Just got a wild pair of Festae (pics)

[NOLAGT]

I picked up a tank (115gal 72x18x21) stand and pair of wild Festae from a fellow MFK'er Nolapete. I am glad he was selling because these guys are beautiful and I have always loved the RT's. I plan to breed these guys and sell the F1 fry...but one step at a time.

Here is the tank in my office. I will stain the stand build a canopy and dress up the inside some.

Few questions...would you feed them any live food? I like to watch big sa/ca chomp on some minnows (not goldfish). I know thats prob a natural food for them...but since I never bread big guys like these I was wondering if that would effect there breeding or temperament to each other.

Could I put anything else in there? Not like other big cichlids...but some dithers...tinfoil barbs...pleco...silver dollars?? Would this effect breeding...and would they try and eat the egg's/fry...or would all tanke mates get creamed when they started breeding? These are breeders for me first...but wouldnt mind some other movement if possible.

 

[fishman112]

Beautiful mate!

 

[VRWC]

Awesome pair! I have about 15 convicts as dithers and that works great for me with my festae pair. The cons arent scared to be out and about and are quick enough to get away from the festae if they go after them.

Mine also love earthworms, mealworms, crickets and cichlid gold pellets.

Again, GREAT pickup!

 

[jag123]

I agree with VRWC - go with some coarse live food to keep it varied in addition to a staple of pellets. That is a great looking pair/tank you have there - just amazing. Best of luck to you.

 

[LOPAKA]

nicest female I have seen !!!

 

[LowCel]

Great looking fish and tank, congrats. Only change I would make would be to put a black background on it.

 

[NOLAGT]

Thanks yall for the info on what to do with them...keep it coming!!!

As for the deco...the plan was to spray the back last night black...but it was late and so humid it would not have dried. But I plan to paint the back black....add some thin driftwood upside down so it looks like some roots and some plastic plants and a rock or two

I also want to change the gravel to a different color or sand. But since I just got the tank and stand no filters I kept the gravel from the seller so it would seed the new filter.

Can I put sand with these guys like whats in my 240??? I know they move it...but in my 240 its fine enough to keep the poop on top so its easy to clean.

Ohh and my friends helping me named the clay pot "Da Luv Tub" rofl

 

[NOLAGT]

Awesome pair! I have about 15 convicts as dithers and that works great for me with my festae pair. The cons arent scared to be out and about and are quick enough to get away from the festae if they go after them.

Mine also love earthworms, mealworms, crickets and cichlid gold pellets.

Again, GREAT pickup!

I see that you also have another pair of fish with your festaes in the same tank other than the con's. Do all 3 kinds of fish breed in the same tank with no issues? I am not looking to put another pair of fish in this 115...just wondering how its going for you.

 

[VRWC]

no. the cons are the only ones to have laid eggs since I put them all together, but I have no aggression problems as of yet. I guess we'll see when the festae lay eggs. They are the biggest pair in the tank (m 10" f 6"). The cons try and stand their ground but if the others want around the eggs, they will be around them. I had a dovii pair in here at one time that had fry and didnt have the problems with them I expected either. I think if you have enough things in the tank breaking up territories or plants from the bottom to the top of the tank dividing it up so they cant see each other, you should be fine with more than one breeding pair in a 200+ tank.

 

[NOLAGT]

cool...yeah im not really looing to breed more in there...but wouldnt mind some more fish if it didnt effect them fastae. I may try some cons or something....