Cryptoheros tankmates
- Thread starter Mythic Figment
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I found once cutteri started spawning, the male had quite a growth spurt and bulk up, and though not large in the way some Parachromis are large, my male hit a good 7" length, and 5" tall, so by no means small. And together with a pair of panamense, I would think would be striking display in a 150, especially in regards to the contrast in the 2 species coloration, and panamense can also reach bulky proportions.
And an adult pair a bit large for a 40, especially if trying to go for the suppression of male/female tension.
A cave the female can wiggle into, but too small for the male, could do loads for saving her life
And an adult pair a bit large for a 40, especially if trying to go for the suppression of male/female tension.
A cave the female can wiggle into, but too small for the male, could do loads for saving her life
You might want to just stick with the two pairs mentioned and other some other non cichlid target fish. I've had cutteri spawn in my 300 and they claimed half of the tank. Panamensis will likely do the same.
I found once cutteri started spawning, the male had quite a growth spurt and bulk up, and though not large in the way some Parachromis are large, my male hit a good 7" length, and 5" tall, so by no means small. And together with a pair of panamense, I would think would be striking display in a 150, especially in regards to the contrast in the 2 species coloration, and panamense can also reach bulky proportions.
And an adult pair a bit large for a 40, especially if trying to go for the suppression of male/female tension.
A cave the female can wiggle into, but too small for the male, could do loads for saving her life
Hmmm..... That might be an issue. When I bought them, the breeder I got them from said they would be fine as a pair in a 40. I hadn't thought much about the pair being aggressive with one another. They all seem very laid back right now. Guess I will just wait and see for now. The size throws me off too. All the research I did suggested males only hit 4.5-5.5" with females being about an inch smaller. If they get that big, they will definitely be big for a 40. It's amazing to see the differences in this genus. Convicts are mean when breeding, but I never hear anything about pairs killing their mates. And then there are nanoluteus, which apparently stay small and are pretty mellow.
Do you think I could do a pair of each the cutteri and the panamensis in a 4' tank like a 75 or 90 with lots of decor in the middle to establish clear territory lines? If I can manage to make it so the males can display to one another without going berserk on each other, it would definitely keep the females safer.
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I have a solitary heckelii as well.
And chocolates have always been an interest to me. Sent from my iPad using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
Yeah. Definitely wouldn't want to give all that space to just a few medium size fish. LOL I might do a 50/50 split if I can find a great deal on a small 6' tank.
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Everything I read about Heroina said they were small and mild but I've found it to be mostly inaccurate. My males are in a 210 and they've turned into bulky 6"+ fish that attack my 11"+ Atabapo severum pair when they're spawning.
Although pairs form very strong bonds, males can get pushy if they have a disagreement about the fry or if they want to spawn and the female isn't ready. Given their similarities to Cryptoheros, I would assume the same could be said of Cryptoheros pairs. Even though they are a compatible, bonded pair, there's still a chance for them to have a disagreement. The smaller the tank, the more problematic that may be. Give the female a small space to escsape into.
My best luck with the Heroina is to give them a bigger tank (one pair in a 55, multiples in the 210) with some tankmates to strengthen their pair bond. They rarely turn on each other if they have some third wheel to take out their aggression on. Big, sturdy dithers would probably be a good choice. I like deep-bodied tetras or maybe some big wild-type mollies as duanes suggested livebearers.
Although pairs form very strong bonds, males can get pushy if they have a disagreement about the fry or if they want to spawn and the female isn't ready. Given their similarities to Cryptoheros, I would assume the same could be said of Cryptoheros pairs. Even though they are a compatible, bonded pair, there's still a chance for them to have a disagreement. The smaller the tank, the more problematic that may be. Give the female a small space to escsape into.
My best luck with the Heroina is to give them a bigger tank (one pair in a 55, multiples in the 210) with some tankmates to strengthen their pair bond. They rarely turn on each other if they have some third wheel to take out their aggression on. Big, sturdy dithers would probably be a good choice. I like deep-bodied tetras or maybe some big wild-type mollies as duanes suggested livebearers.
Do you think I could just add some live bearers to a 40 with a breeding pair? Seems like a 3' tank would make it impossible for dithers to be the answer to my problem.
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Despite many claims otherwise, I have found all cichlids, be they African or Central American, tend to claim a 4" sq area when spawning.
I have watched JDs in the cenotes of Mexico attack anything that enters their spawning square. In nature the interloper simply quickly leaves the area, but this of course is not possible in any but the largest tanks, so the interloper ends up dead. And to achieve this defense stance, cichlids seem to have an innate heightened sense of readiness to be aggressive while spawning, which puts the female (or sometimes the male if he is smaller)in harms way, in a tank without targets for the male to vent the aggression.
In a tank like a 40 breeder, one must always be ready to remove the smaller partner when that aggression surfaces.
I just had a Lepidiolamprologus male kill his mate in a 75 gal after 3 spawns, it was just not enough space, when the moment came, and it was in 24hours. And he was only about 7"
I have watched JDs in the cenotes of Mexico attack anything that enters their spawning square. In nature the interloper simply quickly leaves the area, but this of course is not possible in any but the largest tanks, so the interloper ends up dead. And to achieve this defense stance, cichlids seem to have an innate heightened sense of readiness to be aggressive while spawning, which puts the female (or sometimes the male if he is smaller)in harms way, in a tank without targets for the male to vent the aggression.
In a tank like a 40 breeder, one must always be ready to remove the smaller partner when that aggression surfaces.
I just had a Lepidiolamprologus male kill his mate in a 75 gal after 3 spawns, it was just not enough space, when the moment came, and it was in 24hours. And he was only about 7"
I am still thinking about Heroina fry/juvies. Would you say a pair of Heroina would be okay in a 40, Ryan?
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