# Florida Flagfish



## pennjones

Well my 20 long has developed hair algae (not much right now, but i'd like it to be less), and I was thinking about getting a couple of florida flag fish to help control this. It is heavily planted with blyxa japonica, java moss, and elocaris acicularis. The current fauna includes: 7 rummynose tetras, 4 otos, and cherry shrimp. Will these fish destroy my shrimp population? I got about 24 or 25 when I first put these shrimp in the tank, about 2 months ago, and I currently have no idea how many shrimp I have. Please let me know asap as to how these fish will act and if i'll be ok to add them. Thanks! -Brad


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## JanS

Hi Brad.

I've heard mixed reports on the Flagfish. Some say they are mellow and do a great job on algae, and others say they're very aggressive and don't do much for algae. I've never kept them, so I don't have any personal experience with them.
There was quite a lengthy thread earlier discussing them, so if you do a search, you could take a look at that and decide for yourself if you think they'd work for you.


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## pennjones

Alright well I picked up 2 female flagfish and they're currently acclamating. I bought no males with hopes to keep the aggression down. These fish were in the same tank as a tire track eel and 2 kribs (which I bought last night for my other tank. Unfortunately, one died this morning) and there didn't seem to be any aggression amongst any of the fish, so hopefully these 2 work out well.


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## bristles

I'm no expert & my knowledge is limited to what my friend (he is the aquatic manager at the LFS) told me when I was looking at getting some to augment my janitorial crew in one of my larger planted tanks, he said they where good at algae control but were aggressive & might be a real danger to my neons & amano shrimp.


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## pennjones

Really? Even in such a densely planted tank? Also, are flagfish jumpers? I've wanted to make my tank open top, but i'm affraid that my fish will jump out. Any thoughts?


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## danepatrick

i also have mixed experiences with the flagfish. i've kept one who destroyed my gourami's fins and my friend has two who live with amano shrimp and heteramorpha rasboras. i guess it just depends on the personality of the fish itself. i'm not sure about them being jumpers. if you want an alternative to the flagfish, i've _heard_ that black mollies and rosy barbs will eat the hair algae as well.


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## pennjones

Well, just now I watched the flagfish attack and eat one of my bigger cherry srhimp, so now they're in a bucket, because 1-$2 shrimp is more important than 2-$1 fish. I don't know what to do with these gals, because my 20 high only has rocks and driftwood, and a few lillys, not many plants though and no algae (knock on wood). It consists of 1 bristlenose pleco, 1 kribensis cichlid, and 7 scissortail rasboras. Can I add them to this tank? Please let me know asap. Thanks! -Brad


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## danepatrick

i don't think it would be a problem to add them with those.


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## Steven_Chong

I got to give these guys a recommendation from my experiences with them.

I recently had a small outbreak of algae, and decided to add my flags back to my main tank (they were in a holding tank after they got rid of my huge outbreak a while ago).

I had been feeding them ADA fish food, but I guess they really don't prefer the stuff, because when they got back into the main tank, it was like they had been starved (though they're quite fat). It was like dropping a starving man into an all you can eat spaghetti. Noon of the same day, I could already see a visible difference in algae.

The other fish are also quite small "nano" sized-- sparkling gourami, botia sidthemunki, and juevenile Dicrossus. While the flags were curious at first, and the other fish were easily intimidated, that soon stopped; within an hour of adding the flags.

The flags got down to eating algae and pretty much ignored the other fish, who in turn realized that the "big scary flags" didn't care about them. All are about their normal business now.


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## spypet

someone sent me this photo of his "starving" Flag Fish
he claims he has an appetite and is eating, but still
looks skinny, even for a male. his tank has a few plants
but is in low light, so no algae. My own Flag Fish don't
eat clipped veggies, or Algae wafers, so what else can
he do to fatten up his patriotic friend?

also, does anyone know how many years they live?
I checked a dozen profiles and could not find an answer.










foods used










tank plants


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## JanS

Hi Spypet,

As I said in my earlier comment, I have no experience with them, but it could very well have parasites, so a deworming might help the sunken belly.

As for food, he could try some regular algae wafers (yours may not eat them if they have enough other natural food) or zucchini as a supplement food.


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## spypet

OK, I'll tell him to get some of this food, and see if it helps. Thanx! 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270148679417


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## rs79

Flagfish are cool and all but as other point out, very variable. In my experience you can't rely on them to eat any significant amount of thread algae. You're gonna have to address the underlying causes of the algae.


