Balzani tankmate suggestions

[driftwood]

If you don't mind me asking, did you get them from Ken?

I don't think they came from Ken. I bought them from a LFS that had no idea what they were and had them labled Geophagus. I asked what kind of Geophagus they were and they had no idea but I knew lol. How can you have no idea what kind of Geophagus you have in stock?

 

[peathenster]

I don't think they came from Ken. I bought them from a LFS that had no idea what they were and had them labled Geophagus. I asked what kind of Geophagus they were and they had no idea but I knew lol. How can you have no idea what kind of Geophagus you have in stock?

lol at least they had it and almost got the name right - better than my lfs!

The reason I ask was that domestically bred balzanii should be much less sensitive to temperature. Since you got them from your lfs, they were almost certainly bred in one of the Florida fish farms. This gives you some flexibility - if you want to raise the temperature and have more choices for dithers, you can.

My experience with them was quite similar to Bill's. I raised a group to adulthood and had nunerous fry from them, but they were skittish the whole time. I don't think they were unconfortable - probably just their "personality".

 

[dogofwar]

They're shy and easily bullied. I have both the balzani in the hobby (from Paraguay, originally, I've heard)...and also some F1s of the Rio Uruguay that we caught near Bella Union, UR (from Ken).

Lots of dithers tend to make them less shy but they're definitely not glassbangers

While I keep goodeids with a lot of Gymnogeos, I think that these guys couldn't hang with them. A fish with a similar temperment, in my experience, was Robertsoni...

Matt

 

[FSM]

I've got a group of 4 balzanii (from Peter) in my 75 with 2 other gymnos and a pike. They're not nearly as shy as they were. For a while the large male hid most of the time.

They're wimps though, the pike is boss

 

[driftwood]

I've got a group of 4 balzanii (from Peter) in my 75 with 2 other gymnos and a pike. They're not nearly as shy as they were. For a while the large male hid most of the time.

They're wimps though, the pike is boss

I'm sure if they could be housed with Discus the Discus would be the boss too. Mine are just never visible lol. Its like an empty tank with rocks and fake plants.

 

[duanes]

The Paso Pache came from John Oyer