Laetacara - small in stature, big in personality

[fug202]

Here are three types of Laetacara I currently have: Laetacara curviceps (4 images), L. araguaiae "Buckelkopf" (2 images), and L. dorsigera (3 images). Great dwarf cichlids - lots of personality, amazing colors, and pretty feisty when they want to be. Amazing colors, and quite variable according to mood.

 

[ryansmith83]

Wow, I can't believe no one replied. These little guys are gorgeous. I bred L. dorsigera for a few years and I loved them. Beautiful fish with that spunky acara personality. I've never seen curviceps with the purple sides like yours. Do you ever get fry from them? I'd love to raise up a small group. I've never kept curviceps.

 

[abarilot]

What gorgeous little guys!!! What kind of water do you keep them in?

 

[fug202]

Wow, I can't believe no one replied. These little guys are gorgeous. I bred L. dorsigera for a few years and I loved them. Beautiful fish with that spunky acara personality. I've never seen curviceps with the purple sides like yours. Do you ever get fry from them? I'd love to raise up a small group. I've never kept curviceps.

Thanks. I'm hoping the L. dorsigera will pair off as they mature (I have four juveniles). The L. curviceps didn't show the purple sides when I bought them at the LFS, but it developed soon after and has expanded. I think I have a male and female (the male being the one with more purple), but so far there have been no spawning attempts. They get along well for the most part, but at certain times of the day the male (?) gives chase and the other runs.

 

[darth pike]

One of my favorite groups of cichlids. I've found the Buckelkopfs the most personable out of the three species I've kept (dorsigera, thayeri, araguaiae). Always a good choice for smaller tanks.

I'm with Ryan, I've never kept curviceps. Each of the three times I've bought them, they have been dorsigera instead. So despite being a 'common' species, they are still on the want list.

 

[fug202]

What gorgeous little guys!!! What kind of water do you keep them in?

These guys are in a 29 gallon tank. The water is on the hard/alkaline side in Boise (pH ~7.5 to 8), but I've added peat pellets to the filter to bring it down (~6.5-7.0). They're housed with some Apistogramma macmasteri (sold as viejita) and the L. dorsigera. Temperature is about 80F.