# Dovii



## caribe (Mar 21, 2010)

I am looking for a new large fish tank and was wondering if anyone keeps any Dovii at all.

If so where abouts did you get them?

I have not kept them for a few years and got my last pair though a whole saler I used for my shop. But now no one ever has them in.

I am in the North East area.

Anyone got any pictures of any nice guatopes at all?


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## Victor Creed (Aug 25, 2010)

I have a pair of Jaguar/Managuense but I'd have to snap some shot of them. It may be difficult since they are often hiding in their caves and PVC pipes. Spawned several times in the past 5-6 months, only had 2 successful clutches....idk why the other clutches never make it. 

Wolf Cichlids (Parachromis dovii) are absolutely beautiful fish IMO, and they aren't as common as Jaguars around here (U.S.), so you might have the same problem in U.K......they are a very large and aggressive species capable of killing full grown Red Devils , Red Terrors and Midas and they will need to be kept in a massive tank, especially for breeding. I have heard mixed reviews on maximum size, but anywhere from 18-30 inches in length for males, prolly 12-24 for females. 

Sorry, not sure if that was helpful at all, but I really don't know where you can find any Dovii or a tank big enough to house one. My suggestion would be see if you can get a shop to order them for you....call around, usually breeders and whole-sale dealers have a list they can get almost anything from. They are just so difficult to house since they can get so big, and finding a tank wide enough to fit under the "2x a fish's length" rule is virtually impossible...i mean that's stating a 5 foot WIDE tank for Dovii......lol, good luck.


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## CPT BJ (Oct 30, 2010)

Ive kept them a few times before and i had a male at around 12" in a 5x2x2 with a large group of metynnis & myleus and a few filament barbs, he was fine with them but anything with large scales he would kill, and i took him upto work and he got sold on to a customer and he ended up wiping out a tank full of large CA cichlids, they are very agressive and have yet to encounter a passive one.


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## Victor Creed (Aug 25, 2010)

CPT BJ said:


> Ive kept them a few times before and i had a male at around 12" in a 5x2x2 with a large group of metynnis & myleus and a few filament barbs, he was fine with them but anything with large scales he would kill, and i took him upto work and he got sold on to a customer and he ended up wiping out a tank full of large CA cichlids, they are very agressive and have yet to encounter a passive one.





LOL...you ever get a good look at the teeth on those bastards? Evil-looking F*ck*rs. By FAR the most aggressive aquarium fish for freshwater that ever existed.......what's a Snake-head?


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## caribe (Mar 21, 2010)

I regret selling my nice pair of Dovii years ago.

Got them in as display fish for the shop but ended up taking them home as all they did is attack the glass when people walked past as they were constantly spawning.

I loved them to bits and kept them in an 8 foot tank and they were great to be honest.

Was able to add a couple of big Jags in and there was no issue.

My male was around the 18 - 20" mark and my female was 11.

I know there bad and hate everything but there not "THAT" bad.... although I have seen some specimens that beggered belief.

When I sold my Male on he got bought by a guy who put him in with a big Tilapia Butticoferi (spelling is probably wrong)

And he wiped my Dovii out, so there are always more aggressive fish round the corner.


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## CPT BJ (Oct 30, 2010)

Victor Creed said:


> LOL...you ever get a good look at the teeth on those bastards? Evil-looking F*ck*rs. By FAR the most aggressive aquarium fish for freshwater that ever existed.......what's a Snake-head?


 He had some awesome ganshes, so did my Hydrocynus aswell .


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## Victor Creed (Aug 25, 2010)

WHAT? A Tilapia Buttekofferi > Parachromis Dovii???

That's one lucky Butte I'm guessing.....that just doesn't sound right at all. I know Buttekofferi are aggressive and big, but their size nor the size of their teeth and mouth are nowhere near that of a full-grown Wolf Cichlid. How peculiar...hmmmm


@ CPT BJ - you owned an African Tigerfish???!!! How the hell did you obtain it??


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## caribe (Mar 21, 2010)

Yeah. I have never seen a Tilapia as big as this one to be honest.

It destroyed the Dovii, upsetting as he was mine and it was a shame. But no one could have seen it coming.


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## Victor Creed (Aug 25, 2010)

Well, if you can't find any Dovii, you can try going w/ Motagua, Fredrichstalli, Jaguar, or one of the other 6-7 Guapote.....personally, I think they would be much easier to house and manage than the "Guapote-King" anyway.


