Firemouth went off today!!!!!

[jbeining75]

If you see my sig for my 37 gallon you can see the occupants. Not an ideal tank by any means. I am working on getting the tank fixed as it is my wife and daughters. My wife just decides to go to the lfs and throw fish in. I have gotten her to stop but now today we had a problem. I went to look at the 37 gallon and the larger firemouth attacked and killed the smaller firemouth and a melanchromis johanni.... So now I'm a little mad... I put the firemouth in with my Oscars and Green Terror. I have nowhere else to put him. He is 4 times smaller than the Oscars or the Green Terror. I will call the lfs to see if they will take him tomorrow but they have alot of small firemouths in so I don't think that will happen. The GT is chasing him already. The Oscars have left him alone so far..... We'll see... Maybe he can go in the new tank with them when it is setup... I think the size difference isn't going to be for the best though....

[Hairback357]

I have had that same thing happen to me just never with a Firemouth. All the ones I have ever had have been a little wimpy. I have a stronger male now but he is still to small to do any damage. You may get away with the FM in that tank as long as there are places to hide like caves or something. If that tank is just open he is doomed for sure. I am surprised you don't have problems with the GT messing with the Oscars.

[jbeining75]

Well update... LFS can not take him back. They say they just got in a new shipment and have about 15 small firemouths and can't use him. So he is staying in my 55 gallon for now. Last night I was frustrated. He is around half the size of the Oscars and Green Terror. They have actually taken him in. Nothing is chasing him and this morning I looked and they are all swimming together. The GT even calmed down.... I guess he'll go to the 125 gallon when it gets setup....

[sailor]

Sorry to hear of your loss J. Hopefully he fits in with the others until you can get your 125 set up and running.

[jbeining75]

Yeah.... I don't know how great he'd be in a 125 though either... I'm putting a stripped raphael cat, jack dempsey and red devil there... Alot of aggression and he'll be the smaller weaker one always... Hopefully it works... I'm trying to pawn him off on my brother. He has a 2 severums and blood parrot in a 55 gallon that are small... He won't do it though lol.....

[Hairback357]

Yeah.... I don't know how great he'd be in a 125 though either... I'm putting a stripped raphael cat, jack dempsey and red devil there... Alot of aggression and he'll be the smaller weaker one always... Hopefully it works... I'm trying to pawn him off on my brother. He has a 2 severums and blood parrot in a 55 gallon that are small... He won't do it though lol.....


The thing about Firemouths are they range big time in their temperament. If you have an aggressive one it would not go well with Blood Parrots and Severums. Firemouths are great fish and if you do have a more aggressive one they are the funnest for me. I think he will be fine with the Oscar and GT. I have a small Firemouth in with a GT myself and they do great. Also I would reconsider the JD & RD mix in a 125 gallon. The RD is more aggressive than a JD and if they are the only fish in the tank I think JD would be in trouble. If you want a Red Devil you would need like a Jag, Dovii, Midas or Three Spot Cichlid IMO. The RD is a mean SOB man.

[Lady Hobbs]

The saying that Firemouths are mild is a joke. Mine fight like H all the time. My nicest one and my very favorite is the oldest one, a female, who I just love. But the small males are mean as sin. My problem is that I have 6 in a 55 gallon (planted) and it's too many in there. I was just reading that two pair in that size tank is about right and I have to go with that thought myself. Four and some dither fish even better.

Nanaglens firemouths do well but she has a humungous tank loaded with plants and that's what they need is the hiding places.

I don't know what I'd do with offspring, either, and the way they have been going at it all week, I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't soon I'll have to worry about it.