my first tanganyikan featherfins

[Davemac]

just pick these guys up when shop opened at nine could not wait they are quite rare opthalmotilapia heterodonta nayanza-lac only juvenile at moment but should colour up nice 2 m / 2 f 

 

[rich311k]

Nice fish, good luck with them.

 

[thappybus]

sweet

 

[Davemac]

cheers guys should be with me for a decade fingers crossed 

 

[toddnbecka]

How big is that tank? From the pics it looks a bit too small for featherfins. A male claims a rather large territory, and any fish that can't get far enough away isn't likely to make it 10 days, much less years.

 

[Mogurako]

I was a little worried about tank size and agression too but opthalmotilapia heterodonta only get 5" unlike the Cyathopharynx foai feather fin genus that is a little more common they grow to be 9" and would need a fairly large tank. I would however consider a 3:1 ratio of females to males to cut down on males aggression for territory and mates.

 

[toddnbecka]

I'm not familiar with the heterodonta, but a smaller adult size doesn't necessarily mean a smaller territory. They do seem to be a better choice for a "community" tank though: Opthalmotilapia heterodonta

 

[Bl80]

I'm not familiar with the heterodonta, but a smaller adult size doesn't necessarily mean a smaller territory. They do seem to be a better choice for a "community" tank though: Opthalmotilapia heterodonta

Exactly, take convict cichlids for example....

 

[Davemac]

all good stuff guys yeh they just growing out in forty gallon then into 60x24x24 only reason I got two males is should the alpha male die I still have a unit not just females, if second male gets too bashed up later I have room to move him but they are not as aggresive as ventralis, that's my next fish in a few years, thanks 

 

[Davemac]

sometimes you also have to take what you get with regards to availability of fish so if ratio of male to female is off... so be it featherfins from the lake are often only available in pairs so you take what you can and don't be put of by recommended ratios people who have kept these fish are good to speak before any purchases in particular the hard to come buy breeds 

 

[Davemac]

these featherfins I have seen since fry parents came from the lake five years ago they have been tank raised looked cool even as fry  male parent is lovely blue/green with splotches of darker colours