# New Green Terror Owner



## kidbetta (Feb 2, 2005)

I finally decided to give the betta hobby a rest and try out a new fish.......

After many hours of research I decided to get a Green Terror....

I found a nice pet shop that had some really nice Terror's..... 

I took the most colorful one and now it's being prepared to be introduced into it's new temp. home a 5-1/2 gallon tank with a aquaclear filter which is one of the best filters for media use..

I've had much success keeping fish and I hope this fish will be another success and interesting adventure in fish keeping....

It's a small terror so I will eventually be moving him into a bigger tank and possibly add 1 friend or 2..

Now My question is....... Does anyone here own any green terrors...? What food are u using?
Any brand in particular that I should use? What type of decoration do you use in your tank? 
Any advice, info. or anything interesting that you will like to share?

Thanks!


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## fishfreaks (Jan 19, 2005)

we have a green terror that will eat a variety of food. frozen bloodworms, frozen brine shrimp, live brine shrimp, live blackworms, flakes, chichlid pellets, sinking wafers, and sometimes feeders. i suggest you plan on cycling your next tank, because hes a fast grower!


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## flynngriff (Jan 19, 2005)

I've never owned a Green Terror personally, but I have to say that as with most aggresive South American cichlids, it's going to grow pretty fast... You've going to need a _much _larger tank very soon. A 5.5 gallon tank isn't good for any of the large cichlids., only a betta or maybe a few small tetras. It's good that you're planning on moving him eventually, but you should do it before he's even an inch long... Otherwise, I'm afraid you'll stunt his growth and end up with an unhappy fish. Cichlids need lots of room...

-Flynn


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## joe kool (Jan 24, 2005)

It's been said on here before that "A" fish diserves at least a 10 or larger tank. Its' difficult if not impossable to properly cycle a 5 gal to remotely "take care of it's self" without bi-weekly water changes. 

Aequidens rivulatus (green terror) will grow large ... fast as stated here earlier. I have a breeding pair in a 46 bow front with a few other misc. fish and they are about to need a bigger home. (they're only about 1 1/2 years old) They'll eat pretty much anything that hits the water. I haven't found anything they don't like. Frozen, freeze dried, flake, fresh veggies (mine like the zuccini I "try" to feed the pleco) pellets, sticks, like I said pretty much anything. I feed frozen shrimp (myesis sp?, and brine) and frozen blood worms bi-weelky and they go crazy over them.

Cycle a bigger tank now!!! (45 or larger!) takes a good 5-6 weeks to get it stable and he'll need it by then! ... (he needs it now!)

:mrgreen: :mrgreen:


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## kidbetta (Feb 2, 2005)

I never had a problem cycling a 5-1/2 gallon tank..... And I always did Monthly water changes with no problems with fish which equal more inches/size by total amount....

The fish is less than 3 inches..... No way is my tank with the water quality and space it has would hurt a green terror if kept in the tank for a week or maybe even 3 weeks..... I don't think that a Green Terror grows an inch a week??? Plus,,,,They are kept in much smaller environment/poorer water conditions in pet shops for a much longer time..... untill they are bought.....

Yes, I do agree that a bigger tank will be necessary and the sooner the better..... Anyway,.... I decided that I prefer my bettas and their friends..... The Green Terror just wasn't my cup of tea.... The betta has more color and more prestige and symbolic meaning.... He went back to the pet shop.....  I hope some one buys him quick and gives him a good home..... I figure I tried another fish.... but hey,,,,, Every owner has his taste..... I did learn something from a Green Terror...... That is that they have advocates who care for them..... That's good NEWS..... Maybe in the futrue when I get a bigger apartment I will try to grow with them and give it a second chance... I will also have a bigger tank ready!

Thanks for LISTENNING and Sharing....


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## Lexus (Jan 19, 2005)

you have an apartment of your own and you are 14 years old???? and you mentioned NYC earlier but your flag is North Korea, where do you live?


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## Lexus (Jan 19, 2005)

well?


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## flynngriff (Jan 19, 2005)

Heh... Not everybody can check these forums so often as you regulars, Lexus...

