Hi I am going to be attemping a 40 gallon biotope with fish from west of the andes in Colombia instead of a blackwater dwarf pike biotope. I have a pair of A. Biseratus and 11 emperor tetras. I was looking to see if there were plecos and corydoras in the area but there is so little information on the area online. Does anyone know of any if not I'll probably make it a Colombian biotope.
Fish in Western Colombia
- Thread starter TheFishDodo
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Rhinoloricaria uracantha is a small twig catfish from Colombia and southern Panama that may be small enough for your size tank.
The pleco's from the area get a bit too big for a 40 gallon (9" so you'd need something double your tank size IMO).
I believe Cory's are all from east of the Andes, although this is not my area, and I may be mistaken, I'm sure Cory experts will chime in.
The pleco's from the area get a bit too big for a 40 gallon (9" so you'd need something double your tank size IMO).
I believe Cory's are all from east of the Andes, although this is not my area, and I may be mistaken, I'm sure Cory experts will chime in.
Took me some time but it seems like R. Uracantha has been reclassifed to Fonchiiichthys uracanthus but I cant find any for sale but other than that I could only find that Jeff was selling F. Variegata which grow to 10" so too big.
Edit: it also seems that all corydoras are found east of the Andes which is a shame. I was trying to use them to clean the substrate so I would not have to intrude as much. It stinks that the ornamental fish diversity in western Colombia is so low compared to eastern.
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Wet Spot Tropicals has the twig catfish from Columbia listed a as Farlowella.
Cory's don't really "clean" the substrate, just eat food dropped there, neither do Pleco's.
They each (just as anything else) excrete as much as they eat.
If you want a fish that eats left over food from the substrate, and is also from the area, Geophagus steindachneri (from the Magdalena river system) or Geo pellegrini (from Rio San Juan) are constant substrate shifters, and would fit the bill, although at some point will grow too large for a 40 gal.
But in reality, so will the acara's., a 75 gal might be more apropos.
Both Geo's are usually available, at only an inch or 2.
Wet Spot has pellegrini on their available list at the moment in the 1.5" size
Although this all may be moot if you don't live in the U.S.
Cory's don't really "clean" the substrate, just eat food dropped there, neither do Pleco's.
They each (just as anything else) excrete as much as they eat.
If you want a fish that eats left over food from the substrate, and is also from the area, Geophagus steindachneri (from the Magdalena river system) or Geo pellegrini (from Rio San Juan) are constant substrate shifters, and would fit the bill, although at some point will grow too large for a 40 gal.
But in reality, so will the acara's., a 75 gal might be more apropos.
Both Geo's are usually available, at only an inch or 2.
Wet Spot has pellegrini on their available list at the moment in the 1.5" size
Although this all may be moot if you don't live in the U.S.
Luckily I do live in the US. I always thought that corydoras turned over the substrate keeping it clean. I would be setting up the tank with a good ammount of hiding for the Acaras if I do go with them. I was also thinking a biotope revolving around a pair of Inca Stone Cichlids but trying to find species which live with them and what their habitat looks like is proving to be difficult.
Brochis splendens the emerald Cory has a very wide distribution and is found in columbia. There are also ancistrus species, though I can't remember the exact species off the top of my head.
Silver hatchet fish can also be found in columbia.
Silver hatchet fish can also be found in columbia.