Hi guys, I’m finally getting Festaes. I see that the wet spot has Rio Guayas, Peruvian, Ecuadorean and “regular” ones, what’s the difference? Could these go with a Indo dat? What tank mates are good long term? Right now I have a pretty laid back 10” green Texas. If you have any of these please post pics. Also any other advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Festae questions
- Thread starter Brazzen1
- Start date
Festae don't play well with other cichlids. Where they come from they are the only cichlids with some crossover with Andinoacara rivilatus in some locals. Best to keep them as a solo cichlid. Especially if you consider the final size, males getting 20in plus females around 12in.
They come from the West side of the Andes mountains. Where they water are higher PH and harder than your typical cichlid from the Amazon area.
Ecuadorian festae are known to have green sheen to them as this one I had for a bit.
They come from the West side of the Andes mountains. Where they water are higher PH and harder than your typical cichlid from the Amazon area.
Ecuadorian festae are known to have green sheen to them as this one I had for a bit.
The Rio Guayas In Ecuador has an everage pH of about 7.5, water is quite soft, with an average DO level at 7.5, and similat tropical temps.
Indo dats appreciate similar water parameters, so if your tap water coinsides, should work.
Whether the festae see the dats as competion may be another story.
My experience is that festae find any other simmilar shaped fish, with verticle band, as competitors to be vanquished at maturity, such as other cichlds.
But I have never tried to keep them togeter with Dats.
Indo dats appreciate similar water parameters, so if your tap water coinsides, should work.
Whether the festae see the dats as competion may be another story.
My experience is that festae find any other simmilar shaped fish, with verticle band, as competitors to be vanquished at maturity, such as other cichlds.
But I have never tried to keep them togeter with Dats.
Thanks guys, those are both BEAUTIFUL 
!! Ever since I got Cichlids from Central America when I was a kid I wanted a green one and one of the nuclear ones. What about a gold saum, the book did mention them coming from the same area and the Festae being displaced for breeding sites. What about something different looking?
!! Ever since I got Cichlids from Central America when I was a kid I wanted a green one and one of the nuclear ones. What about a gold saum, the book did mention them coming from the same area and the Festae being displaced for breeding sites. What about something different looking?Since the Rio Guayas is in Ecuador, will the Festae look like the regular green ones? I’m going by what the wet spot sells.
Severums come from the other side of the Andes, the east side of the mouuntains, so not from the same area.
Festae come from west of the Andes,
As festae mature the males are quite differet from females.
Male left, female right. but for the female, those are colors with a male sharing the tank.
Without a proper male, females sometimes don´t color as intensely.
When I removed the male, that same female looked like this
Festae come from west of the Andes,
As festae mature the males are quite differet from females.
Male left, female right. but for the female, those are colors with a male sharing the tank.
Without a proper male, females sometimes don´t color as intensely.
When I removed the male, that same female looked like this
This will all depend on what size tank, water ph,kh and gh, how many got, and how big they are now.
I wouldn't attempt this since you have a 10 inch "Texas" that's in a tank by itself. Very hard to introduce any other fish when you already have an aggressive cichlid in a tank that probably claims to itself!
I wouldn't attempt this since you have a 10 inch "Texas" that's in a tank by itself. Very hard to introduce any other fish when you already have an aggressive cichlid in a tank that probably claims to itself!
I will go out on a limb and say that mature cyanoguttatus may seem “laid back” now but throw in some smaller fish and that tank turns into Thunderdome.
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Im gonna go on a limb and say he most likely won't like what he's hearing on here with adding small festae to a pretty close to full grown Texas tank that will go bananas on them one by one!
Will also add, he probably didn't think about asking before purchasing these festae knowing he was going to put them in the tank with the Texas.
When I had these guys, I kept them in a large group in a 6ft tank as a species only. Few females grew faster than males and terrorized the whole tank of the group. When I separated a pair, the male got his revenge after he let the dominant female lay eggs and killed her right after. Shame on me for not having the divider in the tank.
