Wow don't know I missed this thread! Gorgeous fish everyone! Peter any chance you could post of list of all the SA cichlids you're keeping currently?
Biotodoma cupido
- Thread starter peathenster
- Start date
Beautiful fish! Thanks for sharing
I saw these breathtaking pics of B. wavrini a while ago, and had been looking for them since. Easily one of the most beautiful SA cichlids...
http://www.aquatic-experts.com/Biotodoma_wavrini.html
They are suppose to undergo a transformation in year 2 or 3, but few have the patience. I certainly don't, lol.
I agree. Guicanacara does grow slowly but not as bad as these guys. I managed to grow some out in a little over a year.
When they were born in the beginning of 2010: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zntl1ABIjzI
Breeding in May 2011 at about 4.5" (male):
[video=youtube;3YwsrhXjZK8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YwsrhXjZK8[/video]
LOL not that many. I have to "cycle" them since I'm running out of floor space for tanks
Those are nice reference pics for sure ... though the ones I saw had less blue in their fins and much more on their faces. They had just come in though, so weren't settled in yet. Plus were over black gravel so were dark and unsettled so the blue in the fins just might not have been showing up. I love the blue in the fins of those pics though.
Nice cupidos. I never could get pics of mine, they were in a planted tank and constantly hiding.
Funny, mine are pretty front and center. And they LOOOOVVVEEE their pellets. I'm interested in the male female thing. I had read a while back... that most wild caught are males because the females are lower in the water column and are rarely caught when so many males are to be had. I would love to see a picture of a proven female if anyone has one.
And yes, these fish are meant to test your patience... the first year I thought they were completely uninteresting. But I very much like them now.
And yes, these fish are meant to test your patience... the first year I thought they were completely uninteresting. But I very much like them now.
Supposedly cupido are very easy to sex but it's impossible to find females. According to Weidner, the males have solid blue lines under the eye while the females have blue dots or dashes. A lot of people say this is incorrect because all the fish they've seen in the hobby have lines, but maybe that explains why no one is spawning them. 
I haven't been able to find a lot of pics of adult wavrini in captivity. I guess we'll find out in a year or so, lol
Mine are fairly outgoing, both the adults and the youngsters. What are you keeping them with?
Supposedly cupido are very easy to sex but it's impossible to find females. According to Weidner, the males have solid blue lines under the eye while the females have blue dots or dashes. A lot of people say this is incorrect because all the fish they've seen in the hobby have lines, but maybe that explains why no one is spawning them.
That facial markings might be different between males and females was first suggested by Paul Loiselle in 1967 in "The cupido cichlid". Aquarium Illustrated 2(3):16-23, which was cited by Wayne Leibel in his article "Cichlids of the Americas - South American Eartheaters: The 'Honorary' Eartheaters'" and by Dean Hougen in "Cichlids of the New World Part IV - Geophagines", among others. Leibel doubted this based on courting behaviors, which has also been my observation with these two "pairs". The two with pointed dorsal fins bicker for territories, each trying to keep the two with rounded dorsal fins in their own corner. However, Nini Schulz, who spawned them, agreed with Loiselle in her 1990 article "Biotodoma Species 'Red Fin Toncantins.'".
I hope Jeff doesn't mind me posting email communications but he mentioned "That facial pattern thing is not at all a means of sexing them. I think Loiselle may have first written that like 25 years ago. I’ve heard him take that statement back at a talk once."
Hope they won't be too hard to spawn, so we can find out soon
