Argenteus - shy naturally?

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Sinister-Kisses

Sinister-Kisses

Aimara
MFK Member
Jan 19, 2022
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Looking for some feedback from those who have kept M. argenteus. Are they, as a species, natually very "shy" or is mine just broken? I've had Kismet for 2 years or so. Honestly not sure if male or female, I've never vented it, but I'm leaning towards female based on comments here from time to time about colouring, shape, etc. So I've taken to calling it "she". She was only 2" when I got her, and lived exclusively in my 6ft, 135gal for 2 years. Once she hit about 4" I removed the other juveniles I had bought with her based on their rep for aggression and she's lived as a solo cichlid since. She's only about 8" now, super slow growth but healthy and beautiful. But she is SHY. Almost always beelines for her den to hide whenever I'm in the room. I actually rehomed her a few months ago because of it - I was shuffling things around to shut down a few tanks and she didn't make the cut because she just hid all the time. Well a month ago I got word that her new home couldn't keep her so I took her back. She's been in a 55gal to quarantine and seems none the worse for wear, so now I'm trying to decide what to do long term. Argenteus have always been a bucket list fish for me and she's such a nice looking fish...but I almost never get to see her. Even with a group of giant danios I added a week ago, she's so timid!

Is this normal for the species, are they just really shy, non personable fish in general? If she's always going to be like this, honestly I have other fish I'd rather give the space to rather than have a tank that basically looks empty all the time.
 
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I haven't ever kept that species but with a couple of other cichlids I have found they became shy when kept alone, even when previously with other cichlids they were confident and outgoing. So the Danios don't appear to have improved the situation, although maybe it is still early days?. I have no idea how feasible it would be to add another cichlid? I can appreciate that it would be risky. For what its worth a local shop here had one for quite some time in a large tank with several similarly sized cichlids (actually South American species!) and apparently no aggression issues. M. argenteaus are certainly impressive looking fish.
 
I am mildly contemplating adding her to the tank with Rogue, my adult male marbled fenestratus and his little sidekick, Dozer the convict. Dozer is easily 3x her size, and can definitely hold his own but is reasonably tolerant of other cichlids sharing his space. So if she does become aggressive, I'd have warning - she couldn't just flat out kill him overnight like she might with smaller cichlids? I'd be able to see signs that she's not getting along before it ce
 
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I kept an Argenteaus about twenty years ago. I really loved it. It grew fast and was not shy.

Did not really get on with any tank mates, so no good for a community.

IMO Best looking of the Vieja/Maskaheros.
 
Sinister-Kisses said:
I am mildly contemplating adding her to the tank with Rogue, my adult male marbled fenestratus and his little sidekick, Dozer the convict. Dozer is easily 3x her size, and can definitely hold his own but is reasonably tolerant of other cichlids sharing his space. So if she does become aggressive, I'd have warning - she couldn't just flat out kill him overnight like she might with smaller cichlids? I'd be able to see signs that she's not getting along before it ce
Click to expand...
Probably worth a cautious attempt?
 
Females tend to have a few more black spots/blotches than males,
The one in the foreground is male, above., females behind
The same male below.
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I have kept them in the 90s, when a bought a dozen juvies from Don Conkel.
At 7" in a 150 tank, the alpha took out al others, and then was transferred to a community cichlid tank,where it starte d to kill all other cichlids
Again in the mid 2000s found a compatable pair to live alone in a 6 ft tank, where they spawned, but again, the male=took out the female soon after.
My failures suggest to me, they need a very large tank, with enough current to simlate a some that rheophillc riverine habitat, to use up the natural energy needed to cope with a strong flow.
I also get the impression, in flowing, clear water habitats where they are found, shoals of dither fish such as tetras are common (as opposed to other cichlids) and these offer a sense of security.
Much like the habitat below, if I kept them again, I'd offer an extra power head to provide a strong riverine, directional current, and add large population of geographically apprpriate tetras to privide a natural sense of security.
 
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I haven't kept them personally, but I've seen and admired them in other tanks. They seem to vary a lot in temperament. I've seen a glass banger, others that are calm, interactive, and friendly, some alone, some in communities with other cichlids, and some with dithers. I suspect it depends on the particular individual.
 
Yeah, figures I'd finally get my *dream* fish and she'd be timid AF so I never see her lol.

I think tomorrow I'm going to add her in with Rogue to see what happens. I'm home all day so can keep a close eye on how they interact and pull her if necessary. But if she won't accept life with him, I'm going to see about finding her a new home I think. I'm totally cool with keeping solo fish in a tank, but not one who hides 24/7 so I never see it.
 
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About 15 years ago a female appeared on the GCCA website. I jumped on it because of attrition caused by males.
The tank it was in previously, was filled with African rift lake species that the Maskaheros ignored, got the impression the Argentea didn't recognized the Africans, as cichlids at all.

Around the same time, I was also keeping M regani, who eventually killed its mate..
Since I don't keep single individuals, I gave it to a friend with a 250 tank that held a large H carpintus, and larger red devil.
In that tank, the regani, killed the other two over night.

I get the impression that many of these silver hued cichlids, many are loners that wreck havoc when held in cichlid communities
Once mature. (especially males)
ogentea, regani, and Vieja maculicauda are intelerant of other new world cichlids.
I have also been finding same intolrerance for other cichlids, lately with the silverish Panamanian Vieja like species collected, in moving strongb currents Isthmoheros tuyrense.
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