guianacara sphenozona

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo

GreenTerror7

Candiru
MFK Member
Sep 29, 2011
259
10
48
So cal/ LAX
Does anyone know how aggressive these guys are? I got a 3" one a week ago and he was wreaking havoc in my 55 green terror growout tank. So I moved him into the 135 with 5"-10" SA/CA cichlids and he is still bossing around fish three times his size. Will his aggression continue as he grows and how fast will he grow?
Also it seems like my 3" geophagus daemon is the only fish that bosses him around, are single daemons aggressive as well?
I couldn't find much info on google about the guianacara
 
I started with about 20 fry, kept 10 in a 150 gal with Acarichthys heckelli and xCichlasoma ornatum for a couple years, with no aggression whatever, except when spawning, and even then, for me aggression was minimal. They started as 1" fry are grew to hand size.
Maybe its because they seem to like living in shoals, and were kept that way.
 
IME they'll be pushy when they think they can get away with it, but not what I call aggressive particularly. With larger fish they respect they're pretty good citizens. Size varies by gender and individual, big males can push 6 inches ime, some males less, females less. Growth rate from 3 inches on will depend on gender, individual, feeding, tank, etc.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Migidy_Mike
One of the species I've kept them with is red (orange) head tapajos. The tapajos geos tend to be fairly mild ime, though a bit more feisty when they're getting ready to spawn. So the guianacara were a bit pushy with the orange heads, but nothing serious, no nipping etc, more like competitive for spots they liked, etc, most of the time not much more than a standoff with a larger male orange head, little bit of back and forth, not much more. Smaller red heads they could push around some.

Standard thinking might be you'd find with more guianacara they'll pay more attention to each other and less to other fish, but at one point I split the guianacaras up and had a single with the breeding orange heads and behavior wasn't that different-- still pushy, still not mean. With the geos you have a somewhat similar fish in terms of habits, spawning sites they like, etc.

Same tank had wild angelfish and the guianacara didn't mess with them after finding out the angels couldn't be buffaloed. Have also had them with (adult) rotkeil severums in the tank and they didn't mess with them in the least.

Just my experience, but I could see the possibility for a particular feisty guianacara trying to boss other fish... until or unless they get tired of it and back the guianacara down, which is what I saw with my Peru angels. (guianacara I have are supposed to be sphenozona, parents from came from Rapps, but when it comes to guianacara, I wouldn't bet my life on distinguishing spenozona from similar types)
 
MonsterFishKeepers.com