Cichlasoma bocourti pairing

[laurad83]

Hello everybody.
I’ve got a question. I’ve read that the best way to get a pair of Bocourti is to have a group grow up together. My question is: I’ve got an adult male (I think). Any chance that if I get an adult female, they will pair up? And if they don’t, is it likely for them to fight? I’ve read mixed reviews on their behaviour. At the moment, he’s in his own tank with a Raphael catfish and two bristlenose. I’ve only purchased him a few weeks ago.
It’s not a very common fish where I live, so I do not have many options.
Thank you.

 

[dan518]

If you can try and get a group this will give you a far better chance of getting a compatible pair that will last for years. If you try and just put 1 female in there the chances are you might get 1 or 2 spawning before they fall out. For central american cichlids bocourti are more on the mellow side but they are still very large growing central americans.

 

[duanes]

Agree with Dan, if you buy an adult female , and you've got about a 50/50 chance they will be compatible.
If they are not ,one might quickly end up dead.
I usually try to get a shoal of at least 6 to 8 juvies, and let them pair off naturally, but this can be problematic unless your tank is 300 gallons or more, because they get rather large. When young, cost is quite reasonable compared to what an adult "might" cost, at a 50/50 chance of non-compatibility.
If you want to raise a spawn you will also need to get the cat, and probably the pleco's out of the tank, they are consumate nocturnal egg and fry eaters.

I started with a group of 3 inch juvies, that soon grew mush too big for my 150 gal, normally a placid species, they became aggressive with each other in that small space, so needed to be moved to a 300 gal by about 10"-12".

 

[HybridFinatic]

Agree with Dan, if you buy an adult female , and you've got about a 50/50 chance they will be compatible.
If they are not ,one might quickly end up dead.
I usually try to get a shoal of at least 6 to 8 juvies, and let them pair off naturally, but this can be problematic unless your tank is 300 gallons or more, because they get rather large. When young, cost is quite reasonable compared to what an adult "might" cost, at a 50/50 chance of non-compatibility.
If you want to raise a spawn you will also need to get the cat, and probably the pleco's out of the tank, they are consumate nocturnal egg and fry eaters.
View attachment 1434802
I started with a group of 3 inch juvies, that soon grew mush too big for my 150 gal, normally a placid species, they became aggressive with each other in that small space, so needed to be moved to a 300 gal by about 10"-12".
View attachment 1434803

On the left of that bocourti is that fish from the amatitlania genus?

 

[duanes]

The fish on the left side is Chuco intermedium.
Here's a better shot, where the Chuco are more visible

and a closeup

This is said to be the highest elevation cichlid naturally living in Central America, and can tolerate water temps down to 60'F (16'C).
and tend to prefer rheophillic conditions. Most other cichlids tend to live at lower altitudes, near to sea level
There are two other species in the genus, godmanni and micropthalmus, I have also had the good fortune to keep Chuco micropthalmus.

 

[laurad83]

Beautiful fish!
Thank you all!

 

[duanes]

Just a little extra tidbit about intermedia
Sorry if this seems to be a derail,
there are a number of geographic morphs of intermedia, from differing rivers.
I have kept two of the color morphs
Compare this one

almost looks like a different species as far as color goes