How To Breed Orange Head Geos?

[Pazzoman]

Hey Everyone,

Just wanted to ask a bunch of questions about my orange head geos which are growing out to eventually be the main look in a 180-240 gallon tank.

-What is the average breeding size?
-Will the parents continue to grow after breeding size or do they stop growing?
-I have 11 geos all around 3 inches will they eventually pair off or do I have to "thin" them out? If so is thier a specific way of doing it or just removing random geos?
-Is thier a way to tell between males and females?
-What should be the tank perimeters to trigger breeding any tricks? Such as cold water change...etc.
-Best size tank to house eggs and parents?
-What is the amount of fry usually?

Thanks A Million any other tips will be greatly appreciated!

 

[neutrino]

Just throwing a male and female together doesn't necessarily equal a compatible pair with most SA cichlids, sometimes yes and sometimes no, and that includes species that don't need to be in a group to start with. But the orange heads like to be in a group, especially as juvies. So, better to let them pair up on their own. Once you get a mature pair, it's not as important to keep them in a group ime.

Without going into all the details, here's my my experience with them. I started with 20 1" juvies, started them in a 50 by themselves, moved them to a 75 with some rotkeil severums, eventually moved most of them into a 135 where my severums (8 of them) also ended up, and eventually kept a mature pair in the 75. I've read differing accounts of growth, spawning age, etc. and haven't worried to remember details of age in months and size for each step along the way, but by the time I'd had mine a year, males were 5+ inches, females were mostly near 4 inches, and I was getting spawning activity and have gotten fry.

For a while I had two pair in the 75. Now just the one pair and some of their juvies growing out in another tank. Took the pair some trial and error trying different spawning sites, sometimes getting along well, sometimes not so much, etc. before they seemed to settle into being successful parents. Water conditions are temp 80 degrees, pH 7.4, moderate hardness (gh/kh both neighborhood of 12 degrees), water changes 50=70% weekly. Spawning sometimes appears to coincide with a recent water change, not uncommon.

They're in a tank with some wild Peruvian scalare, 6 guianacara, some tetras, one L200 and one L260 pleco, good bit of driftwood, couple plants (which they would uproot if I didn't have them securely in place), few large-ish vertical slate pieces in the back and another smooth and decent sized rock in a sort of a tangle with some driftwood. They typically pick one of the slate pieces at one end to lay eggs. The guianacara have become adults, now, and are feisty. The guianacara were fine with the orange heads as juvies, but now they're adults and trying to spawn themselves, they've become quite feisty and are a little much for the orange heads, even though they're smaller. Nothing serious, but I intend to move the guianacara for the sake of the orange heads. Will replace the guianacara either with some of the orange head juvies and/or some juvies of another, more docile SA species. The wild scalare and orange heads get along well, mostly respectful of each other, but the guianacara seem to think it's their tank, now, though they've learned to respect the angels. If I was trying to get max numbers of fry I'd also consider removing the plecos.

Almost forgot-- yes, they have continued growing since pairing up and spawning regularly. Two years old now and female is @ 5-5.5 inches, male is @ 7 inches.

 

[dxdx]

They will pair up and breed on their own. Mine started pairing around maybe 7-9 months old, not sure of the exact size but they had good color to them and maybe 5 or 6 inches. I didn't do anything to trigger breeding, they just started.

They were very protective of eggs, until the light went out. Then they disappeared and the eggs were eaten.

If you really want fry, then I would move the pair as soon as they form. I would think a 40 breeder should be big enough if they're alone. Leave some clean rocks for them to lay on. They should have dozens of fry, and they're good parents, although I never got to that stage.

 

[Futurecamii]

They will pair up and breed on their own. Mine started pairing around maybe 7-9 months old, not sure of the exact size but they had good color to them and maybe 5 or 6 inches. I didn't do anything to trigger breeding, they just started.

They were very protective of eggs, until the light went out. Then they disappeared and the eggs were eaten.

If you really want fry, then I would move the pair as soon as they form. I would think a 40 breeder should be big enough if they're alone. Leave some clean rocks for them to lay on. They should have dozens of fry, and they're good parents, although I never got to that stage.

What are those in your profile pic......I cant find a nice pair of Guianacars for the life of me

 

[Mythic Figment]

They will pair up and breed on their own. Mine started pairing around maybe 7-9 months old, not sure of the exact size but they had good color to them and maybe 5 or 6 inches. I didn't do anything to trigger breeding, they just started.

They were very protective of eggs, until the light went out. Then they disappeared and the eggs were eaten.

If you really want fry, then I would move the pair as soon as they form. I would think a 40 breeder should be big enough if they're alone. Leave some clean rocks for them to lay on. They should have dozens of fry, and they're good parents, although I never got to that stage.

Too would like to know what the species of fish is in your profile picture.


Sent from my iPad using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

 

[bbortko]

What are those in your profile pic......I cant find a nice pair of Guianacars for the life of me

Post a want to buy add on gcca.net.

 

[dxdx]

What are those in your profile pic......I cant find a nice pair of Guianacars for the life of me

Too would like to know what the species of fish is in your profile picture.

They are Orange Head Tapajos. The pics were taken with a filter, so the saturation makes the blue a little brighter than it actually is. When the light hits them just right they can look pretty close to this though.

 

[darth pike]

They are Orange Head Tapajos.

This is how they look when you call them by their real name, instead of insulting them by using the 'red' in their name and making them sound like stieny's.