Current status of Mesoheros atromaculatus in the hobby?

[Azedenkae]

Hey all.

Kinda became interested in these fish recently and have been searching around TUIC had some last year but well, they were gone before I could grab some unfortunately.

They seem to be pretty rare.

Wondering who among us are keeping them at the moment? How are they doing? Who's potentially breeding them?

 

[tlindsey]

Hey all.

Kinda became interested in these fish recently and have been searching around TUIC had some last year but well, they were gone before I could grab some unfortunately.

They seem to be pretty rare.

Wondering who among us are keeping them at the moment? How are they doing? Who's potentially breeding them?

Haven't noticed the member on here lately but tagging GamerChick5567

 

[PhishMon84]

I have a single female that i've had for about 5 years. pretty cool fish, not much like gephrym or festae in personality. pretty inoffensize. wish i had a group.

 

[Azedenkae]

Thanks y'alls for your responses. Yeah, heard very good things about them - but never had a chance to keep them. Kinda keen to actually try ta breed them and spread them around a bit more... but seems like at this rate I won't be finding any soon to even get started. XD

 

[jonclark96]

I still have an old female from one of the early TUIC imports, i think in 2012 or 2013. I have had a couple groups over the years. I was able to get a pair to lay eggs multiple times, but they never were viable. They appear to be pretty difficult to spawn.

I think there is someone in Louisiana that was able to spawn them a couple years ago, but you don't see tank raised fish available very often.

 

[duanes]

I just saw the Colombian variant on Wet Spots list as "Email when available", (probably a seasonal collection time)
According to the Cichlid Room Companion, the type species for atromaculatum in Rio Atrato in Colombia are found in water with a pH of 5.5 to 6.
This could be problematic for some aquarists (especially for raising a spawn), but.......
I can't imagine this would be needed for the Panamanian variant, because most water in the region it would found is pH 8 or above.
The rain where I live in central Panama has a pH of 8.2 .

 

[Azedenkae]

Yeh just found out that they are indeed more common(ly collected) towards the end of the year after the rain season ends. Guess that makes sense timeline-wise considering when ai had seen them in the past. Good to know.