Amphilophus robertsoni?

[Dan F]

I'm looking for more information on these cichlids, there doesn't seem to be a lot out there.

I picked up four of them about a month ago. They range from about 2"-2.5" TL and are supposedly wild caught, but I don't know where from.

From what I have read they don't seem to get along well with conspecifics. They haven't had any aggression problems so far, but they are still small and in a large and crowded tank. Does anyone have personal experience keeping more than one A. robertsoni?

On the same note I've read it is difficult to get them to breed in captivity. This is too bad, as I would love to have a couple f them pair off. Has anyone bred A. robertsoni?

Lastly, any photos of adult fish? I have seen some amazing iridescent blue specimens in books, but in the few photos I have found on MFK the fish weren't as impressively colored.

Thanks for any information, stories, or links you have to share!

 

[Dan F]

I'm sure that I'm not the only one on MFK keeping Amphilophus robertsoni, who has kept these beauties?

 

[Modest_Man]

I used to own an 8" female.

 

[Dan F]

I used to own an 8" female.

Beautiful fish! I suppose the males tend to be even more colorful?

How was her temperament? What other fish did you keep with her?

 

[Modest_Man]

I kept her with a pair of Geophagus brasiliensis, a pair of angels, and a sengal bicher.

She was never an aggressor but held her own with the breeding Geophagus with ease. Really nice fish that I regret selling (I was given an offer I couldn't refuse).

The only way I know she was female is that she laid eggs after I sold her.

 

[Dan F]

I kept her with a pair of Geophagus brasiliensis, a pair of angels, and a sengal bicher.

She was never an aggressor but held her own with the breeding Geophagus with ease. Really nice fish that I regret selling (I was given an offer I couldn't refuse).

The only way I know she was female is that she laid eggs after I sold her.

Thanks for the reply. Mine are with eartheaters, angels, and festivums, hopefully they don't get too rowdy or they will need to go somewhere else.

I would like to keep a pair, but I may end up keeping just one to minimize turmoil. If you are looking for one or two send me a PM, I am going to have to start thinning out my stock pretty soon as fish are growing fast.

 

[cichlidfish]

I have a 7'' female and can post pics later. A lot of info out there says they can reach 10'' TL, but I think that is false info. I believe they get 8'' at the max. Mine isn't very aggressive in any way except when she lays eggs. Males and females are very hard to tell apart, so you would have to vent or wait for a female to lay eggs to determine sex. They are very hardy and have a lot of personallity. Mine is one of my favorite fish I have ever owned.

 

[Jason_S]

I purchased 2 as very young juveniles many, many years ago. I put them in a 75 gallon with 2 gold severums. It wasn't long before one of the robs was dead. I don't think the sev would have killed it. The other grew up to about 6-7" TL and I had her (I only speculate it was a female) for several years.

I later purchased 3 more juveniles and kept them with the larger rob that I"d had in a 150 and there were no issues at all with conspecific aggression. I kept them with all sorts of cichlids from various Thorichthys and Cryptoheros species along with heterospilus, zonatus, severums and various others. They never went out of their way to attach other fish but could definitely hold their own.

So, based on my experience with them, I would recommend a 6 foot tank to try keeping them together.

 

[Dan F]

I have a 7'' female and can post pics later. A lot of info out there says they can reach 10'' TL, but I think that is false info. I believe they get 8'' at the max. Mine isn't very aggressive in any way except when she lays eggs. Males and females are very hard to tell apart, so you would have to vent or wait for a female to lay eggs to determine sex. They are very hardy and have a lot of personallity. Mine is one of my favorite fish I have ever owned.

Cool, I am looking forward to these guys growing out.

I purchased 2 as very young juveniles many, many years ago. I put them in a 75 gallon with 2 gold severums. It wasn't long before one of the robs was dead. I don't think the sev would have killed it. The other grew up to about 6-7" TL and I had her (I only speculate it was a female) for several years.

I later purchased 3 more juveniles and kept them with the larger rob that I"d had in a 150 and there were no issues at all with conspecific aggression. I kept them with all sorts of cichlids from various Thorichthys and Cryptoheros species along with heterospilus, zonatus, severums and various others. They never went out of their way to attach other fish but could definitely hold their own.

So, based on my experience with them, I would recommend a 6 foot tank to try keeping them together.

I'm glad to hear that they aren't necessarily aggressive towards their own kind, I would rather have a group or pair than just a single specimen.