[Azedenkae]

So I am starting to think potential tankmates for R. lentiginosus. I found an article that details the distribution of various fish in Chiapas, and collated what fish are found in the same localities as R. lentiginosus as a start. A bit more detail here.

Long story short, I am thinking of getting just random dithers that are found in the same habitat as R. lentiginosus, but perhaps not a must. I am however looking for things that are not going to be aggressive towards the R. lentiginosus in any way, so probably removing all other cichlids from consideration.

While the eventual tank size I am aiming for will be at least 200 gallons, perhaps a lot more, right now my tank is 40 gallons, so that is a consideration as well.

So, suggestions? :3

 

[Auballagh]

Hmmmm....
Got some interesting dithers I could recommend, including some Tetras found locally with those white water beasts that could probably hang with them in an aquarium. The question is though, do you want to spawn this rarer CA species? Putting Tetras and other non-Cichlid species in the tank with them (even in a 200 gallon-sized aquarium), could cause you to lose a LOT - or even all - of the eggs, fry and baby Cichlids to predation.
-
Basically, just like the conditions are in the riverine environment of Central America.

 

[Azedenkae]

Hmmmm....
Got some interesting dithers I could recommend, including some Tetras found locally with those white water beasts that could probably hang with them in an aquarium. The question is though, do you want to spawn this rarer CA species? Putting Tetras and other non-Cichlid species in the tank with them (even in a 200 gallon-sized aquarium), could cause you to lose a LOT - or even all - of the eggs, fry and baby Cichlids to predation.
-
Basically, just like the conditions are in the riverine environment of Central America.

That's a good point. I am so used to keeping convicts that my mind just defaults to 'oh they'll be good parents and at least quite a few fry will survive'... then I remember videos I saw of R. lentiginosus where their babies kept on getting poached...

So maybe not then, at least not at first. Perhaps I'll start with having the fish and seeing how they go, at least get them to breed first. Then in the future if it feels like a nice experiment I'd add something.

 

[Auballagh]

Totally agree.
That is until the gomerels start spawning TOO MUCH on you, and fill up all your grow-out tanks! At that point, (like I did....) you may have to concede that a bit of fry predation in the aquarium may not necessarily be a bad thing....
However...
One of those species on your list that I was going to recommend for keeping with your R. lentiginosus could be Xiphophorus hellerii, Swordtail. Especially the wild coloration types in pink/silver with the longtitudinal striping (coloration really only for aesthetics sake). Those live bearers are just absolutely ubiquitous throughout Central America! In a taller style, 6 foot long aquarium (210+), those should work out pretty good as they will tend to hang out near the surface. And also, outside of predation on their own fry or other 'opportunities' that happen near the surface, that live bearer species is not very piscivorous.
Definitely something that absolutely CAN NOT be said of this fine fellow,

Astyanax fasciatus 'Mexicanus' Tetra (Honduras caught individual at near adult size)

Nicknamed 'Old Nasty', these are best kept in some numbers (9-11 plus) in six foot long tanks, or you will quickly wind up with just two of them.... Predatory? Mean? My WC juvenile Cutteri and Honduran Red Points actually COWERED from those Tetras! And well.... the vicious gits just seem to absolutely LOVE eating any live bearer they can get a hold of! (No Swordtails in a tank with those, I'm afraid...). Kevin has been trying to get a load of those in for awhile now. But with things being how they are in CA these days... that may not happen anytime soon.

 

[a7oneal]

So I am starting to think potential tankmates for R. lentiginosus. I found an article that details the distribution of various fish in Chiapas, and collated what fish are found in the same localities as R. lentiginosus as a start. A bit more detail here.

Long story short, I am thinking of getting just random dithers that are found in the same habitat as R. lentiginosus, but perhaps not a must. I am however looking for things that are not going to be aggressive towards the R. lentiginosus in any way, so probably removing all other cichlids from consideration.

While the eventual tank size I am aiming for will be at least 200 gallons, perhaps a lot more, right now my tank is 40 gallons, so that is a consideration as well.

So, suggestions? :3

Thank you for the paper! I always like that kind of stuff.

 

[Auballagh]

Whaa.....?!!!

Thank you for the paper! I always like that kind of stuff.

Huh? An old-timer like @a7oneal ? It's like siting a Passenger Pigeon or a Tasmanian Wolf! Wow.... that thing is STILL ALIVE and kicking? Just amazin' I tell ya'.

 

[Azedenkae]

Thank you for the paper! I always like that kind of stuff.

Whoo, glad to hear someone else likes reading these papers like I do.

Yw!

 

[a7oneal]

Whaa.....?!!!

Huh? An old-timer like @a7oneal ? It's like siting a Passenger Pigeon or a Tasmanian Wolf! Wow.... that thing is STILL ALIVE and kicking? Just amazin' I tell ya'.

Yeah, a couple of moves put a damper on things for me. Hoping to get back going, but I did lose my last fish (a male A. amarillo) last year (I found the invoice for him from 2009).

Whoo, glad to hear someone else likes reading these papers like I do.

Yw!

I learn so much from them!