Wow great info I kept mine close to 80 like all my other large cichlids makes sense nowI find if you keep temps on the lower side (70'F) they have a less aggressive temperament.
They come from southern Brazil, Uruguay, and even northern Argentina, these places are not like tropical Amazonia, they can be almost like northern Florida and southern Georgia.
Mine spawned outside in a pond in Milwaukee where temps most of the time were in the high 60sF
i had my pair at 65F-70F all Spring and just bumped them up to 78F to breed them last weekWow great info I kept mine close to 80 like all my other large cichlids makes sense now


Not at all, many fish I had spawned after water changes of cooler waterI realize this may seem contrary to some people, but I find if I lower the temps a bit, my cichlids will spawn. Many species are seasonal spawners, and it is often the rainy season that triggers spawning, which to me means cooler water from rain, and or from rain in the mountains bringing cooler waters that flow down rivers from higher elevations.
These iporanguensus below spawned at around 68'F, as did my beanii, and when I had spawning managuense, I usually added cooler, collected rain water to fire them up.
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