Convict / firemouth biotope...

[..puSkar..]

Had initially planned on getting yellow labs , but the overstock seems to be an issue with my timetable .
So I'm planning on either a convict pair or a group of firemouth that'll eventually form a pair that I'll keep . Tank is a 40*20*20 little bigger than a 40 b .
I've kept firemouth in the past so my first choice is a convict pair.
Any dither or small fish I could put in with the pair ?
should I get a nice male and female for a pair or get a group to get a pair eventually?

 

[Rocksor]

Get the group of 6-8, and let them pair naturally. From the video I see a type of tetra, possibly Astyanax.

 

[robmcd]

A small school of 8-10 hyphesobrycon type tetras and some swordtails would be regionally appropriate, although not sure on exact biotope species. Buenos Aires tetras are the closest thing that I have seen to resemble tetras from CA and Mexico.

 

[Deadeye]

Mexican tetras may be correct, harder to find them with the eyes though.
Swordtails would be appropriate as dithers.
duanes

 

[newworld]

Get the group of 6-8, and let them pair naturally. From the video I see a type of tetra, possibly Astyanax.

haha that’s is about right hahaha i found them in habitats like that along with shallow clear streams

 

[stiker]

I would go with a pair of convicts. Thorichthys do much better in groups and a 40b is too small for a group.

A. Nigrofascaita is common in the Great Lakes of Nicaragua. Biotopes for these lakes is essentially fully rockwork, which at first might not be super appealing but it gives a great dynamic when you mix large rocks and blend it with smaller rocks. I don’t have a full image of the aquarium due to my library being wiped. But I’ve included a few images below.

I have done this biotope before, however with A. Citrinellus and N. Nematopus



Lee Nuttall also did a fantastic Lake Nicaragua biotope

 

[..puSkar..]

Anyone currently running tanks with convicts or a similar themed biotope ?
I'm open for ideas on scapes.

 

[Deadeye]

I would say a mix of rock and wood would look best, with some small plants here and there.
Probably not the most helpful advice as I have no pics of said tank.

 

[Theos.dad]

Youtube firemouth natural habitat

Convict natural habitat.

That's what I've been doing when making tanks for specific species. The stuff you'll see isn't nearly as glamorous as what we tend to want in our tanks but if it's what the fish want? That what mine get. The videos you see for corydoras were full of leaf litter and downed limbs and algae. We tried to get as close as my wife would allow haha. The fish seem to really like it.
I can't remember the name of the cteators but there 30 to 45 sec clips for nearly very fish I could think of on there.