Question : How to feed Petro's and agressive Trophs

[newb]

so I got 8 Petrochromis "green" Macro that I got from Delock and I have them in the 210gallon with 44 tropheus chimba. It is hard for me to actively feed these guys as the tropheus eat WAY faster than they do and I dont want to overfeed the trophs in order to feed the petros. I was thinking of getting a 75gallon tank and putting the 8 of them in there that way they can grow better. Is that a smart thing to do. I know 75gallons is a little small, but I cant go much bigger unless I just found one hell of a deal. Do you guys think the aggression will be heavy in the smaller tank? they are not aggressive at all right now in the bigger tank. they will swim INTO my hands whenever Im in there doing waterchange now.

[newb]

I would want to eventually add them back into the 210 when they are bigger.

[libby_lu]

If You Need Something Bigger, I Have A Friend Selling A 125Gal. For 100, With It Comes Filter, Heater, Lights, And Anything Else You May Need..

[peterp63]

In my 300 I first feed some 1mm nls that everyone feeds on, but then I follow that up with 5mm jumbo nls (floating) that the petros and emps go crazy after. In the meantime there's still 1mm in the tank for the trophs. I think the 5mm is too big for the trophs anyways. This works well for me. The moshi are breeding and the emps are getting some serious size.

[peterp63]

Hey libby, u got pics? Where's the tank located? Mis city is right down the st from me.

[newb]

If You Need Something Bigger, I Have A Friend Selling A 125Gal. For 100, With It Comes Filter, Heater, Lights, And Anything Else You May Need..

that would be awesome...can you get me some more details...like maybe a pic or a phone number?

[newb]

In my 300 I first feed some 1mm nls that everyone feeds on, but then I follow that up with 5mm jumbo nls (floating) that the petros and emps go crazy after. In the meantime there's still 1mm in the tank for the trophs. I think the 5mm is too big for the trophs anyways. This works well for me. The moshi are breeding and the emps are getting some serious size.

I have been trying this but some of the trophs tend to stay up top with the petros and eat the food really quickley.

[bethesdaboy]

The petro swims into your hands???
Uhh, thats really strange.

[newb]

yeah I know...but if Im in the tank they circle around my hands and they even nibble at my arms sometimes. But do you think they would be fine in a 75gallon tank by theirselves?

[bethesdaboy]

No way man.
Never put a petro in a 4ft tank.
Its like an elephant in an outhouse.

[newb]

haha...nice comparison!

[Zulaab]

I would add some larger pellets for them like 3mm and see if they will go for those while the trophs hits the 1mm... I would not move them from your 210...

[fshfrk]

I would not mess with the group. Mix 1mm & 3mm in the proper ratio and dump it in. People think petros eat more than trophs but they eat want. Pound for pound they do not eat as much as trophs. IMO.

[newb]

yeah I am doing that now, but like I said...the trophs are eating really aggressively but the petros tend to hang back and then they dont get all that much. I will leave them for now. I want a whole colony of these fish...they are so cool!

[geoff_tropheus]

In my tanks where I have mixed Petros and Trophs, what has worked for me is what Peter and John have already said.

Mix 1mm with 3mm, or even 5mm and also feed flake.

Everyone will get their full. What I have seen is when a Troph eats 2 or 3 of the 3mm, he cannot put anything more in his mouth. So, with the mixing in of the larger pellets they get their mouths full, and what is left Petros still eating.

I agree with Mike, and that Petros should not go in 4ft tanks. I even hate to utter the words, but anything is possible. Alan Kerrigan told me his best setup for producing Petro fry, was a 90 gallon with one pile of rocks in the center. I would never do it, I believe in giving the fishes the MAXIUM room, I do not think PACKING them in is the way to go.