Parachromis Dovii advice

Hello all i have been keeping african cichlids for some time now and i love them.

This is just some advice i would in the future like to make the step into these amazing fish.

I have been doing some research and they can be tricky and very aggressive so i am thinking just a Dovii pair in the tank.

Is there anything else i could put in the tank with them cats etc?

I understand they need great water quality and good filtration. Also a large tank i was thinking 6x2x2 so that L/W/H. So about a 200 gallon tank would that be enough for them?

Also i am in the UK so not to sure where i would get the dovii from i would like quality fish.

As i have stated at the start this is just advice at the moment i am not rushing into anything and i am enjoying my africans cichlids so no rush at all.

All and any advice or comments will be taken on board fire away cichlid lovers.

Thanks matt.

 

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200g should be fine for a pair for maybe a year if you got them at say 4or 5 inches, try and get them at smaller sizes, 5or 6 of them let them pair of naturaly, and wen your mqle is at bout 12 or 13 inches and your female mihgt still be alive, remove her to a tank right up against the tank were your male is at, 200g is way to small for a breeding pair and i would say bare minimum for a nice male, hope this helps, i have not kept dovii for long but have done days of research

 

Thanks woestynbaber so get a small group in a tank and pair off whats the prices of these dovii? And where in the UK is a good place to buy them?

Ok once you have your female up against the male in his tank then what have two dovii as a pair in different tanks? Whats the point of having a pair then if in different tanks.

So best it 400g i guess but that is massive lol would say an 8 foot long tank with say 4 foot wide be ok? About 300g which is still a big boy.

Thanks mate and any advice is welcome anyone please comment im just getting as much information as possible.

Thank you matt.

 

300g should be fine for a large male, maybe even a decent pair, not in the uk so pricing i cant help you with, keeping the female next door is just so that the male can see her but not beat on her,like a divider but i recon you would go for the 200g setup, you can then later re itraduce the female if the male starts courting her through the glass, but divide the tank wit holes small enough for the female to pass through if the male get unrully, or leave the devider as is and they wil spawn even through the devider, make sure our male is up stream.

 

oh and sorry uk gallons and us gallons arent the same, 250uk gallons should house a pair for life as dovii rarely get to the monstrous sizes in aquariums, 18 19 inches about for male, dovii are also open water predators, so a long tank with adequate turning space should be fine

 

Thank mate you are being a great help.

So by your pic i take it u have dovii any advice is so much taken on board but and any experiences you have of the amazing fish.

Like i have said its not something i am gunna rush into so there is no date of setting all this up i just want to get as much info as i can and go from there.

And when you say the make up stream is that where say my outlet of say the main filter put him there?

What filtration for a pair of Dovii would two fx6 be enough?

Also what media best for them like chemi pure or no carbon?

What foods are best and what foods for treats?

And do you feed them everyday twice a day or miss a day i have heard with these big fish it is good to miss one day (same day) a week?

What decor and substrate to use?

I know Im asking a lot mate but in the future i would like to get these fish and like you said get about 5 or 6 and hopefully get a pair .

Thanks for giving me lots of info.

Matt.

 

i was lucky enough to get dovii from a hellova cool guy in jhb, as i understand there arent to many dovii owners in south arica, filtration go for sump setup, moving bed filter and try to have a plant or two somewre ive got a dwarf lily floting about, i feed my dovii 3 times a day smaller portions, but once a day is good aslong as its a 10min sesion or so that the fish will get used to you and asociate you with foot, treats anything but goldfish, have a quarintine tank and keep feeders atleast a week before feeding, also gut load the feeders wich i find to be a great help, feeders once every week after you have them on pellets or processed food for atleast 3 months, i cant get my male back on pellets, but luckily i have massive supply of tilapia and guppys, your sump should turn your water atleast 5 times a hour, bur have a look on youtube on designing a good moving bed filter, and always have carbon inline somewere, serves as biological after a while.

oh and id say from 11 inches id say feed 4 days skip a day, thats bout average of what ive seen on the net. im also stil learning but like ive said ive done a load of homework, from bout 5 inches the male will get into a growth spike and pick up1,2 inches a mont, one inch guaranteed if fed poper. shoot away with the questions , by all means

and welcome to tasa

 

You have been a great help mate.

So i need a tank to keep the dovii live feed in as well just a small one?

Thanks matt.