90g Planted cichlid tank setup questions
- Thread starter TheLorax
- Start date
Wow, that's a lot of progress. Well done! Your tank looks great! Looking forward to seeing it fill in more. I agree with hybridherp, give your geos time to grow.
As they reach sexual maturity they will color up more. Do you know if theyre wild caught and their m/f ratio? As they grow males will show more color, especially dominant fish. Non spawning females and subdominant males wont have as much "red". I dont think the black substrate has any effect on my group. They arrived during the summer at approx 2.5 inches, 2m/4f. The largest 2 in the group (potential pair?) are now about 5 inches and are showing a nice contrast. Another thought, lighting does make a difference in their color. A Sat+ on the right setting will make a world of difference vs a fugeray.
Btw, how big is your Hypselacara Temporalis? WC? I'd love to see pics. My chocolate pair are my favorites in their tank
Sent from my Nexus 10 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
As they reach sexual maturity they will color up more. Do you know if theyre wild caught and their m/f ratio? As they grow males will show more color, especially dominant fish. Non spawning females and subdominant males wont have as much "red". I dont think the black substrate has any effect on my group. They arrived during the summer at approx 2.5 inches, 2m/4f. The largest 2 in the group (potential pair?) are now about 5 inches and are showing a nice contrast. Another thought, lighting does make a difference in their color. A Sat+ on the right setting will make a world of difference vs a fugeray.
Btw, how big is your Hypselacara Temporalis? WC? I'd love to see pics. My chocolate pair are my favorites in their tank
Sent from my Nexus 10 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
Thank you! My chocolate is 2" and not WC, none of my fish are. There is a breeder who brings in baby F1 geos to my LFS, those are the ones I had last year and their colors were unbelievable. I might pick some up next time they're available and see if they color up the same. You mind posting a pic of your geos? All the really nice ones I've seen were on light substrate. My old chocolate was one of my favorite fish too, I'll post pics when he colors up. Maybe I'll switch out a fugeray for a SAT+ some day. For now I'm just happy my cichlids aren't tearing up the plants. My main worry is the male pike, he has grown noticeably in the past 2 weeks, I know he ate the cardinals and maybe even the first female pike, what a monster. New female is chill so far, even eats pellets. I really liked the cardinals but I need a new schooling fish 
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
Thank you! My chocolate is 2" and not WC, none of my fish are. There is a breeder who brings in baby F1 geos to my LFS, those are the ones I had last year and their colors were unbelievable. I might pick some up next time they're available and see if they color up the same. You mind posting a pic of your geos? All the really nice ones I've seen were on light substrate. My old chocolate was one of my favorite fish too, I'll post pics when he colors up. Maybe I'll switch out a fugeray for a SAT+ some day. For now I'm just happy my cichlids aren't tearing up the plants. My main worry is the male pike, he has grown noticeably in the past 2 weeks, I know he ate the cardinals and maybe even the first female pike, what a monster. New female is chill so far, even eats pellets. I really liked the cardinals but I need a new schooling fish
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
Sure, I'll take pics this week with my macro lens / DSLR camera under different light settings. I'm overdue with an update on this pt. There's an NJAS meeting Thursday, so hopefully there will be lots of plants to add. I've never kept pikes, so can't comment on their behavior. I've been on the look out for top dwellers for my tank as well. Especially since all of my fish stay in the mid and lower levels.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
As you requested... Here they are upon arrival over the summer. Note the lack of intensity in color at their size.
And here they are today. The first pic below is of a subdominant fish. The remaining pics are of the more dominant fish chasing each other around after a water change.
And here they are today. The first pic below is of a subdominant fish. The remaining pics are of the more dominant fish chasing each other around after a water change.
Update your thread, we all need to learn from pictures of your tank
To the OP, link to my 75 is in my signature, I'm about to post an update in that thread as well, might help give you ideas.
Update your thread, we all need to learn from pictures of your tank
To the OP, link to my 75 is in my signature, I'm about to post an update in that thread as well, might help give you ideas.
LOL, OK! Coming very soon!
Update: I took the male pike back, he was stressing the female too much. I'll stick to one pike. Added a blue acara I had in quarantine for a couple weeks. He's doing great.
I was really pleasantly surprised today to find the orange morph of rainbow cichlid at the LFS. I had given up on the idea of rainbows until I found them, and I couldn't resist picking up a pair. However, they started eating my java moss immediately! I've had no trouble with cichlids tearing up plants until now, so I don't think I will tolerate this, as colorful as these fish are.
I am about to set up a 55g so I might move the rainbows there, along with any other fish that prove to be incompatible with this tank. Also, found some anomalochromis thomasi online and might order some. I will have too many fish, but again, once I decide the final stock, I will move the rest to the 55. Still undecided on the geos. Yours look good, more colorful than mine, but still, the ones I had before on white sand were bright bright almost golden yellow, so I may move them to the other tank and do light sand in that one or trade them. Anyways, I've got to figure this out and then I'll post some new pics when things get more settled.
I was really pleasantly surprised today to find the orange morph of rainbow cichlid at the LFS. I had given up on the idea of rainbows until I found them, and I couldn't resist picking up a pair. However, they started eating my java moss immediately! I've had no trouble with cichlids tearing up plants until now, so I don't think I will tolerate this, as colorful as these fish are.
I am about to set up a 55g so I might move the rainbows there, along with any other fish that prove to be incompatible with this tank. Also, found some anomalochromis thomasi online and might order some. I will have too many fish, but again, once I decide the final stock, I will move the rest to the 55. Still undecided on the geos. Yours look good, more colorful than mine, but still, the ones I had before on white sand were bright bright almost golden yellow, so I may move them to the other tank and do light sand in that one or trade them. Anyways, I've got to figure this out and then I'll post some new pics when things get more settled.
