G. Gymnogenys Reintroduction

[zekni]

I have a small group of 8 or so G. Gymnogenys, 3m/5f (I think) in a 300 gallon growout stocktank approx 3". This tank has a number of other species growing out ranging from .5"-2" including: V. Synspilum, V. Regani, gold JDs (.5"), some tiny victorians (.5"-1") and Sajicas.
Yesterday I see one of the Gymnos floating at the top of the tank, beat up and dark, so today when I needed to move some fish around (a discus tank sprung a leak, so I needed tank space in the house in a hurry.) I pulled the beat up Gymno, the victorians and Sajicas so I could add some 3" fronts and 3" rotkiel severums.

The gymno is now in a 20g long, terrorizing the victorians (astatotilipia sp. tomatoe). It's either a small subdom male or female.. I think female but it's hard to tell when they aren't together. Whatever it is, it's feeling pretty fiesty in with only little guys.

When the fins heal, what are the odds it can be re-introduced to the stock tank with it's group and have things go different? I did add more hiding spots in the 300 gallon, as I'm a little nervous the fronts can eat the gold dempseys. I gave up trying to catch them after I got the Tomatoes and sajicas out, however.

I have a group of G. Labatius in a 55g in the house that are slightly smaller it might do okay with when it's healed, but that defeats the purpose of trying to get it to breed eventually if it's not in the tank with it's fellows.

Opinions?

 

[duanes]

Gymnogeophagus are not a tropical genus, they come from temperate waters, which means, this time of year their water is cool (60s 'F or lower).
At tropical temps they become lathargic, and are prone to stress disease, andbullying by aggressive, active species such as your Vieja.
They should be kept in an unheated tank, with other more temperate water species.
I like to keep mine outside at this time, and the water gets as cold as the high 40s, to low 50s F. It seems to recharge them when it warms up in July, and they then spawn.

 

[zekni]

I am aware they are temperate. They were the first to go in the stock tank a couple of months ago when it was in the low 60s.
I bought them from Jeff Rapps, and have followed his suggestions for care as well as having done my own research. The tank is in the garage. The warmer water fish went in when it hit 75 degrees out there, so if anything, they are the ones that are a little cold right now. I'll likely have to bring the gymnos in the house when the water out there creeps up into the mid 80s by summer. Right now the gymnos are fiesty, constantly showing aggression and breeding behavior. They aren't being bullied, they are the bullies, but mostly focused on each other. The female (im pretty sure its female) now in the house is even warmer at 78 degrees is showing great coloration today, and eating well. I wouldn't use lethargic to describe any of them.

So what I was asking was what is the likihood she'd be accepted back into the group? Plenty of info out there on water temp, very little on group behavior. Other than that they can be kept in pairs or groups.