fenestratus lago catemaco

[dreysthename]

Hey guys. Haven't posted in a while, I still have been lurking around.
I tried to go the barb characin route, I like the look of my tank, but I'm not as entertained.
I'm thinking of trying to get a pair of large centrals.
I pretty much like them all so availability is the main determinant.
Also I have 3 yellow belly pacu and a flagtail I got from rapps I would like to keep with them so I have to get a pair t least as large as they are at the moment. The flagtail is like 4.5 and the pace like 5-5.5
I looked all over and found 3 options.
I originally purchased the pacu with a bunch of 4-4.5 inch blue fenestratus from Jeff but they didn't compete as well and I ended up with one which isn't what I wanted.
The options now are
- 5inch melanarus from dan of COA : i'm afraid to have a repeat of the original setup especially since the fish are bigger now, although they are a but more relaxed at feeding time as they have ever been.

- 5 inch wild blackbelts from Jeff: really love blackbelts but they ime are hard to pair or keep with tankmates that can't defend themselves.

- lastly and probably the best option 6-8 inch lago catemaco fenes from dan: I have not kept these before and there isn't enough internet fodder to gather the average experience. I do see that everyone gets rid of them after a while. Is it because they become bland looking big white fish? Because that's my main fear besides the pair not forming a bond.

Please relay your experiences, opinions or any advice you may have.
I appreciate it all.

 

[dreysthename]

Btw in an ideal world i would just get the melanarus and just grow them out a bit in another tank, but that isn't much of an option at the moment

 

[jonclark96]

I had a breeding pair of pink fenestratus for a while. They were good fish to keep and I sold them because I wanted to go a more peaceful route with my tank and didn't have another one to put them in. Mine didn't have a lot of variation on color, with the male having a bit of black on the fins and the female a bit of orange. I think it really depends on the individual fish that you get. I started with a group of 7 from two different sources, one of them being COA. Dan's fish had more variation than the others I had.

They can definitely hold their own and will be rough on tank mates if they spawn.

 

[dreysthename]

I had a breeding pair of pink fenestratus for a while. They were good fish to keep and I sold them because I wanted to go a more peaceful route with my tank and didn't have another one to put them in. Mine didn't have a lot of variation on color, with the male having a bit of black on the fins and the female a bit of orange. I think it really depends on the individual fish that you get. I started with a group of 7 from two different sources, one of them being COA. Dan's fish had more variation than the others I had.

They can definitely hold their own and will be rough on tank mates if they spawn.

Thanks, that's what I'm expecting during spawns. Hence the "smaller" pacu as "dithers". But what about during non spawning periods were they incessantly harassing tankmates as blackbelts can do at times? I totally agree that individual personalities do matter also.

 

[Joao M]

I had a pair of catemacos with other CA cichlids (black belt, jag, synspillum, midas, pearsei), and non cichlids like RTG aro, panaque, etc.
They stood their ground when necessary but didn´t start any fight. It was a big tank (10´x4´) so that helped the harmony.
I finally got rid of them not because they became bland but because I found their personality less interesting than (comparing to other CA´s.)

 

[jonclark96]

I had my pair in a 180 with other Central Americans (JD, amphilophus, other paratheraps). The pair was never the aggressor in the tank. Some of the others (I started with a group of 7) would pick on each other and the other paratheraps, but nothing out of the ordinary.

 

[tiger15]

I have male that I raised from pinkish juvie to white adult. It's not as colorful as a typical Vieja in close up, but from a distance a white fish will stand out and catch your eye first. Some males I've seen in the web develop a hump that resemble a white Midas without the attitude, but mine has no hump because of his young age or being submissive. I read that adult females retain more juvenile pink than males.

 

[dreysthename]

I had a pair of catemacos with other CA cichlids (black belt, jag, synspillum, midas, pearsei), and non cichlids like RTG aro, panaque, etc.
They stood their ground when necessary but didn´t start any fight. It was a big tank (10´x4´) so that helped the harmony.
I finally got rid of them not because they became bland but because I found their personality less interesting than (comparing to other CA´s.)

Interesting... Just the kind of feed back I'm hoping for. In my opinion paratheraps types are a little less outgoing or shyer for lack of better terms than other CA's. My tank is a standard 135 so I don't expect any other large cichlids to fare well in there with them. Not impossible just not the best idea

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[dreysthename]

I had my pair in a 180 with other Central Americans (JD, amphilophus, other paratheraps). The pair was never the aggressor in the tank. Some of the others (I started with a group of 7) would pick on each other and the other paratheraps, but nothing out of the ordinary.

How long did you keep them? Any reason in particular why you got rid of them?

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[dreysthename]

I have male that I raised from pinkish juvie to white adult. It's not as colorful as a typical Vieja in close up, but from a distance a white fish will stand out and catch your eye first. Some males I've seen in the web develop a hump that resemble a white Midas without the attitude, but mine has no hump because of his young age or being submissive. I read that adult females retain more juvenile pink than males.

I don't mind the pure white midas look... But for some reason I don't want it on the catemaco, even with a hump

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