B4 you post in South American Cichlids

[duanes]

South America extends from Colombia in the north down to Tierra del Fuego south.


Why does this matter?
Many of the fish kept in aquariums today, are from the Amazon basin (not all of course) where water is soft, low alkaline, pH ranging from 7 down to 4.
If you have soft acidic tap water, these cichlids may be up your alley.
The hard water species may not.
In general many S Americans are able to be kept in communities because they are semi-social, unlike many N America cichlids.
Mexican cichlids like JDs, and FMs, and Red Devils and wolf cichlids are from Nicaragua and Costa Rica, they are not South American.
There are S Americans that are from harder waters.
Andinoacara and the Geophagines from west of the Andes, come to mind.
The Geophagus brasiliensus group and Gymnogeophagus from southern S America come to mind.
They also come from subtropical, even temperate areas where water can be hard, and is often cooler than the Amazon of the equatorial north.

 

[duanes]

I ran into a couple people from Uruguay yesterday (where cichlids like Gymnogeophagus, Australoheros, and some Crenicichla are from).
I was asking about the weather there.
They said in winter, it can get down to low 30sF at night, and snow a little (although it usually melts before the day is done).
Just a thought if you are considering cichlids from that part of South America.

 

[mabirchell]

I ran into a couple people from Uruguay yesterday (where cichlids like Gymnogeophagus, Australoheros, and some Crenicichla are from).
I was asking about the weather there.
They said in winter, it can get down to low 30sF at night, and snow a little (although it usually melts before the day is done).
Just a thought if you are considering cichlids from that part of South America.

Outdoor cichlid pond ??. Thanks for the write up.

 

[duanes]

I kept Gymnogeophagus, and Australoheros cichlids in ponds, in Milwaukee from early May until early October, where they did very well in the cooler often fluctuating water temps, ranging from lows of around 45'F to highs in the 80sF.

above Australohero's in the upper right. They would spawn through the summer, I'd pull plenty of fry in fall.

Below, Gymnogeophagus in a Milwaukee pond.

They would also spawn.

After a fall cool down, colors would get intense, bringing them in to over winter (the pond would freeze solid to the bottom.

 

[duanes]

I do realize that there are some alternative opinions of what South America is, but having spent some time there, and being a resident of Central America myself, they are not mine.

 

[mrrobxc]

I’ve found that most SA cichlids are quite adaptable to pH and hardness as long as your water is stable and clean. My water is pH 7.8 with 229 ppm TDS and I keep a wide mix of Amazonian fish without issues or HITH. Just my 2 cents.