Anyone have peacock bass?

**Fishguy2727** · 03-17-2009, 02:59 PM

I am considering them for my 150 (too small to keep them in permanently, but would look good til I take them in to sell at work).

I am curious about:
tank sizes you have kept them in
tankmates that have worked out well
tankmates that didn't work out well
what they ate
anything else that you think is important

**Crispy** · 03-17-2009, 04:27 PM

There are a few different types of peacock bass... temensis and ocellaris. They both get huge, and they both prefer live foods. They won't like any tankmates in a 150 either (aside from a big pleco/catfish). You need a massive tank to keep other species with them. They will do fine in groups though. They get up to 24 inches in aquariums and are very messy eaters. They like good water movement also. Anything else?

**Fishguy2727** · 03-17-2009, 04:31 PM

I don't plan on keeping them permanently, the tank isn't big enough. So even at smaller sizes they won't tolerate other fish?

**Crispy** · 03-17-2009, 04:37 PM

Originally Posted by Fishguy2727

I don't plan on keeping them permanently, the tank isn't big enough. So even at smaller sizes they won't tolerate other fish?

how small are these fish going to be? Mine were about 6 inches when I had them and at that size they would not tolerate my jaguars, african peacocks, compriceps, or severum. It was constant fighting. I guess small bass may tolerate others better. I had both ocellaris and temensis and both species went together well.

**Red** · 03-17-2009, 05:17 PM

I kept mine in a 650. It was a group of 4 ocells. They were about 15" and they were in with oscars severums and a silver aro and bigger tankmates. The will eat anything that fits in there mouth. I fed them on a mixed diet of hikari pellets and pretty much anything else I put in there.

**Crispy** · 03-17-2009, 06:03 PM

yeah, you definitely need fish bigger than the bass are... in a 150, I don't think they'll put up with any other kinds. They grow super quickly too!

**Red** · 03-17-2009, 06:50 PM

Yeah, they devolpe there colors once they grow mature.

**Ocellatus** · 03-17-2009, 08:40 PM

not telling this to get commented on, just since you were looking for others' experiences, I have raised 2 PBs in a 40g from 2" to 6-7" ( 4-5 months ) with oscar, parrot, bichir, firemouth and rainbow cichlids.

no fight or aggression yet. diet for the whole tank is tetra cichlid, hikari cichlid bio-gold+, tetra redparrot, tetra doromin, fd shrimps, and PBs like them all.
weekly cleaning of the filter and 40% water change.

now they are 6-7" long and seems its time to get removed sooner, because beside the tank size, they are very greedy eaters rather than other fish in this tank even oscar. as soon as I throw the food in, they attack and splash all over, it somehow scares my other fish.

a couple of old and new shots.