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## npnailer

I have set my tank up as a pure North American native tank, so in keeping with that I decided to trade in my amano shrimp and ottos' for flag fish. So far, so good. The flags have been in for about a week, and all they do is chase on another around(they seem to be definite shoaling fish) and eat algae...ANY kind of algae. I swear I've seen them grazing on a little patch of cyno, even! They eat hair and slime algae with gusto, and so far have ignored the plants themselves, and the other fish. As a bonus, the males in particular are really nice looking fish, sort of like a hybrid between a sunfish and a sailfin mollie!
As to aggression..they ARE snippy with their own kind, but they only tried to mess with another type once...
The largest male I have, made the mistake of going after a medium sized central mud minnow I have(I have 6 of those)...the muddie was about 2/3 the "bulk" of the flag...but the results of the flagfish's mistake, was that the mud minnow turned on it, bit a chunk out of it's back fin, and promptly chased it clear around the tank several times, including following it right into a mass of java moss...
Suffice to say...the flags have learned quickly to leave others well enough alone, and since then, have only messed with "their own kind".


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## Cliff Mayes

I put a bunch of them in a 75 this year. I think the first batch went in about 7 or 8 months ago. Open top tank by the way.

The Flags are in with Platies, Cory Cats and Tetras. They are seldom seen unless I go looking for them.

I have observed them pulling on Algae, probably eating it.

According to the NET Flags are Killies and only live about a year. I have not tried to get them to spawn. The LFS, which is truly outstanding, was not much help with info about Flags. Flags are kinda non-descript compared to some of the Killies but, like all fish, they are interesting and besides they are useful for Bozos like me.

They are neat fish and seem to get along with everybody and there are hundreds of little Platies in there to the point where I have to clean them out soon. I'm just being lazy and I really do not want to disturb them. Stupid? Yeah but...Hey!


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## npnailer

Flags ARE Killies, but they are not annuals...from what I've gotten from people who have kept them, when they are well kept they can go 2 or even 3 years.
As to color, the males are actually brilliantly colored once they acclimate to a tank, and hold their own with many fish. Not as colorful as the true annual killies, but not by any means boring. I often see JUST females available though, and I've had my LFS try to tell me you can't tell them apart and even that "there is no visible difference". That could not be further from the truth! My guess is you may well have only females, which are pretty plain.
This is a pic that's floating around the web(lights are off in my tank for the night, and I don't like to mess with the light cycle), and IMO it really does not do them justice..but it's at least indicative of the color in males.


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## rs79

Only small number of killies live a year. The majority live 2-3-5 years.

I just found last week Florida blufin killies also eat thread algae. I watched them!
I've never seen this mentioned before.

They're a bit cuter than flag fish I think.










More pics here: http://images.killi.net/g/GOO/


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## toxic69

i got one and its a great alge eater anyone else notice that they take on a kind of green color if they have eaten alot of alge


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## Crazygar

I know this is an old thread but more information might be useful;

1) Florida Flag Fish (J.floridae) are hit and miss when it comes to aggression and behaviour. I find that the Females do much better in a mixed setting than the Males. 

2) They love soft plants. So items such as Hairgrass, Ricca, and other soft, fine leaved plants are also on the menu if nothing else is about. It's a great idea to keep these well fed at all times

3) Lifespan, I had a pair for over 2years, but had to relocate them as they were a breeding pair and each tank they were in they caused havoc. I have no data on how long these fish actually live in captivity though.

4) THEY WILL terrorize RCS, Amano and other Inverts in the tank. I've watched them rip apart a couple of Amanos (Tank Relocation #1) within almost seconds. Once again, it was a Male/Female pair and I believe the Amano wandered close to their nest.

5) Otocinclus are "investigated" but left alone.

6) These are far one of the more interesting fish that I've owned in my Career. They are often referred to as the "Poor Man's Apistogramma" and if you take a good look at them, you'll see why. 

7) Give them natural sunlight and watch their true colours shine. I currently keep 1 Female in my 20GAL Tall Cryptocoryne nursery and she does a great job at keeping algae (and even snails) in check. They are highly curious fish and will "sample" before deciding whether or not an item is edible or not.

Gary


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## artgecko

I had 3 in my 46gl several years ago...They are cool looking fish, never saw them eat much algae (but the tank was heavily planted, so they probably were eating some). They did, however, ocassionally torment the other tank inhabitants..particularly the platies (I guess they look too much like flagfish). Mine seemed to be defensive of the space around them sometimes...almost like a gourami can be territorial. Not sure if that is a common trait though.

Art


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