Finally ready to start keeping 'real' cichlids...

[Victorhadin]

Thanks guys, you absolutely rock! Really great ideas from everyone.

I'm almost split into three or four possibilities now which I'll decide on once I've received the Geos and owned them awhile.

1) Acaraholics Anonymous: Find a wild form blue acara as a centerpiece.
2) Swarms Of The Things: Keep the Geos as the centrepiece fish and add a group of tetras, pencil fish or hatchetfish for the mid and upper levels.
3) Gone Catfishin': Add some flag tail cats or similar as mid level non cichlid additions.
4) Throw Caution To The Wind: Add a tank busting chocolate or a time bomb GT. (In truth, I probably won't do this. Probably.)

In the meantime, I cycle and await some gorgeous new Geos. ?

 

[duanes]

youtube.comGeophagus - Guide to Amazonian Eartheaters - nearly all Geophagus species !Of the 31 described Geophagus species, 20 belong in the G.surinamensi-group. Check out the Geophagus guide with 16 of the 20 species and their habitats in th...

 

[Gourami Swami]

Hello, beautiful tanks. I agree mostly with what has been said so far. In a 90 gallon, your group of geophagus tapajos will not leave any room for a larger "centerpiece cichlid". Would need more like a 150+ for that with a group of geos as well. The Geophagus are very nice though and will be the centerpiece themselves. Tetras or other smallish SA fish to compliment them is all that I would add. You will see why once the fish are all fully grown. Especially with a pleco the tank will get messy quickly.
best of luck

 

[Rass]

I would think a severum or an electric blue acara would be your best bet if you absolutely had to add a larger cichlid. Personally though, I would look at the geos as your centerpiece fish. Some mesonauta with a big group of larger bodied tetras would make a really nice setup for a planted 90!

 

[Victorhadin]

OK, so update...

Less than two weeks now till Geo day, if all goes to plan with the wholesaler. In the meantime I'm cycling through a non conventional means of:
1) Nerites.
2) Plenty of plants.
3) Huge great quantities of mulm squeezed directly from three of my mature tanks' filters every week into the new tank's filter intakes.

Everything's looking good and the water has gone an attractive tannin stained colour, but oh my god the floating plants have gone nuts. I added a tiny gel grown container of salvinia a week ago, and today it's covering a third of the water surface and is growing day by day. Not that I'm complaining, but why can't I get it growing like that in any of my other tanks??

Anyhow it's a long road ahead but I'm leaning slightly towards Geos as centrepiece with schools of penguin tetras for the open areas. Might look good. Can't wait for the Geos to arrive. ?

 

[Victorhadin]

Hi guys!

Sorry for dragging this back onto the front page, but I just wanted to say thanks for the help. The Geos have been with me for 4 weeks and they were tiny when I got them: About an inch each and only 1.5 inches even now. Great fun, very active and lots of personality: I can't wait for them to mature and colour up!

Anyhow, they're in with a bristlenose and I am slowly adding penguin tetras. The tank is humming with activity.

Thanks guys! I promise only to update again when everything is mature and colourful. ?

Let's see if this video linked properly...

 

[Rass]

Very cool, the tank looks awesome! Sometimes threads don't get updated enough imo. Keep them coming!

 

[Victorhadin]

As requested, an update. Six months on and the Geo Tapajos are *very* slow growers. From 1 inch 6 months ago to 2.5-3 inch now. A fish requiring patience! All 7 are still healthy, along with 12 penguin tetras and a bristlenose. Zero algae, lots of plant growth, good tank so far.

But... The allure of "just one more"... ?

I am very tempted to add another fish to finish the 350L tank. Any ideas? A few alternatives...

The 'Big And Stupid': Add a single chocolate cichlid and try not to feel guilty.

The 'Small And Shiny': A few Apistogramma, maybe Cacatuoides or Agassizii. To add now while the Geos are still small.

The 'Tall And Floaty': Angelfish?

The 'Hidden Gem': A single blue phantom plec. Expensive, reclusive and beautiful.

The 'I don't know, what else?': Any good ideas?


I'm leaning towards apistos, but am not sure. Sitting and adding nothing is also an option, but you all know the temptation. ?

 

[C. Breeze]

Andinoacara sp rio guale / Andinoacara cf Corueleopunctatus rio guale. Not a green terror. Not a blue acara. Nothing pedestrian about them either.

 

[Victorhadin]

W?W!

That's some fish.