Can Gymnogeophagus Balzanii do well in a 75 gal?

[duanes]

IMO 1 male and 2-3 females should be fine in a 75, if the tank is maintained properly. This species is prone to HITH if kept in any type of stressful environment, be it stress from poor water parameters, dirty filters, aggressive tank mates, etc. So the smaller the tank, the more one has to keep up on the overall conditions.

I agree, in a 75 to keep conditions stress free, an every other day significant water change schedule may be needed in a tank that small.

 

[getmethatgeoplease]

I have six balzanii in a 360 community with G.rhabdotus, Cichlasoma dimerus, and a number of smaller livebearers, catfish, loaches, etc. The balzanii are the largest fish in the tank; dominant male is about 6 inches, smallest female is maybe 3.5 inches. Even that big humpheaded male is a complete pushover and is regularly rousted away from food by the other smaller cichlids. Baby Goodeids (Ameca and Xenotoca) appear regularly in the tank and none of the cichlids pay them the slightest attention.

But a fully-grown male can be 7-8 inches, females 5-6. Would you want a number of them in a 75-gallon tank? I know I wouldn't. I can accept the fact that aquarium fish are our captives; I don't think they should be treated as prisoners-of-war. And I certainly wouldn't place several into that tank, and then begin searching for still more tankmates of other species.

We actually found a 180 gal and are picking it up today which I think will suit these or some similar species better! I figured the 75 wouldn't be a long term home but always gotta check! Now it's time to cycle and wait!

 

[duanes]

We actually found a 180 gal and are picking it up today which I think will suit these or some similar species better! I figured the 75 wouldn't be a long term home but always gotta check! Now it's time to cycle and wait!

This sounds like a fabulous tank for a shoal of a couple male balzani , and 4 or 5 females.
If it were me, I'd add a medium size school of Buenos Aires tetras (or some other geographically correct dithering tetras) and a shoal of similar Corys.
And maybe a pair of very dissimilar shaped cichlids, such as a smaller species pike , or Australoheros from the same region.
I had a Uruguayan biotope tank around the same size that worked very well.

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