Where can I find... Or can anyone provide... A full list of Subtropical Cichlids that prefer cooler temperatures?

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CentralSouthRiverine

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Jan 21, 2024
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Where can I find... Or can anyone provide... A full list of Subtropical Cichlids that prefer cooler temperatures?..

I know of the Gymnogeophagus genus. I know of Australoheros so Red Ceibal, and I know of Crencichla Minuano.

I can't seem to find a full list online.

It means it's something a little easier to manage while my health gets bette and will give me something to focus on and keep my mind off things. I'm limited for the moment to a 40g breeder probably so it doesn't give me massive options.

I want to keep larger tropical predatory types of some point, but plan on keeping this tank too. The unique species and how they live should make it interesting.

Any lists? What are your favourites to observe?

Thankyou
 
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One of the ways I determine proper fish combination is to google a country, and fish base.
Knowing that Uruguay is subtropical, it's fairly easy to google "freshwater fishes of Uruguay, and see an extensive list of the fishes found there.
Freshwater fish of UruguayTropicalFreshwaterFish.comhttps://tropicalfreshwaterfish.com › data › Uruguay

One caveat is the countries often have geographic zones, an example of this where I live, in Panama, is that even in such a country as small as Panama there are geographic separators, that could be mountain ranges, microclimates, or other barriers.
Here in Panama, the difference between the fishes found in the eastern rivers of Panama are quite dramatic from those found west.
Even among populations of same species differences can be dramatic.
IMG_2976.jpeg
Above is the Andinoacara coerleopuntatus found in the rivers of the east
Below the same species found in the central and western rivers.
IMG_9475.jpeg
Below is a species (Darienheros calobrensis) I've only found in the Mamoni river and east
IMG_0208.jpeg
Below Tomocichla asfraci, only found in rivers of western Panama
1705924021897.png
Other countries have similar geographical barriers.
The Andes on the west coast of South America is great example of two popular (often combined genera/species of cichlids in aquariums), that would never be found together in nature.
West you find species of Andinoacara, like GTs, but east of the Andes Oscars. Never found naturally together in nature.
 
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Cichlasoma dimerus is a good candidate. Mine do well outside during the summer, with temps in the F70's. At those temps I can't keep both adult pairs I have in the same stock tank as the lesser male takes a severe beating from the opposite pair...likely followed by an equally severe cold shoulder from his lady. The two pairs each get their own tank.

In the wintertime, the four of them are very placid and calm. They spend the cold season all together along with other temperate-zone fish in the basement with temps in the 55-60F range and seem to be doing great.

Sadly, their colours are very subdued while indoors. They brighten and colour-up significantly in summer...when I can't really see them very well....:(
 
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What is the room temp where the tank is? I think people could get away without heaters alot more often if they wanted to... Aside from wild caught fish and the "hot" water species that like 80+ there are a lot of cichlids that will do fine in the low 70's. Just speaking from my own experience. My house stays 70-73 year round and many of my tanks hold that same temp or even a little higher without heaters.
 
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coltiger1975 said:
I have some goodeids xenotoca lyonsi with them
Click to expand...

I love those fish! X. lyonsi or doadrioi or eiseni or whatever they are calling them this week. Had them for years, then lost the entire colony to an unfortunate pond accident last year. I was stupid enough to place the entire bunch into a single stock tank, which is something I would normally never do; don't know what the hell I was thinking.

By the way...would Texas Cichlids fit the bill here for cooler tanks? Never had any, just going by their natural range.
 
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I have kept Herichthys carpintus, in my outside tanks, and ponds in WI, where water temps dipped to around 60'F, and they are found further south in Mexico than the true Texas cichlid H cyanoguttatus.
I also liked using high altitude Mexican live bearers like Xenotoca eiseni and others as dither species in my cool water ponds, for non-piscovorus cichlids like Gymnogeophagus.
1706216950557.png1706216656568.png1706216706929.png
 
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