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## caribe (Mar 21, 2010)

I know about the others, the jags can get as big as Dovii to be fair, most wolfs get no where near the size that they can get to. Even if I put them in the 8 foot tank they will more than likely max out at "20


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## Victor Creed (Aug 25, 2010)

caribe said:


> I know about the others, the jags can get as big as Dovii to be fair, most wolfs get no where near the size that they can get to. Even if I put them in the 8 foot tank they will more than likely max out at "20




Yea, supposedly P.managuensis can hit the 26 inch-mark in the wild, but I never saw one bigger than say 14-16". Have you? Apparently there's a current world record of 15 lbs. for P. dovii......that must have been a behemoth!


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## caribe (Mar 21, 2010)

I am trying to find pictures of my most recent Jags as my male was huge but think it was more bulk than length but must have been close to 14" as he was a big old boy.

Think the average Dovii gets to arounf 16 - 19" in captivity,.

Have seen some pics of wild caught wolfs that were MASSIVE!!!


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## Victor Creed (Aug 25, 2010)

caribe said:


> I am trying to find pictures of my most recent Jags as my male was huge but think it was more bulk than length but must have been close to 14" as he was a big old boy.
> 
> Think the average Dovii gets to arounf 16 - 19" in captivity,.
> 
> Have seen some pics of wild caught wolfs that were MASSIVE!!!


My male is only about 9", maybe 10" at the most and my female is barely 6". They were kept in rather tight quarters before I bought them so I think they might have been stunted but they have grown a good bit since I got them a year or so ago.


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## CPT BJ (Oct 30, 2010)

Victor Creed said:


> WHAT? A Tilapia Buttekofferi > Parachromis Dovii???
> 
> That's one lucky Butte I'm guessing.....that just doesn't sound right at all. I know Buttekofferi are aggressive and big, but their size nor the size of their teeth and mouth are nowhere near that of a full-grown Wolf Cichlid. How peculiar...hmmmm
> 
> ...


 Yeah i had it for about a year or so and sold it on when i got out of fishkeeping, i got it from Wharf Aquatics.


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## caribe (Mar 21, 2010)

I sold a few juvi tigers in the shop. Struggled to keep them alive in captivity for some reason as were WC specimens.

Had fast water in the tank, well oxygenated but not that much success.

Lovely little things though


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## caribe (Mar 21, 2010)

Victor Creed said:


> WHAT? A Tilapia Buttekofferi > Parachromis Dovii???
> 
> That's one lucky Butte I'm guessing.....that just doesn't sound right at all. I know Buttekofferi are aggressive and big, but their size nor the size of their teeth and mouth are nowhere near that of a full-grown Wolf Cichlid. How peculiar...hmmmm
> 
> ...


My Tilapia is in a place called the Butterfly farm in Edinburgh in a big display tank with a big Tiger shovelnose as went in to see him


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## CPT BJ (Oct 30, 2010)

caribe said:


> I sold a few juvi tigers in the shop. Struggled to keep them alive in captivity for some reason as were WC specimens.
> 
> Had fast water in the tank, well oxygenated but not that much success.
> 
> Lovely little things though


 Mine did fine for the year or so that i had him in, kept in a 6x2x2 with lots of filtration and aeriation. But they can be senstive to poor water quality.


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## caribe (Mar 21, 2010)

Water quality was spot on and had a big pond filter and seperate BIO external on it as well.

The ones that survived the 1st few days thrived but had initial problems when putting them in the tank.


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## berry1 (Sep 25, 2010)

> what's a Snake-head?


a snakeheads a large family of fish that have a very agressive predatory nature also their banned, illegal in alot of countrys as their one of the most invasive species of fish and have killed a large population

wolf cichlids are lovely beasts but so are snakeheads in my words any way nothing can beat a fully grown red snakehead it will even kill arrowanas and most gar species 

theirs loads of different species of snakehead thought just to list some of them

red snake head max 1.6m 

dwarth snakehead max 14" 

haha check this out their realy agressive

YouTube - snakehead vs Big ass 10 inch bass


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## Victor Creed (Aug 25, 2010)

berry1 said:


> a snakeheads a large family of fish that have a very agGressive predatory nature also their banned, illegal in alot of countrIEs as their one of the most invasive species of fish and have killed a large population
> 
> wolf cichlids are lovely beasts but so are snakeheads in my words any way nothing can beat a fully grown red snakehead it will even kill arrowanas and most gar species
> 
> ...


