New pick up, something uncommon

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Rafini

Rafini

Piranha
MFK Member
Jun 28, 2012
1,930
178
81
Calgary, Canada
So I'm interested in what you guys think this is, Picked up a hopeful pair yesterday. lets see if anyone can name the species
as you can see the colors can change really quickly
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stress colors
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rainbow?
 
Okay you got it Fug, I picked up a pair of wild caught red Ceibals I am finding it very hard to find much information on them.

I believe they require a cooldown period like most uruguayan cichlids although they occur along the border of Brasil so I thought maybe they can do without the cooldown period.

They are in my SA tank with my geos and everyones playing nicely. the big male ceibal likes to chase dither fish around but shows no interest in my geos and vice versa. If they end up pairing up I'll set them up their own aquarium :)

heres the smaller (hopeful) female, who can also become very yellow
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They were all the same size when imported and so I guess like with all cichlids the males get the biggest the quickest. So I picked a nice clear male and then a smaller subdued colored more female looking one in hopes of an eventual pair. If not then I will still set up a seperate cool water aquarium for them somewhere down the line if that's what they need.
 
I've kept ceibals for about the last 4 or 5 years.
Although they don't require a drastic cool down, a few months with temps in the 60'sF seem to do them a lot of good, and without it, they seem to become prone to disease and fungus.

I keep them in a kiddy pool in my unheated basement in winter where water temps easily drop into the low 50sF.

Spring thru fall they are kept in an outdoor pond, where temps vary from high 40s at night in May and Oct, to nearly 90'F on hot summer afternoons. They have spawned in the ponds every year.

Adult male

adult female

Pair in breeding dress

pair in algae choked out door tank, the fry grew up eating only algae, and whatever fell into the tank
 
Wow duanes they are beautiful! thanks for the info, so I can keep them outside during the summer months in a kiddy pool? thats interesting I may do that. Summers here are generally 27 to 38 degrees celsius although it does get cool in the evening I`m sure if theyre okay in michigan outside then They should be fine here.
Sorry I don`t know how to use fahrenheit haha ,you guys do know that literally nobody else in the world uses it right? either way I got a converter online so its all good.

So duanes do you experience a larger growth rate when you keep them outside over the summer months? and generally how large are the broods for this species?
 
Last fall, I pulled about 200 fry from the pond.


The parents will lead the schools of fry into very shallow areas to feed, only a few inches deep.

I'm sure dragon fly larvae, racoons, and other predators had their fill throughout the months.

Also pulled half dozen + yearlings spawned the previous summer.


Most growth is in warm months, because once the temps get cool in the basement, I hardly ever feed, at most, maybe once per week.
I've also kept 2 species (location variants) of Gymngeophagus (different years to keep from hybridizing) in the pond, and overwintering manner, with similar results.


This year, about 20 Gymno fry came out in fall


I know Jim(Notho) from Winnipeg keeps Uruguayans outside in summer, so I'm going to try Cichlasoma dimerus "bella union" outside this coming summer.
A group has been growing out inside for me since fall, prompted after reading of Jim's success with them.
 
Yes, Red Ceibal are uncommon fish rarely ever sold in LFS. I acquired a trio in an auction last fall which turned out to be one male and two female. I started a thread of them a short while ago.

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?599952-Australoheros-Red-Ceibal-pair-up

They have been pairing up, cleaning a site and appear to be ready to lay eggs, but still no spawning after several weeks of activities. So I wonder if the temperature is too high as I keep them with tropical tankmates at mid 70s. The color of the pair is brilliant, specially the female with intense stripes on an orange base. Some say RC look like mini Festae without the spouse beating aggression. I say they look like mini Bengal Tiger.
 
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