Emperor cichlid

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Delhezi B

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Apr 15, 2009
1,378
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Southeast pa
There arnt very many chiclids that I like the emperor chiclid is one of the few. Im considering getting one for my 265. But becuse I know next to nothing about chiclids (becides that they like hard water) I need a little help. I was looking around on the internet but there Is not very much info about this fish.

I know tha they get big and like to eat fish but thats it. What is there tempermint like will the get along with south american fish? and what do they like to eat?

any help would be helpfull.

thank you - Delhezi B
 
for one thing THEY GET HUGE!!!!!!!!
from lake Tanganyika
can be aggressive.
hard water is not a must
 
the problem w/ putting them w/ South American fish is the pH difference. They would do better with Central American fish since the parameters are closer. I don't know a whole lot, either.
 
You certainly picked a monster. This is the largest of all cichlids that can top out at nearly 40". Although mine barely reached the 30" mark by year 5. It's also a powerful swimmer that demands lots of swimming space. I kept a group in a 900 and the dominant male killed every tankmate, male and female, until he was the only one left.

Do a search on Boulengerochromis microlepis. There's tons of info out there to be found.
 
As you already know, they get huge. As long as you keep the water quality consistant, you shouldn't have to keep the ph high like lake Tanganyika. I acclimated all of my Africans to the ph of my tap water and they did great. Just don't change it around on them. Odds are, if your getting it from a LFS, they're using tap water anyway. They have been bred in captivity, but wild ones are probably more readily available. They do eat fish so you want to make sure it is small when you get it, or your current stock is big enough for it not to eat them. Not many people can keep them because of their size, but you can always give it a try and see how it goes.
 
I got a foot long EC in a 500 G. I keep it in the garage with constant temp at 72 degree. My EC is such a wussy he get punked by a 5" red parrot. LOL. Yeah they get huge not sure if your tank is big enough for one. Oh yeah they have a huge appetite. Mine is always first in line feeding time. I do 40% WC every week. G luck
 
Oddball, I'd love to see pics of your Emporers in the 900, if ya got any!!!!
That'd be a really cool set up!
 
well I have one as a store pet & she is about 9 years old and maybe 26" or so & attacks everything including people. I call her my dog or pitt bull fish. I tried putting a 12" red devil & a 9" Tyrannochromis male that was a mean as fish but within a hour less I put both in her tank at the same time she about killed them & was relentless. By far the meanest fish I have owened. I actually had a trio & sold the other two/pair off because I could not keep them together & were tying up 3 big tanks. I orginally raised them up in a 350 gallon & they ate about a grand in cichlids, then I brought them to the hatchery to a tank I had made for them 48x48x24 to see if I could breed them. Put some 9-11 male fronts in which they ate! Only thing that seemed to be okay in the 350 & now the 150 with my girl is a syno cat & reg pleco that stay hid or do not move unless to eat. They paired off , tubes dropped twice but no eggs/fry & eventually the big boy decided he wanted to kill everything in & outside the tank :)
they will out grow your tank eventually & may work with larger sa/ca if starting them young & growing them up? I have seen some BIG tanks on here with them mix in with dovi etc..

me dave
 
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