.

Thanks, I thought she was too, and apparently so did my hubby because we have her now.

I'm going to see if she'll accept my L397 pleco as a tank mate (giving him plenty of places to hide that she can't get too) when she goes in the 4' and if she doesn't mind him I might even save up and get him a friend or two (they're bloody expensive here!) but nothing else, she will be the star of the tank.