Amphilophus c. Grow Out Temperature

[platy21]

Wow amazing fish! That’s really impressive growth for a little over a year too.

Still have all seven right now and they’re doing well. Eating a ton and one Is becoming more interactive than the others. Comes right up to the glass and follows me back and forth when walking by the tank. Even if the lights out and it’s dark.

Going through some diatom blooms so increasing water changes and added some floating plants, just to see if it helps. Biweekly water changes, nitrate under 10.

 

[cich78]

Wow amazing fish! That’s really impressive growth for a little over a year too.

Still have all seven right now and they’re doing well. Eating a ton and one Is becoming more interactive than the others. Comes right up to the glass and follows me back and forth when walking by the tank. Even if the lights out and it’s dark.

Going through some diatom blooms so increasing water changes and added some floating plants, just to see if it helps. Biweekly water changes, nitrate under 10.

Thanks,..Looks as though you are doing all the right things I am somewhat of a chronic overfeeder so sometimes I Feed more often than I should but I definitely do not feed them a lot in one sitting i believe that is what pushed growth in addition..due to my feeding habits I am a fairly frequent water changer. So I do at least once a week sometimes twice.or more if I decide
I'm retired so I have the time lol

 

[platy21]

Thanks,..Looks as though you are doing all the right things I am somewhat of a chronic overfeeder so sometimes I Feed more often than I should but I definitely do not feed them a lot in one sitting i believe that is what pushed growth in addition..due to my feeding habits I am a fairly frequent water changer. So I do at least once a week sometimes twice.or more if I decide
I'm retired so I have the time lol

I can be too, definitely trying to hold back a bit with these guys. They are so personable and always at the glass ready for food, they make it difficult. I am doing much smaller feedings vs one or two large feedings. Anecdotally I have noticed aggression is more muted this way as opposed to one large feeding. Overall no serious aggression yet but can tell who is becoming the most aggressive.

Haha being retired gives you options! Your fish look great so I am sure they appreciate the attention.

 

[cich78]

Thanks! .. Yes smaller feedings with these guys is the way i often like to go to interact with them more ... I mix up the amount that I give them in one feed. I know my big guys can eat something over 12 large pellets at once and especially if I'm coming of a skipped food day or light feeding day. .. If I give close to my self established limit , I don't feed again while other instances when i decide to i can break that amont up over 3 or 4 times and not be giving more of an amount and still have them ready to jump out of the water when they see me lol......

 

[platy21]

That’s the approach I want to take too. My guys are very interactive when I come up to the tank. I’m also starting to see more foraging behavior in between feedings. Picking at rocks and the sand. Belly’s are full but not bulging or emaciated. Have to get some updated pictures. I’d say about 5/7 are showing noticeable growth. The other two I think are growing but not as quick.

 

[platy21]

New pictures.

 

[platy21]

Starting to get some bulk on the fastest growing one. At what size is it possible to sex them out? Added Northfin sticks into their feeding routine along with the NLS pellets. They attack both with equal enthusiasm, so much so they are splashing me at feeding time.

 

[duanes]

Although these cichlids below are not Amphilophus, but they are new world cichlids from the same general area.
At the time of these photos the average water temps in my tropical tanks was 75, sub tropical tanks around 70'F.

The shot on the left was taken May 14th 2014, the same fish on the right, photo taken, July 2015.
Below also the Nicaraguan lake species Cribroheros rostratum
Leftshot taken June 2013, right shot taken Aug 2015

Left shot, the day I got these Belly crawlers, May 26 2013, same Belly crawler right, at about 7" on March 2015

Below left some Herichthys carpintus in 2012, right the alpha male 2013
These below of course are Mexican, so I ran their tanks at room temp, low 70s


Above thermometer on, and water temp from a subtropical tank (fish like Herichthys, Australoheros or Gymnogeophagus
I find keeping water temps in th 70s helps to ward off certain bacterial diseases (like Columnaris) that thrive in temps in the 80s.

 

[Jexnell]

The early things to look for to sex young cichlids is body shape and forehead slope.

Females body is more egg shaped

Where as the males are more like a triangle with a flat face

Next is the forehead slope

Females have this near 45° angle going from mouth tip right up to the forehead

The males this angle will be much steeper, often with a notch in the middle where as the females is much smother

In your first pic, the fish in the center is typical young male looks,
And the fish in back on the left is very typical of a young female,

 

[Jexnell]

See how he is more triangle shaped than the one behind
Then look at the foreheads the one in back is smooth 45° angle from mouth to forehead, fish in front is different plus the notch in the middle from where his humps grow from