just curious, cuz when I had Bolivian Rams, they would take pellets and flakes off the surface, but I have YET to see my brasiliensis take anything from the surface and I have to use sinking pellets for them. You probably have brasiliensis
"Rescue" cichlids from Petsmart...what are they??
- Thread starter RyanM
- Start date
Braziliensis for sure. I have a breeding pair. My male is about 9 inches now. The female is about 40% of his size. Real pretty if you like big dorky fish. I bought them on impulse and had no Idea how big they would get. They grow fast and he is still getting bigger.
Braziliensis for sure. I have a breeding pair. My male is about 9 inches now. The female is about 40% of his size. Real pretty if you like big dorky fish. I bought them on impulse and had no Idea how big they would get. They grow fast and he is still getting bigger.View attachment 1209430 View attachment 1209429
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that's a real nice looking pair u got there....here's mine
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/geophagus-brasiliensis-finally-bred.675829/
After spending about a half hour last night watching them, I am convinced they are Braziliensis because of the red speckles in their fins.
Curious what you mean by "big dorky fish"?
Curious what you mean by "big dorky fish"?
I have been reading up on these more and it sounds like Braziliensis are the most agressive geo and it has me a little worried. I am setting up a 180g SA tank that was going to be centered around a geo species, but I planned to have some angels and maybe a second type of geo or some sevrums. Are these really that aggressive and should plan on keeping them out of my plans for the 180g?
You have Geophagus brasiliensis for sure. Be aware, this species is much more "acara like" in nature than the true Geophagus. They form pairs and guard their fry aggressively. I would not keep this species in groups like you would true Geophagus.
I don't usually meddle in the whole splitting vs lumping debates, but I think we will eventually see this species moved to a different genus.
I don't usually meddle in the whole splitting vs lumping debates, but I think we will eventually see this species moved to a different genus.
I did not see this post before I replied.
You can treat this species more like your typical Central American pair cichlid. In a 180, long term it would be a tight fit with other species because the males get so large. The males are chunky.
I kept a small pair of Geophagus brasiliensis in a 125g with a Crencichla saxatilis type pike. The pike absolutely hated the brasiliensis and would always try to fight the female. The female would hold her own (she was about 4", the pike was 6"). The male would eventually come and help run off the pike. The tank was fun to watch when the brasiliensis had fry!
I moved the pair on when they started getting larger. Mine did not play nice with other fish.
That is really helpful. I saw another thread where the discussion was around keeping the Brasiliensis with CA cichlids which I know much less about. Anyone have suggestions on what types of CA would work longer term in the 180g with the brasiliensis?
I would not hesitate to mix them with mid sized centrals if you want pairs. Cryptoheros would be a good fit.
If you a new to the hobby, don't discount the option of breeding these guys and then moving them on. It is worth seeing. But they do not fit your original plan. So if that is more appealing to you, then I would not let an impulse buy screw your plans up.
If you a new to the hobby, don't discount the option of breeding these guys and then moving them on. It is worth seeing. But they do not fit your original plan. So if that is more appealing to you, then I would not let an impulse buy screw your plans up.
