Festivums, Anybody Else Keep Them?

[molson78]

I love these fish but I hardly ever seen them discussed. Are they not widely available, or are people just not interested?

 

[The-Wolf]

I have a pair
here is a pic of one of mine to keep you going

 

[molson78]

I have a pair
here is a pic of one of mine to keep you going

Nice! I have a pair. They are about 3.5 inches and 3 inches right now... Are females bigger? They are shaped a little differently than yours, I think. I've heard that there are really many different mesonauta sold as festivums, mine look like mesonauta festivus. I think the head shape is different then what you posted, unless it is the difference between males and females.

 

[The-Wolf]

my pair are fully grown, yours seem to be juvies.
i don't know, or want to know, how to sex them

 

[LisaLQ]

I have two baby 2" max - and I love them to bits. Cheeky, outgoing, greedy - great fun Not the shy retiring fish I read they'd be, but that's fine by me

 

[Spike_ea_2k6]

sorry for jumping in but what can u put with them?

 

[Spank]

sorry for jumping in but what can u put with them?

They're a peaceful community Cichlid so pretty much any community fish with none that are too aggressive.

My pair are new (2.5 inches) but I have no idea whether they're male or female. The shop that I got them from said the males were bigger with longer ventral fins but TBH I can't tell the difference. I'll try and post a pic of mine soon

 

[Spike_ea_2k6]

oh right, it says community but with larger fish, will be ok with, 2 rams, 1 severum, 1 paradise, 1 blue acara.

 

[vancouver]

A festivum topic!! yipeeee

I have 3 festivum... love them to death..

 

[LisaLQ]

One of my 2" babies (excuse naff pic):

 

[Gsevrum]

Hi well i had 3 Festivum`s 2 of them have paired up and i now have 3 Festivums and about 30+ fry swiming around with the parents there amazing fish to watch.
They are not as big as ive heard they can grow mine are around 3".

 

[The-Wolf]

They are not as big as ive heard they can grow

yet

 

[cheesy feet]

I havn't said to you guys that i got two festivums on sunday because i know my tank will is over stocked (tropiqaurium 88) with 2 festivums ,2 discus and two rainbow fish but at the shop it looked like they were cleaning a site to lay their eggs,i had read up before that breeeding is rairly done so i thought if i get these i might be in with some luck.These fish are very friendly ,not shy and basically ALL the information going around about them is a load of rubbish.On one profile i read they prefer high pH of 7-8,on another they prefer a Ph of 6.5?!I'll post piccies in a sec.if anyone is on this topic now...hold on...Also apparently they are very hard to sex,but if you have a pair you should notice the male has slightly longer fins.

 

[cheesy feet]

Gota go to bed nobodys on...Post pics tomos afternoon.

 

[LisaLQ]

How big is a tropiquarium 88? I'm guessing 88cm? I'm guessing it's a quarantine tank, as that's not big enough for all those fish.

And an update on my festivums. They attacked, harrassed and severely injured (possibly killed - but unsure) several of my fish. Yes, 2" babies taking on one 5" plec, one 3" plec, and a few 2" boesmannis.

I rehomed them, one of them settled in their new home, the other was returned to me as he killed a fish in their tank too (despite being warned). He's now in a community - yes community tank - and hasn't killed anything yet. I say yet. It wasn't my choice to keep him, he was heading for a bop on the head if he came near me - hubby decided to give him another chance.

I personally wouldn't recommend them, and if it weren't for the fact it's not my tank that he's in, he'd be either rehomed or euthanised. Horrible fish.