Honduran Red Point Tank

[Guenivere]

Hi everyone, looking for a little advice on a future set up. I'll be going back to my family home over the Christmas holidays and will pick up the last few tanks I left there, including a 40 gallon breeder I've earmarked for a pair of Honduran red points. These little guys are impossible to find around Vancouver and no one seems to have any in stock who will ship to canada, but I've managed to meet a guy at my LFS who has a bunch of fry 5.5 hours away - and he's coming back down this way in January to give me some! This is awesome because a bunch of fish stores in the area have indicated interest in buying juvies off me when they start to breed

However, I'm not a big time breeder - I'm a hobbyist who likes to see breeding activity because it tickles me. I want to have pretty tanks that the fish are happy in, and most of the time that means some amount of plants. Does anyone know what kind of plants would survive hrp's? I'm totally fine with doing exclusively anubias or java fern if that's all that will survive, but I'd really like to have something alive in there with them. I'm already planning on transferring a good portion of my floating plants into my 135 every week during water changes, but I'm sure my viejas and severum will decimate it in short order. Would floating plants survive as the hrp's like to be more at the bottom of the tank? Or should I just start a frogbit/water lettuce tub in the laundry room so I can put some in multiple tanks every Sunday?

Thanks for any advice and experience!

 

[ragin_cajun]

I don't think Convicts / HRP's are as hard on plants as Vieja are. And t's not totally certain that a couple (1 or 2) Vieja in a tank will just eat all your plants, either. I have had a couple Vieja (well, one or two) that don't eat the plants.

I find that Vieja tear up plants MUCH worse when there's 4-5 in the tank, and they all try do compete with each other for the plants. Like they encourage each other to tear up plants more. 1 or 2 in a tank might not tear up tough plants like you're talking about.

And I've never seen Vieja tear at water lettuce when I had it. I had the "full size" big pond Water Lettuce. roots hung way down into the tank and they didn't even notice it.

You'll also have better luck with BIG plants and young cichlids. I had some Valisneria in a 125, it got really long while the fish were 2-3 inches long. They grew up with it in the tank, so when they were 8-10 inches in the tank, eating zucchini and lettuce, they wouldn't bother the Valisneria.

I've tried Vals in other tank with full grown fish, they just pull em right outta the substrate day after I put 'em in the tank--just to do it, you know.

 

[Guenivere]

Lol I hear you - part of the reason I'm getting my research done now is so I can start growing out the plants I'm planning on putting in there now. Two anubias plants already growing in my planted tank are destined to be tried with the vieja, I have spots for them ouside of their usual swimming and hiding areas, that do not block lines of sight - I hear a big reason for plant destruction is that they're trying to see their territories fully, and the plants get in the way. That falls in with what you've experienced with multiple viejas I think. I'm hoping that since the Hondurans will be the only ones in the tank they won't feel that strong compulsion, but who knows with cichlids? Good to hear floating plants shouldn't be aq big issue with the regani, but I'm sure the severum will find it a tasty snack. Than again, with fertilizer and lights perhaps I can get a big enough colony of frogbit and lettuce that it will grow faster than the severum can munch on it. We'll see!

Always great to hear about your experiences with vieja! I'm still hoping to find a spot for another big tank so I can pick up those argentea

 

[ehh]

My convict wasn't too rough on the Java ferns I had with him. The ones that were in his little corner, he shoved around. But he never destroyed them.

 

[Guenivere]

Awesome - java ferns and anubias it is! With a few floaters for ambiance I think I'll stay away from anything planted in substrate though, just in case the digging mood takes them. Can't wait to get my hands on this tank! Thanks guys!

 

[ehh]

I also had some anacharis floating around and he never touched it. I'm sure floating plants will be just fine.

 

[duanes]

I've kept them with java fern and Anubias without a problem, mine spawned in a similar size tank and always chose cavelike structures to put the eggs and fry in. small clay pots, chunks of PVC, stuff like that. They started breeding ver small, the first time the females were not much larger than an inch.

 

[duanes]

 

[NW Cichlid Keith]

I've found that HRPs are not hard on plants floating or other - I even put a troublemaker one in a 29 gallon planted tank as a "permanent" time out and he didn't bother anything. I'd have lots of cover and targets. While they are not as aggressive as other convict types, I have found two things:
1) The size difference in male to female can be much greater than other convict types - so the female can have a hard time sticking up for herself if her mate is being pushy - need to have cover and two pairs or other targets
2) They are a little like sajica where the pair bond is not as great as w/ other convict types, and the male can be very pushy and damage the female if they are in a tank alone and he wants to breed real quick and she is not ready yet. He won't kill her overnight - just constant harassment

I got some beautiful blue ones from Rapps. First two pics are when they were younger. The third pic is of one that turned out completely different from the rest. He became platinum (can't really see in the picture), had a bigger and more red tail, and didn't like to breed w/ other HRPs - really had a thing for a Rio Cabuya Siquia gal - I kept one of their fry - last pic attached - he is a complete bastard and already at 6"

 

[Guenivere]

Oh wow, they look amazing. And it's good to hear that I can get some plants in there - you figure I should put two pairs in a 40 gallon to divide aggression? Or perhaps do a 1m 2f ratio..? Rapps was the first online place (person?) I checked after scouring all the LFS's in a 100 mile radius, but unfortunately had none in stock. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences, there's so much on convicts but very little info about these guys.