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Hello I havent been on here in a while, I've had me Keyholes for a few weeks now and I have to say there amazing fish. Everytime I walk by the tank the follow me, I dont know where they get the shy reputation from when I scrape alge off the windows they chase the sponge, I just have a few Questions for those of you who have had this fish, or know alot about them.

Ok first there with 10SerpeaTetras 5Corys 1DwarfGourami and 3Ottos. In a 48G.


Question 1:
Foods accepted: Unfussy feeder, pellets, flake, frozen etc.
I read this on a site, what is a Unfussy feeder?

Question 2:
Mine are about 2inch,How long will it take them to rech full size I already notice a diffrence in size.

Question 3:
Do they get long fins because although they are big, I am afraid that the Tetras are going to start the nipping?



10gallon: 8neons 5gallon: 1betta
1oto
2platys

questions 1 and 2 i do not know but i can answer question 3 for you-

Yes, the fins of the keyhole cichlids may eventually grow larger, Although serpae tetras really have gotten an undeserved reputation for being aggressive and nippy. In reality, they are not much nippier than any other tetra, given that they are in a large enough school. Seeing that yours are in a school of 10, i would think that their aggression and nipping would be held within the school, and that they would ignore the keyholes for the most part.

My Cories say otherwise, but I only see the Nip them when the cories are covering the food(tablets) and my serpeas bite nip them to get the food.

10gallon: 8neons 5gallon: 1betta
1oto
2platys

Question 1: Unfussy just means that the fish will pretty much eat anything, from flakes to live food.
Question 2: Well it all depends on space, food and water changes etc.... But I would say around a month or so because they dont get very big anyway.
Question 3: Their fins stay a pretty average size for new world cichlids, the males fins get a little longer but thats it. I wouldn't worry about nipping really with them.

P.S if your cories are having trouble and you dont want to get rid of the tetras, I would try some low growing plants for the cories to hide in.

Thanks for your feedback, about the cories, I think Ill move them, But they have many plants and caves but the Searpes follow the cories till the coires find food and then take it right out of their mouths, Check this for my other page.
http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/threads/30195.1.htm?0.8524295#

Also for the Keyholes, they have to double in size in a month, they are only 2" and the need to grow to 4-5" so thats alot of growth in a months.

10gallon: 8neons 5gallon: 1betta
1oto
2platys

I have had my Keyholes grow about 1.5 inches in a month, well actually 4 weeks i guess. Its very rare for a keyhole to get larger then 4" and some times not even that big. But if you want a answer going by the written, I would say from 4weeks to 7weeks.