my lfs just got in some new african cics. they got some really small malawi eyebiters. i've heard these get pretty big. can anyone tell me how fast they grow? are they slow growers like fantosas? or fast like pbass!!! i'm thinking of starting a rift tank.
eyebiter cichlids
- Thread starter KurseD
- Start date
i really love the look of these fish and wish i had a tank big enough to house one! well i know they get around 10 inches, and you should have i think 4-5 females per male. if you want more than one male you must have one big mofo tank! they are mouthbrooding, and carnivorous.. oh and the name is true--i guess they like to pluck the eyes of tankmates
so whatever you house w/them bad boys will have to have attitude! if you do get them, post pics so we can all drool over them!
so whatever you house w/them bad boys will have to have attitude! if you do get them, post pics so we can all drool over them!they look awesome go for it.. but its predatory so only mbunas with it should be alleast twice their size.. atleast right now... these guys get big, about 11 inches.... post some pics when you set up the tank...
These guys are open water fish so you need not have too rocky a set up.
Also, what size tank do you have in mind ? If you have something over 75 gal. then keep 2 males with some females. that's the way you get the best colour effects on your fish. Good luck ...
These guys are open water fish so you need not have too rocky a set up.
Also, what size tank do you have in mind ? If you have something over 75 gal. then keep 2 males with some females. that's the way you get the best colour effects on your fish. Good luck ...
wow, after reading these posts i started doing more research. by the time i got back to my lfs, i found out they were already on reserve!!! was so excited too!!!
D. comps are not as evil as they say... the problem is that many do not know how to feed this fish and they get hungry... They see other fish and they eat what they can. When fish die eyes are what they go for... all fish do it is the softest exposed tissue... I have never had or seen a d comp that is as evil as they say...it is all myth...
Malawi eye biter is just a name these fish have been given and a bad rap to follow .Any fish no matter what species in the wrong circumstances can be overly agressive and take out a tank mate .Dont go by a common name go by scientific evidence .Yes they have been seen in the wild biting out fish's eyes .However if this was common within the species they would not make for a very sellible fish.I had one Malawi eye biter in my 150G. He was about 4" and mixed with Peacocks and Haps. After 3 months, I was still deciding if I wanted to get rid of him or get another. He had an attitude and kept me on edge because I had a relatively non-aggressive mix of African Cichlids. He wasn't chasing the other fish, but would sneak up on anyone who entered his territory and make a quick charge at them.
Well I made my decision when I added my new Hap (Protomelas Taeniolatus). Even though the Hap was about an inch longer and much "heavier", the Eye Biter went over to challenge him. They had their bodies parallel to each other and doing a lot of shaking. I watched in horror as he took out the right eye of my new fish. Off to the lfs he went within microseconds.
So don't believe those that say they are harmless. If you don't believe me, you can buy mine as he is still unsold after 2 months at the lfs.
Well I made my decision when I added my new Hap (Protomelas Taeniolatus). Even though the Hap was about an inch longer and much "heavier", the Eye Biter went over to challenge him. They had their bodies parallel to each other and doing a lot of shaking. I watched in horror as he took out the right eye of my new fish. Off to the lfs he went within microseconds.
So don't believe those that say they are harmless. If you don't believe me, you can buy mine as he is still unsold after 2 months at the lfs.
My buddy has a 180 with three males and 2 females about 8 inches... He also has a crap ton s med size peacocks... not one of his D comps has taken an eye out of the peacocks... If every time a dog bit its owners we labeled them as man eaters no one would keep them...