Gymnogeny (Gymnogeophagus) Maldonado

[jerzyperson]

hi, i recently got some gymnogeny maldonado's, i was wondering if anyone had some advice on keeping them, breeding them, and all around care. i know as much as i have read about them, but i would like some advice from some real experts. thanks in advance

EDIT: i forgot to add that they are wild caught from Venezuela, a buddy of mine bought them from "Fish Farm" and then couldn't keep them with his priced G. Dicrozoster. so i took them for him, great guy and beautiful fish!

 

[duanes]

Gymnogeophagus are not found in Venezuela, they are from the southern part of South America (southern Brazil, Uruguay, etc.). So your friend probably got his info, or the name mixed up.
Gymnos normally live in cooler waters than Geophagus types from the north.
They breed after a cooling off period.
Ken (Fishfarm) will probably chime in with great info, he probably caught them himself.

 

[dogofwar]

These guys are delayed mouthbrooders from Southern Uruguay... so they prefer a cool down period and being kept - like peacocks - in harems. I keep them in bottom row tanks without heaters. The spring brings spawning (mine did several times).

The males are much larger than females and also more colorful. The females can be pretty aggressive, especially when guarding eggs.

I made the mistake of trying to keep mine in a grow out tank of much smaller central american cichlids. They just can't hang.

Matt

 

[FSM]

They're from Uruguay, your friend is mixed up.

 

[joedodge]

feed um good with clean water i feed omega one, and nls pellets. fines sand so they can sift and a cooling period for a couple months. depending on the temp you realy need no heater. i keep mine with tetras no problem. there awsome lil fish by far my favorite

 

[jerzyperson]

sorry im mixed up, i know there from Uraguay, for some reason i put venezuala, maybe i should stop looking at all the pbass

and yea, Ken caught them himself, and they are looking amazing

 

[jerzyperson]

has anyone kept gymnogeny maldonando and how should i breed them, would a 75 gallon be ok?

 

[fishfarm]

G. gymnogynes maldonado is from Arroyo Alferez in south eastern Uruguay in the eastern part of the state of Maldonado north of Rocha. http://www.aqvaterra.com/cichlids_gymnogenys_maldonado.php
They are a delyaed maternal mouthbrooder, harem spawn, I don't heat any of my Uruguay tanks and allow them to cool down each winter, the fish spawn in the Spring when the temperature rise. That part of Uurguay regularly gets below freezing in the winter so they are a hardy fish, feed any good cichlid pellet. A 75 should be fine for a gorup. I only had a small number of these for sale last year so good luck with them. Ken

 

[jerzyperson]

thanks ken, fast fish got a trio from you and just couldn't keep up with em' so he sold them to me and well i notcied after looking around for info on them it was nearly impossible to find anything about them. thanks again ken!