Urau, Brasiliensis or Pellegrini?

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vaine111

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Jan 7, 2009
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I was thinking of getting a pair of geophagus pellegrini or a pair of geophagus brasiliensis to go in with my 2 NGT datnoids.
I was talking with a friend about it and he said that he would go with the pellegrini because they look nicer. Then I was talking with another buddy and he said that they would cause too much stress on my NGT's and may even outright kill them, he suggested that I get a pair of orange uaru seeing he has 6 pairs of them he wouldn't mind selling me a pair for $75.
He went on to say that his urau are more rounded then the usuall tank bred ones that you see in the LFS(had 2 in the store and pointed out the more elongated body they have over his), and stated that urau in the wild are a more rounded fish, kinda like discus round but not to that extent.
Both of them are very knowledgable when it comes to fish keeping(they both own the store).
All I have right now are 2 NGT datnoids besides my bottom dwellers and am looking to add something to ease the agression that I know I will have between the two of them.
I want to know if I should get a pair of brasiliensis for $12, a pair of pellegrini for $16, or the proven pair of uaru for $75?...
I think my mind is already made up because I have always loved uaru and would love to get my hands on a quality pair.
 
adding a breeding pair never helps with aggression. If the Uaru were not a breeding pair I think it could work. I have a over stocked tank and fish were not getting along when it was understocked I added 2 uarus AKA the Mafia they keep the peace with a little nip here and there. I did not like my Uarus at first but they are growing on me and looks like if I want to keep them all I need a bigger tank soon.

The Geo brasiliensis is another fish I have had. They can hold there own and I think be a good addition to the tank. But they dig and I was not a fan of that.
 
I'm not really worried about the adding of aggression... I just want to basically disperse it elsewhere;)
And I wouldn't mind making some money on fry here and there;)
Thanks for the insight though.
 
How big is your tank? That may be a deciding factor.

A lot of Uaru do look more rounded as adults. This is what earned them the nickname "Poor Man's Discus" in the hobby. They have the same bright eyes as discus, a fairly round, laterally-compressed body, and to an extent they feed their fry on their skin secretions like discus (though it's not required and I think it's only been observed in U. amphiacanthoides, if I'm not mistaken).

Uaru are usually peaceful fish, but like any cichlid, a breeding pair could be trouble. They may be overly protective and territorial of a spawning site.
 
It's a 72"x18" 120 gallon... I'm hoping to setup a bigger tank here in the near future.
One of the urau he was pointing the elongated body on was about 10" the other was about 7".
 
Yeah I know, my next tank will either be a 300, 375 or a 500 gallon. I've been saving up for it for awhile now. Only thing is I have to get out of my apartment first. If it comes down to it... and I hate to say this... I might decide to get rid of my NGT's and go a different route.
 
I would also add to what Ryan has said, Uaru need a lot of veggie content in their staple diet but will eat ANYTHING and quickly at that so make sure if your feeding mostly protein to like shrimp to your DAT's that you can offer something veggie based to your Uaru and regularly. If you keep plants avoid Uaru, or avoid the plants ;). Uaru also appreciate higher temps them most, I am not sure on the temp requirments of a DAT, I've never kept one. Uaru are great fish, the sp. "orange" are beautful and at $75 for a pair I would jump on it IMO.

Their inquisitive eyes is what made me fall for them...
 
^ They definitely have personality and intelligence. Mine were always a bit more inquisitive and aware of what was going on than their severum tankmates. Really unique and interesting cichlid.
 
Yeah currently I feed massivore, shrimp, and tilapia so I'll have to up the veggies. I have algea waffers but I was thinking of giving blanched lettuce, zucchini, spinach and other greens as well(we love salads with every meal;)).
I keep the tank at 82F.

But one other thing I read is that they like fruit too, but I have never fed fruit and don't really know what kind would be good for them...
Any insight?
 
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