Please don't post that idiot *******'s home video around here. He fed an illegally taken under-sized Bass to a fish that is illegal in most of the states in the U.S. Then the bass swam around 1/2-eaten and suffered until it died.

I was being sarcastic when I said "what's a snake-head?" meaning I have no intention of ever wanting one while there are Dovii out there. Snakeheads are soooooo overrated in terms of aggression, but they ARE highly intrusive and invasive.


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## caribe (Mar 21, 2010)

Agree, with the above. Not wanting to see a nice bass get ripped in half by some inbred's fish.

They are strong and aggressive fish, but thats it....

The big ones are not attractive to look at. Some of the dwarfs are nice enough but not the micropeltis etc.


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## CPT BJ (Oct 30, 2010)

caribe said:


> Water quality was spot on and had a big pond filter and seperate BIO external on it as well.
> 
> The ones that survived the 1st few days thrived but had initial problems when putting them in the tank.


 Could be due to them being recent wild imports.


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## berry1 (Sep 25, 2010)

Victor Creed said:


> Please don't post that idiot *******'s home video around here. He fed an illegally taken under-sized Bass to a fish that is illegal in most of the states in the U.S. Then the bass swam around 1/2-eaten and suffered until it died.
> 
> no intention of ever wanting one while there are Dovii out there. Snakeheads are soooooo overrated in terms of aggression,
> 
> ...


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## Victor Creed (Aug 25, 2010)

berry1 said:


> Victor Creed said:
> 
> 
> > Please don't post that idiot *******'s home video around here. He fed an illegally taken under-sized Bass to a fish that is illegal in most of the states in the U.S. Then the bass swam around 1/2-eaten and suffered until it died.
> ...


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## berry1 (Sep 25, 2010)

Victor Creed said:


> berry1 said:
> 
> 
> > Observing is not good enough to decide? I'm pretty sure everyone around me saying they are overrated is a safe bet, especially some of the pros in both U.S. and U.K. You'd be surprised what a little self-awareness can do for you.
> ...


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## Victor Creed (Aug 25, 2010)

berry1 said:


> Victor Creed said:
> 
> 
> > if you want to be funny thats your choice victor i have my own personal opinion thats based on my experience with the species (snakehead) as i said i have kept dwarF snakeheads, red snakeheads and a few other species the reds grown 30" and where growing very fast so i was forced to give them away eventualy as i just didnt have the funds to keep them but lookely funds are better now : victory:
> ...


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## berry1 (Sep 25, 2010)

Victor Creed said:


> berry1 said:
> 
> 
> > As far as "being funny" I have no idea what you mean, but last time I checked the title of this thread was "Dovii", not "snakeheads". Make a new thread if you want to talk about those things, please.
> ...


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## berry1 (Sep 25, 2010)

but no i dont want to talk snakeheads thats why im not going to make a thread sorry for hyjacking your thread op


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## caribe (Mar 21, 2010)

Its cool, I have my 4 x Dovii arriving on Wednesday.


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## blowupcavs (Sep 1, 2007)

dovi are like most super aggressive cichlids, they need there own tank, with the exception of breeding pairs. a 5x2x2 is about right for a pair and they will destroy the tank. and btw niles talapia are the most aggressive fish i know of thats why no one keeps them except me lol. very smart though


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## Victor Creed (Aug 25, 2010)

blowupcavs said:


> dovi are like most super aggressive cichlids, they need there own tank, with the exception of breeding pairs. a 5x2x2 is about right for a pair and they will destroy the tank. and btw niles talapia are the most aggressive fish i know of thats why no one keeps them except me lol. very smart though



LOL. Zebra Tilapias aren't exactly hospitable either. Flowerhorns can be vicious, same with male Midas and Red Devils, big male Gold Saums, Jaguars, large Frontosa, Eyespot Cichlids (Peacock bass), and several others. it really depends more on the individual temperment rather than the species as a whole.


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## caribe (Mar 21, 2010)

Victor Creed said:


> LOL. Zebra Tilapias aren't exactly hospitable either. Flowerhorns can be vicious, same with male Midas and Red Devils, big male Gold Saums, Jaguars, large Frontosa, Eyespot Cichlids (Peacock bass), and several others. it really depends more on the individual temperment rather than the species as a whole.


Agree with you mate. Down to the individual fish. I had a male sajica who thought that he was 3 foot and weighed 10 kg by the way he chased the other fish round the tank.

5 - 2 - 2 is not big enough for an adult pair in my opinion. as thats only about 450 litres.

