Lake Malawi Species • Pseudotropheus Demasoni

[riverpaws]

How big do these fish get? Those of you who have had them for a long time, can you clear this up for me? I was working under the impression that they are a dwarf cichlid and only grow to about 3 inches. A "breeder" the other day told me this wasn't true and that it was more like 4 to 5 inches. He said most of the demasoni you could buy, unless they were the true "dwarf" variety, commonly grew to 4 to 5 inches.

Is this true?

[24Tropheus]

My understanding is it is as the profiles show they come from two collection sites and grow to very different sizes depending on this.
(Mozambique) small 2.5" one
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... hp?id=1321
(Pombo Rocks) Tanzania larger 4" one
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... php?id=849

As to what any one you get from a breeder will grow to, who knows? The collection data is usualy lost very early.

Funny enough I read elsewhere that the Pombo Rocks one only gets to 3" in the wild but I think this site is right on the size in aquaria.

[DJRansome]

My big guy is 4" if you include the tail (which you should). But most of the demasoni in the tank are smaller.

[riverpaws]

Okay, thanks for the input, guys.

So if I have the bigger variety (ie if there are fish in my tank that are going to get to 4" like DJ's), I should only have one other species with the demasoni due to the numbers of Demasoni I have to keep?

[DJRansome]

I don't find the numbers of demasoni make me limit the number of other species in the tank. I can't remember your tank size.

[riverpaws]

55 gallon, standard 48", and it's all good, there's so many members on here I don't know how you could possibly remember everyone.