Info on Gymnogeophagus 'Arroyo Yerbalito'

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ryansmith83

ryansmith83

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May 2, 2008
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I traded in a bunch of large fish today at my local cichlid dealer and he had some 2 - 3" Gymnogeophagus 'Arroyo Yerbalito.' I've never kept Gymnos as I'm not a big fan of the nuchal humps, but these guys really stood out to me. He showed me a larger sized male in another tank that had gorgeous deep red fins and lots of blue spangling. He was a very impressive fish for his size. I was offered a pair of the smaller fish for free.

So a few questions:

1) It seems from Googling that there are a couple of species of Gymnos from this river. Can anyone tell me which one this probably is? The fish shows no yellow at all; just a deep red and blue. I'd never seen red like that on an SA cichlid before.

2) Is it true they're harem spawners? If so, how many females should I get and what size tank would I need? What is their maximum size? Does the male develop a really big nuchal hump? Also, can they be sexed at 2" easily?

3) As I mentioned, I've never kept Gymnos so I don't know anything about the cool-down period. I live in Florida so even in the winter it doesn't get too cold. Is there a minimum temp they need to get down to? I could probably get their tanks into the low 70s, but I doubt I'd get it any lower unless I kept them in the garage or put a chiller on the tank (which I don't want to do).

4) How common/uncommon are these guys? I've never seen them locally, but that doesn't say much because we don't get a lot of nice SA cichlids here. Are they a dime a dozen?
 
Hi Ryan. I'll give it a go but I'm warning you it's 430am and my coffee hasn't kicked in yet so hopefully I make sense.

1. It probably is Gymnogeophagus labiatus "Blue Yerbalito". Check out Felipe's site: http://aqvaterra.com/cichlids_other_fishes.php

2. Assuming it is the fish above or another type of gymnogeny or labiatus then yes they are harem spawners. I'd have a group of 6 with 2 males and 4 females. It is harder to sex them when they are young but it can be done.

3. I dont know if there is a minimum temp they need to get down to in order to breed but if you could get it into the high 60s I think you'll be alright. Dont quote me but I think Ken has his go down to 68 and they are fine. I wouldn't buy a chiller. Btw people breed these fish in Florida so it must get cool enough for them to setup their breeding cycle.

4. They are becoming more popular but I wouldnt say they are common fish. They are not the most popular fish to the common person because when they are young they are not very colorful. Plus most people dont have the patients to grow them out.

I hope this helps and I'll check back later if you have anymore questions

Armand
 
They are probably not the labiatus. Any fish that is labiatus should keep that name. They are most likely Quilero. Several of the main supliers of these fish call them arroyo yerbalito instead of quilero. They are also much more common then the labiatus "blue yerbalito".

http://www.aqvaterra.com/cichlids_gymnogenys_quilero.php

If they are 2" or so you should be able to tell the difference between them and the labiatus.

Quilero do not need any special care, treat them like a normal gymno. I have spawned them in groups or as pairs. For some reason they seem to get HITH easily even when water conditions are good.
 
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