hey guys, just got a couple of questions:

i got a couple of Frontosa the other week (been dying for some for quite a while) and they are simply beautiful fish but i cannot wait for the "hump" to arrive......... how big or old until something might start showing or to assume i have females?? as iv been told thats the only way of knowing sex. They are probably about 2.5 inces ATM and dont seem to be noticeably growing.

secondly, i brought an Albino Pleco a few months ago and she is now probably about 8 inces but she seems to have deveolped a kink in her tail www.oscarfishlover.com/social-network/ph...mid=274#photoid=1473 is this normal?? in the picture it might look as if it is resting on the tank but it always has that kink at the end (with our sailfin doesnt have?)

oh and lastly, Oscar loves cooked minced meat, but i know it can contribute to causing HITH, how much is too much??

on the pleco: No, thats not normal, but imo it's a genetic defect.
I have several fish with fins in strange directions, even my o has a somewhat kinked side fin.
It just looks a bit odd, but is of no harm to the fish.

On frontosa i dunno how long, but i suspect pretty long .
I had a over 10"Vieja, and still i couldn't be sure if it was a young male or a female...

Damn, things like that really suck, but i guess it gives him character!!

looks like my frons have ALOT of growing to do, something to look forward too

one more Q, is it possible for 2 diff breeds of Pleco to breed?? i know cichlids can if you dont have a mate for them are plecos th same (altho i think i have 2 males anyway)??

*kazza06* wrote:


Nope, there's over 400 kinds of pleco, and non of the families can mix.
Usually you can distinguish the males from the females, for the males get a real and more bushy beard in front of their gillplates, which the females lack or have in lesser proportion.

AWESOME, thats a shite load of plecos!! thanks

Dont feed mince to oscars. Animal fats are not good for oscars. Overtime these fats build up and will make your oscar sick

I have a front in my 180g and he has grown slowly, about 5-6 inches in 2-3 years. However this may be because the front doesnt swim around the tank confidently, it is quite shy and seems worried about its tank mates although it isnt bullied. It doesnt go mad for food at feeding time and i suspect its growth is limited because of this. I also have one in my 100g and the size and behaviour is the same

*kazza06* wrote:


well,it's quite a few, but this is...

thanks delboybully, i had read that it was ok and when i asked one of my lfs they said that it was fine, but will deff stick to th worms and shrimp now!!

wow, now all i can think about is the HUGE fronts iv seen and wonder how old they are we were hoping to have a big tank friend to join oscar in his new 6 footer, looks like he will have to wait a while

Noddy, thats amazing!! i never knew they actually 'hung' out together in the wild, i always assumed they liked to be loners!!