Ideas for cool water tank mates for Brasiliensis?

[RyanM]

Looking for a cichlid and some tetra species that could handle the cool down period the Brasiliensis need. I have a school of lemon tetras and access to cryptoheros myrnae or sajica. Would any of those be able to handle cooler temps for a few months?

 

[RyanM]

Looks like the "Australoheros" are native to Uruguay, so I assume they could handle the cooler temps, but would they be aggressive enough to take on Brasiliensis?

 

[duanes]

I would agree that any of the fish from Uruguay would work as far as temp goes.
Buenos Aires tetras would be a better fit than Lemons, because lemons are northern Brazilian warmer water species.
I kept Australoheros, and Gymnogeophagus in my none heated tanks. Or if you are not trying to be geographically correct, high altitude Mexican live bearers, or species from China would work such as Rosy barbs.
Australoheros"red Ceibal"

Gymnogeophagus quilero

Gymnogeophagus sp Paso Pache

Xenatoca eiseni, a cool water Mexican live bearer

and Gymnogeophagus balzani, with a cool water cory from Uruguay (C erhardti)

 

[RyanM]

How would the Austraheros fare temperament wise? Would they be able to handle themselves against the Brasiliensis?

 

[mrrobxc]

I agree with Duanes on the buenos Aires tetras being a better fit for tetras. Australaheros are fairly tough and some can be downright rowdy. You should be fine with them and the brasiliensis given your tank is large enough. Stick with the medium sized ones like red ceibels or scitilus. Thee larger facetums may present a challenge.

Think of australaheros as similar to CA heroine cichlids in the amatitliana genus.

 

[duanes]

As mrroxc said, in a large enough tank, I believe Australoheros would work well.
Anything smaller than 100 gals, more cichlids might be a problem though, because all are territorial in nature. Maybe if they were all put in the same tank, at the same time, as juvie, and grew up together, but adding anything piecemeal to the braziliensus would put new cichlids at a definite disadvantage.
I was able to keep many Uruguayans together in a 100 gal 6ft tank without problems, but when ever I tried anything smaller it usually didn't end well.



above is the 100 gal tank with Australoheros, Gymnogeophagus, and Uruguayan Crenicichla saxatillis

 

[cichlidfish]

I've wanting x. Eiseni for awhile now. I hear they can be very nippy.

 

[mrrobxc]

I've wanting x. Eiseni for awhile now. I hear they can be very nippy.

I've kept them with thorichthys which have decent trailers on their fins and had no issues. Perhaps with fish that are even more placid then thorichthys, like Pterophyllum or Bettas, they can be a problem. I'd say they are good with semi aggressive fish.

 

[cichlidfish]

I've kept them with thorichthys which have decent trailers on their fins and had no issues. Perhaps with fish that are even more placid then thorichthys, like Pterophyllum or Bettas, they can be a problem. I'd say they are good with semi aggressive fish.

Thanks! I was thinking of keeping them w/ t. mixteco. Geographically not correct, but would make for a colorful tank.
I guess to many livebarer keepers who don't own cichlids, they are vicious beast lol.

 

[mrrobxc]

Thanks! I was thinking of keeping them w/ t. mixteco. Geographically not correct, but would make for a colorful tank.
I guess to many livebarer keepers who don't own cichlids, they are vicious beast lol.

Close enough. They are both from Mexico. I kept them with macullipini