I am wanted some feedback on my Uruguayan community tank I am planning. My plan was/is to have have one male and several females each of Gymnogeophagus "blue neon" (already have), balzanii, and gymnogenys. I was also was going to have a few Cichlasoma dimerus "Bella Union", Australoheros Oblongum (already have), a school of plateaus corys (already have), and Uruguayan pleco, and some kind of tetra. But now I am running into a few issues.
Unfortunately, the dimerus I was supposed to get were wiped out by some fungus, so the seller could not send them to me. Now I don't know if I'll be able to find any more. In addition the seller (who also sold me the Australaheros oblongum) mentioned that neither the dimerus, or the oblongum would be suitable for an unheated tank. This is not what I have read, but he is the one who has owned them, so what do I know? Does anyone know the natural range of the oblongum? I can't seem to find it out.
So are the oblongum and dimerus suitable for an unheated tank? (If I can find more dimerus! Anyone know someone selling them?) The tank is in my basement, and I think it gets down into the low 60s in winter, but I am not entirely sure.
Does anyone know of a tetra from Uruguay that I would be able to locate? Or a tetra that is similar to a tetra in Uruguay and that can withstand those types of temps? I am not a hardcore biotope person, so I would be willing to substitute a similar non-Uruguayan species for an Uruguayan species, if it will work. E.g. I am also considering putting some Geophagus iporangensis in (technically from far southern Brasil) as a substitute for Geophgus brasiliensis (which lives in Uruguay), because they are smaller and less aggressive.
So thoughts? Thanks!
Unfortunately, the dimerus I was supposed to get were wiped out by some fungus, so the seller could not send them to me. Now I don't know if I'll be able to find any more. In addition the seller (who also sold me the Australaheros oblongum) mentioned that neither the dimerus, or the oblongum would be suitable for an unheated tank. This is not what I have read, but he is the one who has owned them, so what do I know? Does anyone know the natural range of the oblongum? I can't seem to find it out.
So are the oblongum and dimerus suitable for an unheated tank? (If I can find more dimerus! Anyone know someone selling them?) The tank is in my basement, and I think it gets down into the low 60s in winter, but I am not entirely sure.
Does anyone know of a tetra from Uruguay that I would be able to locate? Or a tetra that is similar to a tetra in Uruguay and that can withstand those types of temps? I am not a hardcore biotope person, so I would be willing to substitute a similar non-Uruguayan species for an Uruguayan species, if it will work. E.g. I am also considering putting some Geophagus iporangensis in (technically from far southern Brasil) as a substitute for Geophgus brasiliensis (which lives in Uruguay), because they are smaller and less aggressive.
So thoughts? Thanks!