Tank Size required for Chaca chaca's

[nvcichlids]

I have been thinking about this for a while, and I would LOVE to keep a group, or even a single speciemen, but I do not know the required tank size. I know they would look awesome in the tank I recently set up, but i know for a fact that a 10 gal tank is too small for even 1. SO what size would be needed for a single fish, and then a group of 4-6?

Thanks for your help!

NV

[Marc van Arc]

Obviously they do need some floor space; height is much less important.
I've kept a single species for some time in a 60x30x30 (cms) species tank. That went pretty well, for Chacas don't move a lot.
After that it was put in a 125x40x40 cms tank, where it was out of sight for most of the time.

[nvcichlids]

so a single specimen would be fine in a tank (20x12x12)? I don't know which to do then, the SA bumblebees or a single chaca... I have kept the bees before and always have wanted to with a chaca. If you take a peek at my post under the everything else SA you can see pics of the 10 gal tank I am debating on.

[Birger]

I do not think a chaca in this size tank would be very good, they are not that active but it is the larger volume of water that you would need as it would be very difficult to keep this size you have stable for a larger fish...Chaca's are not huge fish but in this size tank I would consider it to be big.

Birger

[nvcichlids]

Would a 20 L be adaquate? Mine will have some space available once the gymno. outgrow it.

[Birger]

A 20 long would be about the same footprint as Mark mentioned in the post above so it should work better than the 10 Gal.(which is probably a couple inches narrower)
It probably is 24 x 12 x 12 or 14 inches high...I am guessing at the moment, the height may be different but it should still work.

[nvcichlids]

20 gallon L tanks are 30x12x12.

[sidguppy]

20G would be OK, but 20L is just a big bucket....it's about 5G......

[nvcichlids]

Lol, that is what a 20 L is a 20 gallon tank that is longer rather than the traditional taller setup.

5 gallon bucket... I have raised some elassoma species in a bucket before.. not even a 5 gallon, it was a 1 gallon icecream container.... and they bred like crazy!!

[Richard B]

Whatever size tank you decide on, do a search in the forums for pH crash connected with Chaca - it has been mentioned/experienced more than once.

Although they don't require current, good filtration is important as (dependant upon what they eat) they can produce a lot of waste.

As an aside, when i've kept them they spent a lot of time sitting in uprooted echinodoras plants at the waters' surface. I'd recommend sand substrate with beech leaf litter & broad leaved (real or fake) plants covering a fair proportion of the water surface.

[nvcichlids]

Ok, thanks for that info, I prefer the top covered with plants anyways, and sand is all I use in tanks. I am extremely excited about doing this in the upcoming months!