-Flynn


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## Lexus (Jan 19, 2005)

ya Im in college and very bored most of the time.... plus the college has wireless internet everywhere on campus and they give you a laptop :wink:


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## fishfreaks (Jan 19, 2005)

t: must be nice  i have my own laptop but itd be sweet if my school gave me one


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## kidbetta (Feb 2, 2005)

I don't live in Korea.... North or South....

I travel through cyberspace......

Just having fun......


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## X-Pande-R (Feb 15, 2005)

Green terror will each most things. They get very agressive in their adult hood. Beaware of tank mates, don't put any small fish in with it. :wink:


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## kidbetta (Feb 2, 2005)

X-Pande-R @ Mon Feb 21 said:


> Green terror will each most things. They get very agressive in their adult hood. Beaware of tank mates, don't put any small fish in with it. :wink:


Thanks for the info.... 

I took the terror back..... I decided to rescue a plakat betta again instead......


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## joe kool (Jan 24, 2005)

kidbetta @ Sun 20 Feb said:


> Plus,,,,They are kept in much smaller environment/poorer water conditions in pet shops for a  much longer time..... untill they are bought......


in "MOST" pet shops a 20gal is the smallest tank you will find that they keep fish for sale in (outside of the betta sequestered to a cup) and if the tank "looks" smaller than a 20 it's usually on a "community" sump system where all the tanks ... or atleast a group of the tanks all "overflow" into a large supm and then water is pumped up the the tanks out of the sump resulting in a rather large body of water (some LFS's have about 2000gal of water in 1 sump/multitank setup) which is great for stability of the water but could be catastrophic if not well maintained and preventitave medication used as if 1 tank gets ick or some other "problem" the whole system get's it!

but you'll almost never see 5 or 10 gal tanks used in the industry to house fish in a LFS while waiting to be pruchased by the general public.


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## Lisachromis (Jan 19, 2005)

joe kool @ Sun Mar 06 said:


> but you'll almost never see 5 or 10 gal tanks used in the industry to house fish in a LFS while waiting to be pruchased by the general public.


Very true, but we have a store here in town that does that. All fish except marine that are for sale are in 10 gallon tanks. When they moved I figured she'd upgrade too, but naw... that costs.


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## kidbetta (Feb 2, 2005)

joe kool @ Sun Mar 06 said:


> kidbetta @ Sun 20 Feb said:
> 
> 
> > Plus,,,,They are kept in much smaller environment/poorer water conditions in pet shops for a  much longer time..... untill they are bought......
> ...


It all depends where you live...... I agree you almost never see 5 gallon tanks ... 10 gallons I have seen... Anyway...... it's more than just a 10 gal..... issue..... I'm talking more about the size and amount of fish together in a given tank and how it relates to water quality.... Taking everthing into consideration... and etc....

In NYC? Chinatown in particular?  I have seen some crazy stuff..... One store in particular doesn't allow pictures/cameras...... Just imagine why...  You wouldn't even believe how much Cichlids/other fish they keep together.....  I don't buy from them..... 

I have seen many pet shops use 10 gallon set-ups to sell their fish........ They use the box filter....  Mostly... MOM and POP shops..... Some Good, some Bad......   and not just NYC.... I've seen them in Florida and NJ......

Yeah... 
Some use 20 gallon tanks but they still over stock their tanks.... Their Environment/Water Quality is Poor/ Fish get stressed... Catch diseases and spread them with the quicknessssss because like you said they use that sump/multitank setup ....some fish get picked and become sick.. and the workers can't tell the difference between a sick/ dead fish and a live fish..... 


I have a petco  in my neighborhood  that always have trouble with that sump/multitank setup..... The staff is HORRIBLE! They try to sell you dead fish... + The fish selection is awfullllll and they rarely look healthy/good.....


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## fishfreaks (Jan 19, 2005)

sounds like the stores around here!


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## kidbetta (Feb 2, 2005)

Hey fish freak..........

What kind of fish you have in your tanks?


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## oscarfan (Mar 10, 2005)

i own 2 green terrors they are very nasty i use hikalari gold, freeze dried krill, and shrimp pellets
i don't use any brand in particular and i'd suggest a much bigger tank 55gal. if you're keepin a single fish and 50 gal. each additional fish. i use driftwood, rocks and plastic plants for my decor'


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## fishfreaks (Jan 19, 2005)

we have mostly cichlids and a few peaceful fish in our 15 gallon. and a blue crayfish in the 5 1/2.


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