You need some matured filter media.
Can't you take some from another tank to help seed the new HOB.
Can't you take some from another tank to help seed the new HOB.
Male young dovii killing female dovii
- Thread starter Irecruitfish
- Start date
Good idea! Lack of sleep and my brain is not functioning.
In case anyone reads this in the future. The reason for the awful smell was actually because my heater was malfucntioning and over heated the water basically cooking the fish. Got a new heater and all is well so far.
Seriously your insane to think a 125 gallon cannot house a 5 inch dovii. As far as a temp tank goes you are out of your mind to think a 10 gallon that's getting replenishment daily cannot work as a temp situation. By the way I RESCUED the extra fish which you still do not comprehend. Think about the entire picture before you say let it die. Haha
I'm what world do you live in to think the fish will magically grow from 5 inches to 12 in one month?
Have you truly ever even kept a Dovii?
Mistakes, we've all made them, Don't want to bang on it, but hope this is helpful:
Even far less aggressive cichlids can become killers in too small a tank, much less fish that are innately aggressive. Call it a rule, all rules have exceptions, but it should be expected and accounted for in setting up temporary tanks. Very young fish can be exceptions, but not by the time they reach several inches, unless maybe they're a very mild fish by nature.
Emergency setup of a new tank-- Best optiion, add a running extra filter from another tank. Best option with a new filter, add a bit of mature media, feed lightly at first. Should be considered standard procedure. Otherwise, a distant 3rd, or even 4th option for short term emergency, water changes and don't feed or don't feed much.
Not trying to bang on it, maybe you've already figured this out from this experience. Most any good fishkeeper has mistakes in their history, the sharp ones don't keep repeating them.
Even far less aggressive cichlids can become killers in too small a tank, much less fish that are innately aggressive. Call it a rule, all rules have exceptions, but it should be expected and accounted for in setting up temporary tanks. Very young fish can be exceptions, but not by the time they reach several inches, unless maybe they're a very mild fish by nature.
Emergency setup of a new tank-- Best optiion, add a running extra filter from another tank. Best option with a new filter, add a bit of mature media, feed lightly at first. Should be considered standard procedure. Otherwise, a distant 3rd, or even 4th option for short term emergency, water changes and don't feed or don't feed much.
Not trying to bang on it, maybe you've already figured this out from this experience. Most any good fishkeeper has mistakes in their history, the sharp ones don't keep repeating them.
Yes my sanity may be in question, but in over 60 years of fish keeping, I have kept a number of dovii, and always transferred them from 150 gal grow out tanks, to minimum 300 gal tanks, after even minor size has been put on., and found that 300 is not enough.
A rescue is not a rescue when putting a fish with a nature range of over a square mile, and thousands of gallons of space into a puddle.
There was an article in a recent issue of the American Cichlid Assn magazine suggesting a 1000 gal tank is not enough for adult dovii.
By beating up the female, your dovii was saying something many aquarists refuse to hear, whenever cichlids fight and kill each other, they are saying the tank is too small. Doesn't matter if its a convict in a 50 gallon tank or a dovii in 200 gallons.
A rescue is not a rescue when putting a fish with a nature range of over a square mile, and thousands of gallons of space into a puddle.
There was an article in a recent issue of the American Cichlid Assn magazine suggesting a 1000 gal tank is not enough for adult dovii.
By beating up the female, your dovii was saying something many aquarists refuse to hear, whenever cichlids fight and kill each other, they are saying the tank is too small. Doesn't matter if its a convict in a 50 gallon tank or a dovii in 200 gallons.
+1Yes my sanity may be in question, but in over 60 years of fish keeping, I have kept a number of dovii, and always transferred them from 150 gal grow out tanks, to minimum 300 gal tanks, after even minor size has been put on., and found that 300 is not enough.
A rescue is not a rescue when putting a fish with a nature range of over a square mile, and thousands of gallons of space into a puddle.
There was an article in a recent issue of the American Cichlid Assn magazine suggesting a 1000 gal tank is not enough for adult dovii.
By beating up the female, your dovii was saying something many aquarists refuse to hear, whenever cichlids fight and kill each other, they are saying the tank is too small. Doesn't matter if its a convict in a 50 gallon tank or a dovii in 200 gallons.
I have six foot tanks, and there are fish I'd love to keep that I won't unless someday I get the time and space to set up the right tank for them. I have seen people go overboard on size of tank needed for some fish, the list of fish with a natural range limited to the size of just about any home tank is negligible, so I don't see that as a standard, but recognizing the limitations of your tanks is a fact of life imo.
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Exactly thank you for the constructive criticism. Lesson learned about aggressive cichlids at this size and quarantine tanks.
I was able to put mature media in the 10 gallon and fix the heater situation so the female seems to be doing better.
Thanks again.
I'm sure you mean well with your advice but it certainly comes across in a negative manner. I joined this forum to learn and continue to enjoy this hobby. In my years of fish keeping I've learned that fish truly have their own personalities. Your experience may or may not be the same as mine with dovii.Yes my sanity may be in question, but in over 60 years of fish keeping, I have kept a number of dovii, and always transferred them from 150 gal grow out tanks, to minimum 300 gal tanks, after even minor size has been put on., and found that 300 is not enough.
A rescue is not a rescue when putting a fish with a nature range of over a square mile, and thousands of gallons of space into a puddle.
There was an article in a recent issue of the American Cichlid Assn magazine suggesting a 1000 gal tank is not enough for adult dovii.
By beating up the female, your dovii was saying something many aquarists refuse to hear, whenever cichlids fight and kill each other, they are saying the tank is too small. Doesn't matter if its a convict in a 50 gallon tank or a dovii in 200 gallons.
I did learn a valuable lesson with dovii and quarantine tanks. That's what fish keeping is about right? Learning and at times trial and error.
By the way the female was already beat up before putting it into the quarantine tank but of course it got a ton worst when they were put into a small tank.
But to let it die? I'm still shocked you said that and didn't take it back.
I'm not changing my plan of putting one in the 125.