Anyone with experience with SA dwarf cichalids
- Thread starter Kingster
- Start date
I have a pair of Macmastri, really hardy hold their own with angels wasn't meant to be that way but for now is. No breeding yet. I didnt change anything about the water parameters at all. Probably will need to to get them to breed.
I've had a bunch of SA dwarves including Apistos, Bolivian Rams and Checkerboards. I liked the Checkerboards a lot - the males were really beautiful and they were a really mild tempered species. Apistos were more territorial than the Rams or Checkerboards.
I had a pair of WC Laetacara Araguaiae, they are another fish in the Curviceps family - got them from Wet Spot. They were gorgeous when in breeding dress, spawned readily and I loved having them in the tank. They would move their new babies around in their mouths and dig little pits for them. They also ate snails which was fun to watch. My problem was having them in a community tank and only a 3-foot long 65 gallon. When they spawned they would harass any fish at the bottom of the tank, and claimed a good half of it. It was too stressful for the others so I rehomed them, but always thought it would be fun to have a pair again in a tank designed for them with mid to top dwelling schoolers.
I really like your idea of these smaller fish in the 120. Will you have branches and other plants or only litter?
I had a pair of WC Laetacara Araguaiae, they are another fish in the Curviceps family - got them from Wet Spot. They were gorgeous when in breeding dress, spawned readily and I loved having them in the tank. They would move their new babies around in their mouths and dig little pits for them. They also ate snails which was fun to watch. My problem was having them in a community tank and only a 3-foot long 65 gallon. When they spawned they would harass any fish at the bottom of the tank, and claimed a good half of it. It was too stressful for the others so I rehomed them, but always thought it would be fun to have a pair again in a tank designed for them with mid to top dwelling schoolers.
I really like your idea of these smaller fish in the 120. Will you have branches and other plants or only litter?
Here are some photos of them.
Non-spawning colors. Food beggars at the humans like most cichlids are.
Non-spawning colors. Food beggars at the humans like most cichlids are.
I also had checker board but only for a short time as mine died 1 by 1 for no reason I could tell, all other fish in the tank were fine. The checkerboards schooled which I thought was really cool for a cichlid. Again I didnt do anything for hardness tds or ph so like
tlindsey
said may have been a reason.
magpie
did you do anything for water parameters? I know you've said your water is pretty soft.
tlindsey
said may have been a reason.
magpie
did you do anything for water parameters? I know you've said your water is pretty soft.Where I was living in Portland OR the water was extremely soft and trended in the 6-7 ph naturally out of the tap (and later I learned that due to the softness, the pH would drop even further, below 6.) I think that helped with some of the SA species. I did use leaf litter until I learned how low my pH was dropping, then took it out.
My checkerboards weren't as robust or long lived as the others, though. Only a couple years. Maybe with all the leaf litter there'd be even longer term success.
Here are pics of the male. I had the maculatus. Also WC. I think the filamentous can be found CB maybe? Might be more long lived if so?
My checkerboards weren't quite as in your face as some of the other cichlids, either. They were just more mild in general. I do like the in your face fish that interact.
My checkerboards weren't as robust or long lived as the others, though. Only a couple years. Maybe with all the leaf litter there'd be even longer term success.
Here are pics of the male. I had the maculatus. Also WC. I think the filamentous can be found CB maybe? Might be more long lived if so?
My checkerboards weren't quite as in your face as some of the other cichlids, either. They were just more mild in general. I do like the in your face fish that interact.
Where I was living in Portland OR the water was extremely soft and trended in the 6-7 ph naturally out of the tap (and later I learned that due to the softness, the pH would drop even further, below 6.) I think that helped with some of the SA species. I did use leaf litter until I learned how low my pH was dropping, then took it out.
My checkerboards weren't as robust or long lived as the others, though. Only a couple years. Maybe with all the leaf litter there'd be even longer term success.
Here are pics of the male. I had the maculatus. Also WC. I think the filamentous can be found CB maybe? Might be more long lived if so?
My checkerboards weren't quite as in your face as some of the other cichlids, either. They were just more mild in general. I do like the in your face fish that interact.
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You gave me hope in maybe trying the Checker Board Cichlids again. I can see why most like the Wetspot.
They get rare and hard to get species. Also thanks for sharing your experience with those little gems.