Mixing Geophagus species?

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AquariumHabit

Black Skirt Tetra
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Aug 22, 2018
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Hello been a while since I've posted but I have a 180g aquarium current stock is

1 Male Severum
1 Male Electric Blue Acara
6 Geophagus Tapajos
6 Yoyo Loaches
6 Bosemani Rainbow
6 Congo Tetra

Thoughts on adding a Geophagus Brasiliensis (Pearl Cichlid)?

Or maybe other suggestions ? as another "show piece fish" ? just really enjoy watching my Geos , awesome fish to keep.

Thanks.
 
Ive heard bad things about brasiliensis being territorial and aggressive towards other earth eaters, but never tried it myself. A 180 provides a decent amount of space though. I say go for it as well.
 
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Braziliensus come from southern Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina, where water parameters are quite different from the Amazon region, it is more alkaline and hard, at times even slightly brackish, and seasonally temperate.
The temps are generally also much lower, as in S American the further south you go, the more temperate it is.
Keeping any of the braziliensus complex at constant tropical temps tends to bring out the aggressive side, and you may find your other Geos on the receiving end of some whuparse.
They are in general,(as backfromthedead said) a much more territorial and quarrelsome species.
I often kept them without heaters, at temps between 68'F and 72'F to help quell aggression, some species of the complex even spawned in my outside ponds in Milwaukee that rarely reached 70'F.
 
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duanes said:
Braziliensus come from southern Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina, where water parameters are quite different from the Amazon region, it is more alkaline and hard, at times even slightly brackish, and seasonally temperate.
The temps are generally also much lower, as in S American the further south you go, the more temperate it is.
Keeping any of the braziliensus complex at constant tropical temps tends to bring out the aggressive side, and you may find your other Geos on the receiving end of some whuparse.
They are in general,(as backfromthedead said) a much more territorial and quarrelsome species.
I often kept them without heaters, at temps between 68'F and 72'F to help quell aggression, some species of the complex even spawned in my outside ponds in Milwaukee that rarely reached 70'F.
Click to expand...


What is the fish on the left?! Beautiful fish.
 
duanes said:
Braziliensus come from southern Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina, where water parameters are quite different from the Amazon region, it is more alkaline and hard, at times even slightly brackish, and seasonally temperate.
The temps are generally also much lower, as in S American the further south you go, the more temperate it is.
Keeping any of the braziliensus complex at constant tropical temps tends to bring out the aggressive side, and you may find your other Geos on the receiving end of some whuparse.
They are in general,(as backfromthedead said) a much more territorial and quarrelsome species.
I often kept them without heaters, at temps between 68'F and 72'F to help quell aggression, some species of the complex even spawned in my outside ponds in Milwaukee that rarely reached 70'F.
Click to expand...

I was actually doing more research last night and agree with you , I've decided not to go with them given the temperature issues, thanks for the info on them. what are you're thoughts on Acarichthys heckeli?

btw beautiful fish!
 
AquariumHabit said:
I was actually doing more research last night and agree with you , I've decided not to go with them given the temperature issues, thanks for the info on them. what are you're thoughts on Acarichthys heckeli?

btw beautiful fish!
Click to expand...
Acarichthys heckelli would be more compatible being from a similar geographic area.
I was warned before I got mine, that my 150 gal would not be large enough for them, once they hit maturity. I didn't take the warning seriously, and at about 3 years, the heckelli started killing each other during a spawning rut, and I lost them all. Great fish, but if I wanted to keep more than one, I'd have at the ready, move them to a 300 gallon, at just over two years.


And beside being a hard water species.. I usually find Central American species (such as Vieja) are also much too aggressive to be kept with mild mannered South American types, like Geo Tapajos.
Your 180 might be enough though.
 
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