Some Popular American Cichlids Breeding Age

[Fishworks2015]

Hi Everyone,


Could I ask what the average sexual maturity age is for Severum?

Also, how about average sexual maturity for Green Terror?
And typical sexual maturity age for Firemouth?


I ask because I want to keep a community of Severums (4-6) with either Firemouths (4-6) or Green Terrors (just 4). But I definitely dont want to deal with spawning aggression.
Right now, kinda prefer the Severum with Green Terror combo.
The planned aquarium is about 1000 gallons. 11 feet long x 5 feet wide x 2.5 feet high.


So I am really hoping the Severum ages at same time with the Green Terror.

Because If sexual maturity age of Severum is 2 years or more, then I could simply just get the Severums together with Green Terrors (since I read the Green Terrors take 2 years to sexually mature) and enjoy them for that period.

Or If maturity age of Severum is under 1 year, I could vent sex them, then just keep all males. Then I would get some Firemouths (I read Firemouths sexually mature in 8 months), vent them, keep all males again, then put the Severums and Firemouths together.


Thanks!

 

[tlindsey]

Hi Everyone,


Could I ask what the average sexual maturity age is for Severum?

Also, how about average sexual maturity for Green Terror?
And typical sexual maturity age for Firemouth?


I ask because I want to keep a community of Severums (4-6) with either Firemouths (4-6) or Green Terrors (just 4). But I definitely dont want to deal with spawning aggression.
Right now, kinda prefer the Severum with Green Terror combo.
The planned aquarium is about 1000 gallons. 11 feet long x 5 feet wide x 2.5 feet high.


So I am really hoping the Severum ages at same time with the Green Terror.

Because If sexual maturity age of Severum is 2 years or more, then I could simply just get the Severums together with Green Terrors (since I read the Green Terrors take 2 years to sexually mature) and enjoy them for that period.

Or If maturity age of Severum is under 1 year, I could vent sex them, then just keep all males. Then I would get some Firemouths (I read Firemouths sexually mature in 8 months), vent them, keep all males again, then put the Severums and Firemouths together.


Thanks!

ryansmith83

 

[ryansmith83]

You don’t need to vent Heros to sex them. In all but two species, males and females have clear sexual dimorphism because of their facial patterning (or lack thereof).

Unfortunately, spawning aggression is a reality in any group of cichlids if they’re happy. Even keeping no-male tanks doesn’t work because two females will readily pair off and spawn, being just as aggressive and defensive as male-female pairs. All male tanks usually work, but I did have a rare scenario a couple years ago where two males bonded and acted as a pair, constantly darkening into spawning colors and defending one half of the tank.

Most Heros and acaras are breeding by a year old, though I’ve had females start as early as 6 - 8 months in Heros and males be as late as 18 months before they’re fertile (though they’ll usually start spawning before that time).

 

[duanes]

Severums and GTs would never come into contact with each other in nature, rivers on the west side of the Andes where GTs are from are generally cooler (mid 70s) and neutral to higher pH, the water parameters are quite different than where severums are found in the Amazon basin , where temps can be in th low to mid 80s, and pH are generally acidic 7 down to 5 pH.
FMs are from @4000 miles north in Mexico where waters are hard, and pH is usually 7.5 up to around 8.5.
Just because we like the looks of certain fish, and they are in the same family (cichlids) doesn't mean they belong together in the same tank.

One other consideration, where GTs live on the Pacific slope of S America, there are very few species of cichlids, so GTs tend to be loners, probably why the common name, and why they are not normally thought of as community fish.
Whereas severums being from the Amazon basin live in large diverse communities of cichlids and other species, making them more amenable to communal living (less territorial aggression)

 

[Fishworks2015]

You don’t need to vent Heros to sex them. In all but two species, males and females have clear sexual dimorphism because of their facial patterning (or lack thereof).

Unfortunately, spawning aggression is a reality in any group of cichlids if they’re happy. Even keeping no-male tanks doesn’t work because two females will readily pair off and spawn, being just as aggressive and defensive as male-female pairs. All male tanks usually work, but I did have a rare scenario a couple years ago where two males bonded and acted as a pair, constantly darkening into spawning colors and defending one half of the tank.

Most Heros and acaras are breeding by a year old, though I’ve had females start as early as 6 - 8 months in Heros and males be as late as 18 months before they’re fertile (though they’ll usually start spawning before that time).

I just had word from other folks, advising against green terrors with severums. I think I am going to go the peaceful route with Severums with Firemouths.
So severums are breeding at about 1 year. I am going to guess Firemouths to be sexually mature at less than that time period? like breeding in 8 months?

In general, I should be able to sex dimorphic cichlids by appearance before sexual maturity right?
If the Firemouths sexually mature in less than a year, and I can sex them by appearance before that, then I will just go all males for my stocking.

 

[duanes]

I just had word from other folks, advising against green terrors with severums. I think I am going to go the peaceful route with Severums with Firemouths.
So severums are breeding at about 1 year. I am going to guess Firemouths to be sexually mature at less than that time period? like breeding in 8 months?

In general, I should be able to sex dimorphic cichlids by appearance before sexual maturity right?
If the Firemouths sexually mature in less than a year, and I can sex them by appearance before that, then I will just go all males for my stocking.

This may seem like a better aggression level scenario, but the waters of Mexico where FMs come from, is even more drastically different from severum waters the from GTs are found.
Water in Mexico is very hard high pH (7.8 to 8.8) than the severums low pH, soft water.

Above some water parameter data relevant for the waters Severns have evolved to live in.
Below, data where FMs are found.