Gymnogeophagus

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badisbadis101

Candiru
MFK Member
Feb 16, 2008
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Houston
I recently read an article in TFH Magazine about these cichlids. They said that they need a temperature of around 50F for 2 or 3 months out of the year to thrive, with the rest of the year between 68F and 80F. They seemed like interesting fish, and the fact that they required a cool period got me thinking - would they be good pond fish?

I have a roughly 1,000 gallon outdoor pond that gets down to around 48F in the winter, and gets up to around 80. I was wondering if it would be feasible to keep a few Gymnogeophagus in my pond year round. I live in houston, texas. Thanks for any information.
 
i think thats too cold might be a good pong fish in a warmer area
 
Not sure what exact temperature, but I have read from numerous sources that certain species of Geophagus, perhaps the members of the Gymnogeophagus genus, do best with 3 months of cold water.

I imagine to do this successfully you would of course have to very gradually decrease and increase the tank temperatures. I had a book out from the local library that explained it but this has since been returned :(
 
My question is whether they would thrive in a pond, as the temperature changes are VERY gradual, and seem to fit the "recommended" temperature requirements, except that it get a few degrees colder in the winter. Would they still do okay at a maximum of 5 degrees below their recommended range for very short periods, as long as the changes are gradual?
 
badisbadis101;1564061; said:
My question is whether they would thrive in a pond, as the temperature changes are VERY gradual, and seem to fit the "recommended" temperature requirements, except that it get a few degrees colder in the winter. Would they still do okay at a maximum of 5 degrees below their recommended range for very short periods, as long as the changes are gradual?
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I lost all my gymnogeos. except for a few during the winter. I am in socal. I don't know if the pond is large enough to keep the temperature stable. I would just keep them indoor in an unheated tank.

I had them bred for me in a heated tank and thrived for years without any cooling period. Good luck with yours.
 
I've seen some live for years without doing the cooling thing, but I can't say whether it affected their longevity
 
Okay - thanks for the information. However, someone in another thread actually recommended Gymnogeophagus for a pond in Louisiana. He/she claimed to have success with them.
 
Why not set up a thermo controlled heater, in the pond, and adjust it to 50 degrees. That way it wont drop to 48 and wont raise the temp too much either.
 
thanks!

Dennis - i have never seen my pond below 50, but i do not look in the middle of the night, so i guess it could probably get down to maybe 45*F at the LEAST - would a heater still be required? And if so, how many 300 watt heaters would it take for a 1,000 gallon pond?

one more question - does anyone know where i can get them? I live in Houston, texas. I have never seen them in stores, and would prefer not to mail order them, unless it is relatively close.

One final thing:

How hardy are these fish? I would prefer not to get wild caught ones, if possible. Are the captive bred ones sensitive to anything in particular, or difficult to keep healthy for one way or another? And would a pH of 7.8 with moderate to low hardness be okay?
 
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