New direction from geos? Retroculus?

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Buphy

Buphy

Dovii
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Jun 10, 2015
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So I went to my LFS and talked to the guy I really trust there and he said (contrary to what I heard from someone else on the phone) that they’ve never gotten Geophagus Mirabilis in and he doesn’t think he’d be able to. Talked alittle more and he recommended a different genus of fish. Retroculus. Looks very similar in body shape and I’ve seen some pretty pictures. Question is how big do these guys get, what group size should I look to keep them in and are the compatible with my current planned stock?

A few details, the tank is a 6’ 125 gallon and I’m planning on heros notatus, Crenicichla Regina, Denison barbs, a royal pleco and then whatever I decide on the Geophagus type front.
 
I've looked into Retroculus, they've been on my list for a while, but it's been a question of timing. They come from and apparently like fast water and high oxygen, not a good fit in every tank, one reason I've resisted the temptation at times when I could have gotten them. I'm looking forward to doing a tank they'd be happy in at some point.

They seem like interesting fish. If you watch video of them, they're like a geo version of a goby, hug rocks, like to stay near the bottom, swim in short, little jaunts, almost hop sometimes. I've seen them as singles, pairs, or in small groups, don't know how much it matters to them. I've read they can get 8 inches, don't know how accurate or typical that is. I haven't seen them that size. Some are more or less colorful than others, apparently depending on not just species, but collection location.

I'd be interested to see comments from someone who's kept them, hopefully they're out there! But these are some things I've found in looking into them-- also a quick thread bump...
 
Most Retroculus (with the exception of one species) are rheophilic fish that come from fast flowing waters, so they have a modified swim bladder. As neutrino said, this makes them “goby-like.” They stay near the bottom and perch on their pelvic fins to rest.

They do not ship well, and a lot of people report them randomly dropping dead in their tanks despite acting normal. I think this has a lot to do with the lack of high oxygenation that is found in their habitat from the fast moving streams and rivers.

If you keep them, I’d recommend high flow from a pump or powerhead. This also means keeping the water very clean.

If you keep them mixed in communities, I’d just make sure the tank is well filtered and aerated with frequent water changes.

They will quarrel amongst themselves and they do grow large, 8”+. If you keep a small group you’ll need a decent sized tank. I kept a group of four and at 3” they were already giving each other grief in the 55 gallon growout I had them in.
 
Thanks for the responses guys! My follow up questions would be, how would stuff like the heros and Crenicichla do in a higher flow tank? If not well, these may not be the right fish for me sadly...
 
Depends on the Crenicichla. For instance, there are a few dwarves like compressiceps that come from high flow areas. Also there is the closely related Teleochila species which come from the same areas as the Retroculus.

From google:
img
 
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darth pike said:
Depends on the Crenicichla. For instance, there are a few dwarves like compressiceps that come from high flow areas. Also there is the closely related Teleochila species which come from the same areas as the Retroculus.
Click to expand...

Ever see Teliocichla on sale? They remind me of some Tanganyikan cichlids, like some of the Xenotilapia group.
 
A few Teleocichla have been available this year. Mostly T. centrarchus. The only problem is they’re tiny, and may not make much of a splash in a tank with larger fish (and they also may get eaten depending on the larger fish).
 
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I've seen them on Rapps lists through the years, and occasionally on Aquabid usually via The Wet Spot. Often enough to not be super rare but certainly not common.
 
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