I kept a single male in that until he outgrew it and I upgraded.

But each to there own.

I know they are aggresive and I know that they uproot things but I have kept cichlids for over 2 decades and know how much of a pain they can be :lol2:


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## blowupcavs (Sep 1, 2007)

Victor Creed said:


> LOL. Zebra Tilapias aren't exactly hospitable either. Flowerhorns can be vicious, same with male Midas and Red Devils, big male Gold Saums, Jaguars, large Frontosa, Eyespot Cichlids (Peacock bass), and several others. it really depends more on the individual temperment rather than the species as a whole.


i do agree with that, iv kept a fair few flowerhorns and i have to say ye mental we always house them on there own. i have a red devil, ye agressive butno as bad a my nile talapia, saums eye spots and jags i find are more agressive to similar fish. never really had frontosa appart from 2 in with my old mubuna and they where never any trouble.i have 8 p bass atm from 3 diffrent species and there nuts always fighting but not the worst.



caribe said:


> Agree with you mate. Down to the individual fish. I had a male sajica who thought that he was 3 foot and weighed 10 kg by the way he chased the other fish round the tank.
> 
> 5 - 2 - 2 is not big enough for an adult pair in my opinion. as thats only about 450 litres.
> 
> ...


lol i know the feeling, iv had big fish all my life and they are just a pain but i wouldnt have it any other way


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## caribe (Mar 21, 2010)

Went to a new shop that I had never been to before and found these labelled un known cichlids lol

I bought them as they were cheap and looking at them I might actually have found what I am looking for :lol2:

They have the solid stripe down there sides like Dovii do rather than the mottled line that Jags tend to have.

Let me know what you think. I know they can be a pain to tell apart but its deffo a Guatope and they are already SUPER aggressive with each other.

Thanks
Rich

PICS ARE REALLY BAD QUALITY IM AFRAID, TANK IS UNSETTLED DUE TO LARGE WATER CHANGE.


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## caribe (Mar 21, 2010)




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## caribe (Mar 21, 2010)

Well they certainly dont like each other :lol2:


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## Blurboy (Feb 9, 2007)

I had a dovii many many years ago and it was a stunning fish. Very very aggressive and thought nothing about re-arranging the rocks in the tank to suit himself. I tried different tankmates but gave in when he attacked the last one when I was just lowering it into the tank!


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## caribe (Mar 21, 2010)

Think these are jags anyway tbh


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## caribe (Mar 21, 2010)

Infact 100% managuense


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## Victor Creed (Aug 25, 2010)

As babies they are a bit tough to tell apart, but I don't think they are all the same species. My 1st guess Parachromis loiselli or P. motaguensis, but then there are also several strains of P. managuensis so I assume waiting until they get bigger is the best bet. Definitely NOT P. freidrichsthali or P. dovii. There is also a possibility they could be Petenia splendida which are close look-alikes to Jaguars. I doubt we can help much for now until they get larger, but here are a few ideas.


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## caribe (Mar 21, 2010)

I though moto for a bit but there not "yellow enough" :lol2:

Will see what there like in a bit.

Think I am going to leave the Dovii hunt for the moment as I think I would rather have a colourful tank so will keep these, the Jacks, some Texas and a few FH and see how they all get along.

Going to get the FH now.

They also had a nice Jerdoni (or how ever you spell it, Australian Arrowana)

Very cheap as well.....

hmmmm


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## caribe (Mar 21, 2010)

Oh and I do love the Parachromis loiselli

Never kept them before but stunning none the less.


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## caribe (Mar 21, 2010)

Located a Dovii at long last.










Looking at getting the young one at the back possibly as well


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## CPT BJ (Oct 30, 2010)

caribe said:


> Located a Dovii at long last.
> 
> image
> 
> ...


Nice new Dovi the little one is definately a Dovi aswell although id seperate it from those mbuna as they both require a completely different diet and too much protein can cause the mbuna some serious bloating issues.


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## caribe (Mar 21, 2010)

Thats the holding tank that the supplier has put them in, They will be going in with my Managuense.


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## CPT BJ (Oct 30, 2010)

caribe said:


> Thats the holding tank that the supplier has put them in, They will be going in with my Managuense.


 Oh right nice one.


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## caribe (Mar 21, 2010)

Thats them now in my grow out tank until they get upgraded to the big tank.

Look like a young male and the other I am unsure at the moment so time will tell.

Took a LONG time to track them down but Jeff Rapps stock is always good.


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